New Parents
New Parents, Welcome to Troop 30!
On this page, you will find information that is useful for new scouts and parents joining Troop 30. All of the information on this page can be found in other areas of our website. However, this page consolidates much of that information to make it easier for new scouts and parents as you transition into the Troop.
Contact Information
The "Contact Us" page contains the names and email addresses of the Charter Organization Representative, Committee Chair, Scoutmaster, Outdoor Chair and Webmaster. The names of the Secretary, Fundraising Chair, Troop Trainer and Service Opportunities Chair are also provided.
Troop Procedures and Policies
Please read through the "Parent Handbook" page for detailed information on how Troop 30 operates. A few important highlights are below:
Adults in Troop 30 - We encourage all parents to register as a committee member with the troop. This will allow you to have input into the Troop and a vote at committee meetings. Any adults that would like to be involved even more, may consider registering as an Assistant Scout Master. If you are considering becoming an Assistant Scout Master, please see Mr. Allsop, the troop Scoutmaster or one of the other Assistant Scout Masters. Training for Committee members is done online at the My Scouting website. Training for Assistant Scout Masters has two components. One is an online component completed at the My Scouting website, and the second component is an in-person training course (Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills), which is usually completed during a weekend camp out. Once you have completed the training, you will need to provide a copy of your training certificate to the Troop Trainer, Mrs. Vanderpool.
Youth Protection Training - Our Charter Organization, New Hope Presbyterian Church, requires that all adults complete Youth Protection training. You must complete the training even if you are not a registered adult with the Troop. Training is done online at the My Scouting website. Once you have completed the training, you will need to provide a copy of your training certificate to the Troop Trainer, Mrs. Vanderpool.
Medical Forms - The BSA Medical Form must be completed before your scout's first camp out. All parts of the medical form must be updated annually. Only parts A, B1 and B2 are needed for weekend camp outs. If your scout will be attending any camp out that lasts longer than 72 hours, such as week-long summer camp, Part D will need to be completed by a health professional. If your scout does not have an up-to-date medical form on file with the Troop, your scout will not be allowed to attend camp outs or other outings / activities. Completed medical forms should be given to Mrs. Emily Moore, who is one of the Assistant Scout Masters.
Troop Calendar - The Troop maintains a google calendar on its website. The calendar contains the dates and times of all Troop meetings, Courts of Honor, Patrol Leader Council meetings, Committee meetings, camping trips and other outings. If you would like to link the Troop calendar to your calendar, the name of the calendar is calendar@bsatroop30.org.
Meetings - Troop meetings take place every Thursday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meetings take place twice a month an hour before troop meetings. If your scout assumes a leadership position within the Troop, that scout will be expected to attend the PLC meetings. Committee meetings take place once a month. Please check the troop calendar for times and locations. Occasionally, there may be changes to dates, times and locations of meetings. Courts of Honor are held every three months (Feb, May, Aug and Nov) in place of a regular Troop meeting. During a Court of Honor, scouts are recognized and awarded for their achievements during the previous three months. This includes the awarding of any merit badges and ranks earned during that time. Please reference the Troop calendar for the latest information on Troop activities.
Uniforms
Scouts will wear one of two different uniforms during Troop activities, either a Class-A shirt or a Class-B shirt. The Class-A uniform consists of the tan-colored BSA shirt, neckerchief, shoulder loops, merit badge sash and belt. If you or your scout wish, you may also purchase BSA pants or shorts to go with the Class-A shirt. Jeans are also acceptable as long as they are in good condition (no cut-offs or jeans with holes). Sweat pants, athletic pants and athletic shorts are not acceptable. The Troop will provide the neckerchief and shoulder loops when your scout joins the Troop. It is the responsibility of the parents to purchase the Class-A shirt, merit badge sash and belt. The merit badge sash and neckerchief are generally only worn during Courts of Honor. They are not required to be worn during regular Troop meetings. Class-A uniforms must be worn to all Troop meetings during Standard Daylight Time. During Daylight Savings Time, Class-A uniforms are only worn during the first Troop meeting of each month. Class-B uniforms may be worn during the remaining Troop meetings during the month. In addition to Troop meetings and Courts of Honor, Class-A uniforms must be worn during travel both to and from camp outs. Once scouts arrive at the destination, they may change into a Class-B shirt. A Class-B shirt is any BSA t-shirt or a Troop 30 t-shirt. Families new to Troop 30 will have the opportunity to purchase Troop 30 t-shirts in the spring. The Class-A uniform must be worn tucked-in at all times. The Class-B uniform must be worn tucked-in at Troop meetings.
Scout Handbook
You will need to purchase a Scout Handbook for your scout. Your scout will keep and use this handbook during their entire scouting career. The handbook contains many of the skills your scout will learn while in scouts. These skills are also required for rank advancement. The handbook also lists the requirements for each rank, and as your scout completes these requirements, they must be signed-off in the handbook. The handbook also contains a log for your scout to track their camping nights, hikes and service hours. Your scout should bring this book to every troop meeting and camp out. It is recommended that you also purchase a protective cover for the handbook.
Scoutbook
Troop 30 uses the Scoutbook website to track the advancement progress of each scout in the Troop. After you create an account on Scoutbook, you can view and track the progress of your scout. We do not recommend using the Scoutbook app available for mobile devices as there are too many bugs with the app. It is best to access Scoutbook via a web browser.
Scout Advancement
Boy Scouts do not advance in rank as a group, like they may have done in Cub Scouts. Boy Scouts work and advance at their own pace. Once a scout has completed the rank requirements listed in the Scout Handbook for a specific rank, the scout must then have an Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM) Conference with one of the Assistant Scout Masters. Prior to this conference, the scout must download and print a copy of the ASM Conference Checklist. The ASM and scout will review the check list together to make sure the scout has learned, and is retaining the knowledge and skills for each rank. As the scout progresses through the ranks, knowledge from previous ranks will also be reviewed. After the scout has completed the ASM conference for Scout, Tenderfoot and Second Class, the scout will attend a Board of Review. After the scout has completed the ASM conference for First Class, Star, Life and Eagle ranks, the scout will have a conference with the Scoutmaster. Prior to the Scoutmaster Conference, the scout must download, print and complete the Scoutmaster Conference Worksheet. It is the scout's responsibility to download and print the ASM Conference Checklist and Scoutmaster Conference Worksheet prior to their meetings with an ASM and the Scoutmaster. The ASMs and Scoutmaster do not provide these documents. After the scout completes the conference with an ASM and the Scoutmaster, the scout will attend a Board of Review, which consists of a meeting with three members of the Troop Committee. After the Board of Review, the scout will have earned their next rank.
Camping Gear
The scout handbook has a list of suggested camping gear that a scout should bring on a camp out. We also have a camping list available for download on our website. You and your scout will learn more about camping gear at Troop meetings. If you are looking to purchase camping gear, you may want to consider hikerdirect.com. This website offers discounts to registered scouters.
Troop 30 has a Facebook group (Boy Scout Troop 30) where many adult leaders post pictures from Troop campouts and other Troop activities. This is a private group. When you apply for membership to the group, please provide the name of your scout so that we can match each adult to a scout.