Active and engaged trusted adults help ensure that troops thrive. Scouts is one of the few activities where trusted adults can enjoy activities with their children, without getting “in their way.” Troop 1865 is committed to the scout-led, adult-guided model. That style of Scouting requires adults to help facilitate and ensure that the scouts remain safe while enjoying the opportunity to self-direct. Nobody is born knowing how to organize a camping weekend or create an engaging skill training activity, and that’s where your wise adult guidance comes into play.
There are a few expectations for all Troop 1865 parents:
- YPT: Troop 1865 asks that at least one adult from each family take the Scouting America’s Youth Protection Training program. SA requires YPT for any adults participating on troop outings. We ask that one adult from each family complete the one-hour webinar to reinforce the troop’s core value of keeping scouts safe.
- Fundraisers: The troop holds fundraisers throughout the year. The troop relies on these events to help give back to our community and to subsidize troop events. Each fundraiser requires scout and adult participation to succeed, so we ask that you support the troop by signing up for parent shifts and ensuring your scouts meet their troop obligations.
- Support your scout: Scouting has many opportunities for growth built into the program. Many expect scouts to take leadership in communicating with adults and learning life skills. This is a safe place for scouts to learn, fail, and improve. We ask that you please support and help them with those communication, planning, and logistics skills, especially when they’re just starting out. Please note that helping does not mean doing it for them.
- Lend a hand: We are a big Troop. Back when there were a dozen Scouts, we could manage and track them all with one or two adults. Today we have bloomed into a thriving unit with over 50 young people doing at least 200 things at any one time! We would love to have adults lending their knowledge or interests to the overall operation. You don’t need to have an official title or position to help. Sometimes help is as simple as providing extra seats in your vehicle to get somewhere or setting up for an event. We encourage each family to find one or two ways to help the adventures keep rolling.
Ways to get involved:
Attend Parent Committee Meetings: The committee is the heart of the operation. It manages finances, tracks Scout accounts, organizes fundraising events, provides logistical support for the Scouts when they want to go on an outing anywhere, performs Boards of Review, and generally supports for the program.
The committee reporting meeting is your opportunity to stay in the know about the troop and what’s going on behind the scenes. The reporting meeting is just how it sounds. The actual fun stuff happens on the side, as parents have time to get it done.
Participate in a Board of Review: Boards of Review are among the easiest ways to help the scouts and the troop, and a great way to learn more about what we do.
As scouts learn skills and complete requirements, they are able to advance through the Scout ranks. At the end of each set of rank requirements, they are required to sit for a Board of Review, which consists of three or more adults who are not Scoutmasters/Assistant Scoutmasters and who are not their parents. This is an informal, sit-down session where parents can ask the scouts about what they do, and scouts can talk about their adventures. It’s especially great practice for scouts to learn to meet with adults in a no-pressure situation. For parents, it’s a great opportunity to get to know the scouts, learn about what they do, and to see their progression as they grow in the program.
No experience is required. New reviewers will always be paired with very experienced reviewers. Learn more about Boards of Review here.
Chaperone a Troop Meeting, Weekend Outing, or Service Activity: Every Scouting America activity requires two registered adult leaders to meet minimum YPT requirements—that means every scout meeting, day trip, or overnight adventure needs to have engaged adults to take place. Activities could include weeknight meetings, weekend day programs, Eagle projects and community service activities, and weekend overnights.
Chaperone a Week at Summer Camp: Troop 1865 has historically attended “Week 7” (end of July or early August) of summer camp at Camp Tesomas in Rhinelander. When there is scout and adult leader interest, we have also attended scout high adventure summer camps with older scouts.
With upwards of 40 scouts attending camp each summer, we need registered adults to help drive up and chaperone while we’re there. Your week at camp can be as intense or as relaxed as you’d like, and there is even an adult lounge area with wifi if you need to check in with work.
Become a Merit Badge Counselor: There are over 135 merit badges available for scouts to earn and they cover topics from vocations like Law, Public Health and Architecture, arts and crafts like Wood Carving or Animation, outdoor activities like Canoeing and Hiking, and practical skills like First Aid and Cooking.
Scouting America has a reference page on becoming a Merit Badge Counselor, as well as specific training courses online, to help you better understand the process.
To become a Merit Badge Counselor, adults must:
Register as an Adult Leader with Scouting America (adults already registered with Scouting America still need to fill out a second application with the MBC position code of 42)
Submit a Council Merit Badge Counselor Application
Complete Youth Protection Training, if not already done
Complete a webinar on the merit badge program.
Note: Merit Badge Counselors will be listed in the Council online directory, and may be contacted by scouts outside the troop (though this is unusual). For most badges, you can self-report your qualifications. But a few (e.g., Lifesaving) have additional requirements.