ABOUT OUR TROOP   

The purpose of this Troop Guide is to let you and your son or daughter know what is offered to scouts in this Troop.

 It also gives information that will help guide you through the stages of joining and gaining familiarity with the Troop. Please read all this Guide, share the information with your son, and keep it for future reference. In particular, parents' attention is drawn to the section "Joining", as they summarise information that you should be aware of now.

You should already have received the leaflet, “Initial Information”, which gives an outline of our Troop and what we offer. This Guide expands on some of the information in that leaflet, so if you did not get one, it can be obtained from the Scout Leader. Detailed information about the activities and events open to members of the Troop are given as they are arranged.

OUR TROOP

Some new scouts will have been Cubs here at the 18^th Scout Group, and so are already members of our Group and entitled to wear the Group neckerchief. Other boys will be new to our Group and perhaps new to Scouting. This will not affect the fun and adventure you will have in the Troop. 

The Troop is run by the Scout Leader and a team of adult leaders who have the position of either Assistant Scout Leader or Helper.

An essential part of our Troop is the Patrol System. Each Patrol has a Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader, who are likely to be experienced, older scouts. Each Patrol acts as a team for many activities, for example camping together during Troop camps. In this way, boys can learn important skills together, using the experience of other scouts in their patrol, and scouts get experience at leading others. 

New boys are placed temporarily in a patrol when they first start coming to meetings, although the patrol is not finalised until his investiture into the Troop (see below). While every effort is made to take into account the wishes of each boy as to which patrol he goes in, it is important for us to ensure that patrols are balanced in terms of numbers and ages of boys.

WEEKLY MEETINGS

Troop meetings are held weekly throughout the year, except when otherwise announced. The program is normally a mixture of activities, preparation for camps and other expeditions, skill training and games: with fun and challenge throughout. Scout uniform is worn for these meetings, except when previously advised. Please help make sure that your son is on time for meetings and that he wears full uniform.

Trainers are the normal footwear for weekly meetings. Boots are not suitable for meetings in the Group Headquarters, because hard soles may cause injury to other Scouts during active games.

Scouts are expected to attend Troop meetings regularly, to enable them to participate fully in our activities. Each Scout is expected to give a certain amount of priority to his Troop. Of course, Scouts will miss occasional meetings because of clashes with school activities etc, but because meeting programs are arranged on the assumption that Scouts will be present, it is expected that, if possible, boys will be polite enough to us know beforehand, if they are going to be absent: so that the leaders will know at the start of the meeting. This also means that we can plan programs accordingly

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

An essential part of our Troop's program is aimed at helping scouts develop interests in outdoor activities. A range of such activities is organized with both traditional camping trips and adventure activities.

Summer camp   This is the highlight of the Troop's year and normally is a week or more duration,  at the start of the School Summer holidays. It is hoped that all Scouts will come on the Summer camp, which usually has a variety of activities as part of its program. We aim to have this camp in a part of the country away from St Albans and to include adventurous activities that are not possible during the rest of the year: for example,  hill walking in the Lake District.

  Weekend activities  The Troop has approximately one weekend activity a month:  some last the whole weekend but others only a day. These are opportunities to put scouting into action, and to enjoy challenging adventure.  The weekend trips cover a wide range of activities,  such as camping at a local site, hiking,  canoeing, abseiling, or maybe just a session at a local swimming pool. There are also some activities organized by the Scout District, which take the form of inter-troop competitions. Of course, most scouts will not be able to come on all these, but I hope that every scout will make the most of opportunities offered.

Safety   Our adventure activities, such as canoeing and hill walking, are designed to be appropriate for each age range within the Troop, and new Scouts without experience in such activities will be given a strong groundwork in the basics. All these activities are supervised by adults who are experienced in leading young people. The Scout Association has a strong framework of rules governing adventurous activities to ensure that both the equipment and leadership are adequate. Often the leader is required to have special qualifications from the national body governing that activity: for example from the British Canoe Union for canoeing. 

Calendar of activities  The activities for the following year are outlined in a list, distributed at the start of the school year and updated as appropriate. Normally, detailed information about individual events is by letters sent to you via your son.

BADGES

In the Scout Troop there are two parallel systems for which scouts gain badges: the progressive training scheme and activity badges. The badges provide an incentive for Scouts to learn and develop skills. They also give a measure of the ability of Scouts in particular skills and allow them to develop at their own pace, the abilities needed to participate fully in the Troop activities.

Challenge badges There are a series of Challenge badges in this scheme, for example Outdoor Challenge (shown here) and Adventure Challenge. The badges are awarded on completion of a skills and/or activities, from first aid, through pioneering and camping skills,  to options for older scouts such as canoeing, rock climbing and backpacking.

On completion of several Challenges a Scout can get the highest Scout Troop Award, the Gold Chief Scout’s Award. This Chief Scout’s Award is aimed at the oldest scouts and to complete this Award a scout must show personal initiative to organize and complete a series of activities, including adventurous expeditions and community service. He must also show that he can provide active leadership within the Troop.

Please occasionally talk with your son about his progress through this Scheme.

Activity badges    Apart from these awards, there are a wide variety of activity badges, each covering a particular topic. Some are about topics already in the main scouting program, but take the subjects further: for example camping, hiking, first aid. Some cover pursuits such as boating activities, and provide a good basis for boys to learn about or extend their interest in that pursuit. Some badges cover various interests or hobbies that boys may already pursue: examples are computers, swimming, collecting. The picture is of the Hiker badge.

On the whole, the training and activities necessary to pass the awards in the progressive training scheme are covered during Troop meetings, camps etc.:  normally, parents may not 'test' their own sons on skills in this scheme. However, we are always looking for people, including parents,  to help instruct and examine Activity Badges. The way to do this is described in the section on 'Parents’ Help'

UNIFORM

Scout uniform one of the things that make being a Scout special. Full uniform is worn for regular Troop meetings and going to and from Camps etc., unless otherwise announced. See the Group Guide for details of what is needed.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

For each camp or other activity, you will be sent a list of equipment, clothes etc. that will be needed. Normally there is a fair degree of substitute items that are possible, as boys may not have the exact items specified. However, Scouts tend to acquire the camping and hiking equipment as they get older. To help guide you to the right sorts of such equipment to get, we have available a general guide to what equipment for camping etc. might be needed during your son's time in the Troop. There is a list of personal equipment for a normal weekend camp here. There is a section of this site that has advice about particular equipment.  Please contact the scout leader, if you want further advice. 

 JOINING

Although each boy joining the Troop will be guided personally through his first few weeks by a Leader, this section summarizes the various stages. By the time you get this Guide, your son may be well on the way to becoming a full member of the Troop. Boys who join when well past 10 years old, or transferring from another Troop, are equally welcome but the procedure may be a little different, depending on the exact circumstances.

Step 1We expect that all boys in the 18th Cubs will already know some of the scouts and Leaders of the Scout Troop well before they are old enough to go up to the Troop. The Scout Leader will have talked to each cub about the Troop.

Step 2  When cubs are close to 10 1/2 years old, they will start coming to Troop meetings to do their “Moving on Award”. Cubs initially wear cub uniform, including Group neckerchief. Boys joining from outside Scouting start coming at this age also and can wear casual clothes. Each prospective scout becomes a member of one of our patrols.

Step 3  I hope that it will be possible to meet with parents of prospective scouts, to talk about the Troop and answer any questions you might have.

Step 4  Maybe immediately, maybe after a few weeks, the 'new boy' will have decided definitely to join us and we can decide when the investiture ceremony should take place.

Step 5  Get the uniform, as described in the section on 'Uniform' in the Group Guide. Boys who have not been cubs do not wear any badges until invested. Cubs can transfer the following badges to their new uniform,  immediately that they finish needing their cub uniform: County, District, and (purple) membership badges, together with any of the following that they gained as Cubs:  Chief Scout’s Award, Participation (joining in) award, Group Awards and Staged activity awards (Music, Nights Away, IT, Swimming). Positions of badges on the uniform are shown in the Group Guide.

Step 6  For cubs from within the Group,  there is a "Going up ceremony",  to mark the transition from cub to scout. This is either during a Pack meeting, Troop meeting, or Group event. Parents are encouraged to attend this and the investiture. Hopefully, cubs will have their scout uniform for the going-up ceremony, so that at the Ceremony it can be worn under their Cub uniform. Part of the ceremony is to remove their Cub jumper to reveal their Scout uniform.

Step 7   A short investiture ceremony during a Troop meeting, when the new scout makes the Scout Promise, marks the formal entry into the Troop.

SCOUT BEHAVIOUR

This Troop hopes to provide a wide range of exciting activities for boys and all depend on the participation of volunteer leaders. The Scout Law provides a Code of Behaviour for Scout activities and is printed on Group Guide: this Law is another thing that makes Scouting unique. We therefore expect that boys participating in this Troop exercise self-discipline and quickly learn when is the time for seriousness and when a more relaxed behaviour is appropriate. A Scout (not his parents) will be warned, if his behaviour is below standard and therefore jeopardizing his membership. A boy that persistently does not cooperate in this matter will, after suitable warning, be sent home - whether from the Group Headquarters or from a trip away from St Albans.

PARENTS’ HELP

As well as the help with the Group, as described in the Group Guide, parents can contribute directly to the success of the Troop.

Activity badges While the Challenge Awards are normally dealt with by the Troop leaders, we are always looking for people to help with the specialist skills of Activity Badges. We have a list of instructors/examiners available to help scouts with the badge requirements - and to test them. The list of badges is at the end. There are likely to be very few boys wanting to do a particular badge in a year: so there would not be a great time commitment. Please talk with the leaders if you think you could help us with a badge or two: the leaders will also be able to show you the actual requirements for the badges.

Driving  Currently the Group does not own a vehicle. Usually our local camps etc. depend on parents driving scouts and equipment to and from the site. We try to arrange that cars go filled, so that any particular parent should only occasionally have to drive. We always have need of help with Camp equipment transport: if you have access to a van, let us know.

Troop activities  Maybe you have a particular skill that you think would be worthwhile passing on to the scouts. Maybe you don't see enough of your son at home. Maybe you would like to see first hand how the Troop operates. There is a whole range of degrees of help here, from a one off session teaching that skill during a meeting, through to regular assistance. We would like to obtain at least one more adult on the regular Leadership team.