BOY SCOUT Parent orientation guide WWW.PathwayToAdventure.org
Welcome letter Dear Parents, Congratulations on taking the first step on the journey of a lifetime for your son and family. As a parent, you want your son to grow up to be a great person; a self-reliant, responsible, and caring individual. We have the very same goals for him! Scouting lets kids have fun while teaching them skills that will help them now and throughout their lives. In fact, Scouts have been participating in exciting adventures for over 100 years while developing their personal fitness, building self-esteem and leadership skills, and learning the importance of helping others. While boys join Scouting to have fun with their friends, and make new ones along the trail, Scouting s mission is to help you instill in them the ability to make good decisions and equip them with the tools they ll need to lead a happy, fulfilling life. We ve seen first-hand the enormous positive impact Scouting has on the lives of young people, and we re thrilled your family has made the great decision to become part of our Scouting community. We encourage you to visit PathwayToAdventure.org/Blast2016 at your earliest convenience to access valuable resources, including an essential Parent Orientation Guide, which will help you and your son get the most out of Scouting. And since everything is more fun with friends, we included an extra ticket to Adventure Day in your Welcome Packet. You can give this ticket to any family you think may also enjoy the adventures of Scouting. They will receive a free model rocket to launch if they join Scouting that day and your son will get a special patch! Feel free to reach out to our top-notch staff with any questions as you settle in or at any time in the future. You can reach us at (312) 421-8800. Welcome! Richard Romani Volunteer Membership Chair Fred Wallace Executive Director
Boy Scout Program overview Boy Scouting is a year-round program for boys in fifth grade through high school that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best person they can be. While there is guidance from experienced leaders, Boy Scouts take their own lead, exploring places they've never been as they dive into the rugged world of outdoor adventure. With a spirit of teamwork, they pack up their Scout gear and their sense of adventure, and dive into the learning and excitement that comes from being in the brotherhood of the Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts has a lot to offer, but don t let the 130+ merit badges scare you away. With the exposure to a uniquely hands-on learning experience through earning merit badges that reflect each boy s budding interests, they unlock a world of discovery around them, and forge their path for the future. By culminating the Boy Scouting experience by earning the rank of Eagle and accomplishing a service project imagined and executed by the Scout himself, he can prove his leadership skills and gain the confidence he needs to excel in life and in the world at large. SCOUT OATH SCOUT LAW BOY SCOUT MOTTO mission BE PREPARED On my honor I will do my best to do my duty To God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
Program Highlights Adventure Days - Scouts and their families will get to launch their model rockets at one of six locations on October 1st or 3rd. These Launch Parties will incorporate exciting activities featuring our popular STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs. Klondike Derby - Scouts participate in the thrill of model car racing! The Pinewood Derby is a parent/son project in which they build a race car from a block of wood. Boys race their cars against one another in the pack. First Aid Meet - Scouts practice first response emergency care in a fun competition between other Troops. Their first Aid skills are tested is areas such as use of splints, checking for shock, sprains, broken legs and arms, and other injuries. They use their skills on other Scouts who act as patients. During the event they are also taught to report any injuries to the main first aid station. Summer Camp - Summer camp is integral part of the Scouting program. It integrates an outdoor classroom with once-in-a-lifetime adventures that foster skill development, friendships, teamwork, and lasting memories. Camporee - These events are held in the Spring and Fall. They are weekend campouts with other Troops that are centered around an exciting theme. The Scouts participate by competing at different stations that test their Scouting Skills. Monthly Activities - These may include weekend camping, lock-ins, sporting events, ski-trips, hiking, biking, or other activities designed to keep the youth active. These activities are usually planned as a troop outing. Field Trips and Special Outings - These are great ways to learn more about the people and places in your community. SCOUTING BUILDS CHARACTER AND INSTILLS VALUES FOR A LIFETIME Benefits of Scouting ADVENTURE Scouting is an introduction to the great outdoors for many boys and, most important, a lesson about their place in it. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Scouting builds leaders. Former Scouts serve on the boards of global corporations, walk the halls of the White House, and have been known to occasionally go hiking on the moon. Life lessons learned in Scouting will help boys make good decisions throughout life. SERVICE The Scout slogan is Do a Good Turn Daily. That means doing something to help others each day without expecting anything in return. It means that Scouts do their part to care for the community and the environment. PERSONAL GROWTH As Boy Scouts plan activities and progress toward goals, they experience personal growth. Boys grow by participating in community service projects and by doing a Good Turn daily.
TROOP ORGANIZATION Our troop is run by the troop committee A. The troop committee is made up of adults appointed by the charted organization. Usually the members are parents, guardians, troop leaders and members of the chartered organization. B. The committee meets once a month in support of the troop s operations. C. Led by a committee chairman, in concert with the Scoutmaster. D. The committee plans fund-raisers, provides transportation needs and approves a troop s annual plan. E. The committee selects leaders, performs record keeping, manages troop finances, orders and delivers advancement badges, maintains troop equipment, helps train leaders and recognizes leaders. Our troop is owned by a chartered organization A. Chartered organizations include schools, parent-school organizations, religious organizations, service clubs, and other organizations interested in youth. B. Our chartered organization approves leadership, helps secure a meeting place, keeps the troop within the sponsor s and the Boy Scout guidelines and policies. C. Our chartered organization selects a chartered organization representative (a liaison between our troop and our sponsor).
ADVANCEMENT Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and the steps to overcome them through the rank advancement method. Each Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. Rank advancement is one method used by Scout leaders to help boys fulfill the aims of Scouting: character development, citizenship training, and mental and physical fitness. SCOUT TENDERFOOT SECOND CLASS FIRST CLASS STAR LIFE EAGLE SCOUT MERIT BADGES Earning merit badges gives Scouts the opportunity to learn important life skills and to gain real-world knowledge in more than 130 different areas from American Business to Woodwork. The merit badge program plays a major role in Scouting advancement.
key locations Des Plaines Valley Center for Scouting Northwest Suburban Center for Scouting 811 W. Hillgrove Ave. La Grange, IL 60525 (312) 421-8800 617 E. Golf Road Suite 101 Arlington Heights, IL 60005 (312) 421-8800 Robert J. Welsh Center for Scouting Steve Fossett Center for Scouting 8751 Calumet Ave. Munster, IN 46321 (312) 421-8800 1218 W. Adams Street Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 421-8800
Scout Shop scout shop Boy Scout Uniform Checklist Bring this checklist to the Scout Shop and we ll help outfit you in your first complete uniform. Name Council Troop Number Long or Short-sleeve Shirt Convertible Pants or Shorts Boy Scout Web Belt and Buckle Boy Scout Socks - Ankle, Crew, or Knee Boy Scout Neckerchief - (See your Troop Leader) Boy Scout Cap Insignia Shoulder Loops - Forest Green Council Shoulder Patch See sales associate or ScoutStuff.org for a full list of CSPs. Pricing varies. Unit Numerals Patrol Emblem (See your Troop Leader) World Crest Emblem Accessory Scout Advancement Trail Kit Handbooks Fieldbook, Boy Scouts of America, 5th ed. Boy Scout Handbook, 13th ed. Boy Scout Requirements Arlington Heights Scout Shop 617 E. Golf Rd. Suite 101 Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Phone: (847) 640-4430 Visit your local Scout Shop today! Calumet Scout Shop 8751 Calumet Ave. Munster, IN 46321 Phone: (219) 200-5462 Chicago Scout Shop 1218 W. Adams St. Chicago, IL 60607 Phone: (312) 738-3324 La Grange Scout Shop 811 W. Hillgrove Ave. La Grange, IL 60525 Phone: (708) 352-3144 Mon. - Fri. 9 AM - 6 PM Sat. 9 AM - 3 PM Mon. - Fri. 8:30 AM - 5 PM Sat. 9 AM - 2 PM Mon. - Fri. 9 AM - 5 PM Sat. 9:30 AM - 2 PM M, T, W, & F 9 AM - 5 PM Thurs. 9 AM - 7 PM Sat. 9 AM - 3 PM