MORE INFORMATION ON TROOP 35...ESPECIALLY FOR NEW SCOUTS AND WEBELOS INTERESTED IN JOINING THE TROOP
WHO WE ARE
Troop 35 began in 1985. We are chartered by Living Savior Lutheran Church in Tualatin, on the corner of Sagert and Boones Ferry Rd. We meet there each Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM except for Christmas break and Spring vacation. Visit the Troop web site at www.troop35bsa.org to read about recent outings and see what’s coming up on our calendar.
Troop 35 is in the Wapiti (Native American word for Elk) District of the Cascade Pacific Council.
Over the years the Troop has enjoyed good adult leadership and parental involvement. The current Scoutmaster is Ron Newlin. You can phone him at (503) 692-9049. He is supported by a number of Assistant Scoutmasters and Troop Committee Members.
One measure of our success is that 33 Troop 35 Scouts have achieved the Eagle rank, Scouting’s highest rank.
WHAT A NEW TROOP 35 SCOUT CAN EXPECT
The Troop is divided into Patrols, each with approximately eight Scouts of various ages and ranks. They elect their own leadership and work together to achieve our learning, service and activity goals. For the first six-twelve months, new Scouts will be together in a Patrol. An older Scout will be assigned as their “Troop Guide” and an Assistant Scoutmaster will specifically work with them. Their instruction and support, as well as Troop meetings and outings planned to include advancement opportunities, will put them on the path to earning their initial ranks and becoming familiar and comfortable with the Troop as quickly as possible. Tenderfoot and even Second Class can be earned in three months. First Class can be earned in six months. A reasonable goal, and one suggested by the Boy Scouts of America, is to earn First Class rank within one year. After six to twelve months the patrols are reorganized to distibute the new scouts into the other patrols. From day one, new Scouts will be able to participate in all of our regular outings and activities.
WHAT WE DO
The activities of the Troop are determined by the elected Scout Leaders with guidance by the Scoutmaster. The Scout leadership is called the Patrol Leaders Council or PLC. It consists of the Patrol Leaders, a Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), an Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL) and any Junior Assistant Scoutmasters, Troop Guides or Order of the Arrow Troop Representatives in position. The PLC decides on our annual calendar of outings, service projects, and other activities. They also meet monthly with the Scoutmaster to plan our weekly meetings.
Meetings
At each weekly meeting there is usually instruction related to rank advancement and/or our goal of developing character, citizenship and fitness, planning for upcoming outings or functions, a game or skill competition, opening and closing ceremonies and some comments from the Scoutmaster. These meetings follow a monthly theme determined by the PLC, such as Emergency Preparedness, Hobbies, Camping, Community Service, Sports, etc. Because the PLC does a good job planning the meetings you can count on them to be fun and worthwhile.
Every three months the Troop conducts a Court of Honor to recognize Scouts that have advanced in rank, completed merit badges, or deserve other acknowledgment. These take place on a Tuesday night instead of the regular meeting. All Troop parents and families are encouraged to attend.
Camping
Outdoor activities, particularly camping and hiking, are important to Troop 35. We go on camping trips 10 or more times each year, including one week of Summer Camp. We schedule campouts each month with the exception of December and January. In January we have a one-day Snow outing on Mt. Hood that is for fun and practice for our February Snow Camp. In February we also join nearby troops in a campout and scouting display at Tigard's Cook Park. Our other camping destinations through the year include BSA properties, public campgrounds, wilderness areas, etc. About half are “tailgate” campouts, meaning we drive to the destination loaded up with food boxes, coolers, stoves, lanterns, etc. On these outings the Patrol determines their menu, purchases the food, and cooks as a Patrol. The other campouts are backpacks where he hike to our destination carrying everything we need, with each Scout responsible for his own food and cooking. For the benefit of our newer Scouts we schedule the first backpack a few months after they join so they get tailgate camping experience first. The destination for the first backpack is selected to be easy for first-timers, usually about 5 miles round trip. We will spend a lot of time prior to that outing giving instruction regarding backpack cooking, gear, etc.
If the new Scout doesn’t yet have outdoor equipment please don’t think of this as an obstacle. For tailgates we use Troop-owned tents, stoves, cookware, lanterns, etc. For backpack outings most of us have extra gear to lend and we can help you locate great equipment for very little money . We also use the buddy system, so Scouts without tents and stoves can get paired up with the Scouts that do very easily.
These camping outings have also included bicycle trips and canoe/kayak treks. Troop tradition includes a “Family Camp” in September. In 2006 we had a great weekend at Champoeg State Park. Parents are welcome to join us on any outing during the year.
Summer Camp is one of the highlights of the year. It is a wonderful opportunity to have a great time and achieve a lot towards rank advancement. With rare exception, every Scout in the Troop attends Summer Camp. In 2007 we will be going to BSA Camp Pioneer.
The Troop owns an enclosed Wells Cargo utility trailer for use on outings that require us to haul a lot of equipment.
Community Service
The Troop participates in BSA area-wide projects such as Scouting for Food and Goodwill Good Turn Day, as well our own projects. These include partnering with the Tualatin Rotary Club and the City of Tualatin to plant trees, build and maintain trails, and do other projects at Little Woodrose Park. We also volunteer our help on other projects as called on by the City and other organizations and charities. Rank advancement in Scouting calls for various amounts of community service so we are often involved in supporting Eagle Service and other projects.
Fundraising and Expenses
Webelos Scouts that are currently registered with a Pack when they cross over to the Troop simply transfer their BSA registration. The cost is $1.00, which the Troop pays. We will provide the appropriate paper work. New Scouts pay a pro-rated amount of the annual BSA registration fee. The annual fee is billed in November/December. It is $20.80 including a subscription to Boys Life Magazine.
The Troop also collects dues of $30.00 per year. This can be paid annually, or divided if you prefer. This money primarily is applied to the cost of patches and advancement awards.
The cost of Troop campouts varies depending on the number of meals cooked by Patrols. The typical tailgate campout includes four meals at $2.50 each plus a $2.50 camping fee for a total of $12.50. The camping fee goes into the treasury to be used for equipment replacement and repair. On backpacks, each Scout is responsible for their own meals so the cost is only the $2.50. Occasionally an outing involves the cost of an admission ticket, campsite fee or other expense. Summer Camp usually costs $180 - $200. Scholarships are available.
To provide Scouts an opportunity to earn money for dues, camping, uniforms, equipment and other related expenses, and to help cover Troop expenses, we conduct various fund-raising programs during the year. Money earned is split 50%-50% between the Troop and the Scouts who participated in the fundraising based on hours worked. The Troop Treasurer (a registered adult) maintains the records on the amounts in each “Scout Account”. Scouts can ask the Treasurer to draw on their accounts for dues and other Troop expenses, or can submit receipts for reimbursement. It is possible to cover most, if not all, the year’s expense through participation in our fund-raising opportunities.
Our traditional fundraisers are Christmas tree recycling and selling our "World Famous Crawfish Chili" at the Tualatin Crawfish Festival. We also encourage our scouts to earn money through the Council's popcorn and candy sales, and have created other fundraisers as opportunity and need presented itself. These have included selling food at other events, collecting cans and bottles, garage sales, etc. These are coordinated by Troop parents, and we are always looking for good ideas and the people needed to make them happen.
Friends of Scouting (FOS) is a voluntary donation program of the Cascade Pacific Council of the BSA. Money donated helps support Council owned camps and facilities and the paid Scouting staff that coordinates council wide activities. FOS is depended on for approximately 40% of the Council’s Operating Funds. Troop 35 strongly supports this program and encourages each family to donate as they are able. Donations are tax deductible. The FOS campaign occurs early each year. There is typically a suggested amount per family (approximately $140). When the Troop meets our FOS goal (which we are proud to have done each of the past several years) we are designated as a “Presidential Unit” and receive a discounted Council summer camp rate and free use of Council camps for the year. This results in the individual family getting much of their donation back in the form of savings.
Parental Involvement
As mentioned above, we look forward to having parents with us on campouts, at meetings and Courts of Honor, and working with us on fundraising. We ask that each parent be actively involved with the Troop, and there are lots of ways to do that. We encourage all parents to attend Troop Committee Meetings, held during Troop meetings on the third Tuesday of each month. The Troop Committee consists of parents that register with the BSA as adult leaders, although all parents are welcome at the meetings. Committee Members have voting rights in Troop policy matters and are responsible for conducting Boards of Review for rank advancement and other advancement and administrative duties. We need as many parents as possible to be registered Committee Members. The cost to register with the BSA is $10.00 annually. We can provide the application forms. This registration is also required to be a Merit Badge Counselor or adult leader such as Assistant Scoutmaster. Adults registering only as Merit Badge Counselors do not need to pay the fee. If you are interested in knowing more about adult leadership positions, their training requirments, etc., please talk to Mr. Swearingen or the Troop Committee Chair, Christie Rivas.
UNIFORMS
All Scouts and leaders in the Troop are expected to be dressed in the full Boy Scout uniform at meetings and while traveling on outings. The uniform consists of the khaki BSA shirt, green BSA pants or shorts, BSA socks and BSA belt. Troop 35 Scouts are not required to wear a neckerchief, and the Troop does not have a particular one. If Scouts wish to, they can wear a camp or other BSA neckerchief or bolo tie. Scouts are not required to wear a BSA hat. They are welcome to wear a BSA or BSA Camp hat, or the Troop hat which consists of a black baseball style cap with the “Pinch” Troop logo patch on the front. New Scouts are given a “Pinch” patch for this purpose. Additional "Pinch" patches are available for $2.00 each. We ask that non-Scouting hats not be worn with the uniform.
Troop T-shirts featuring the "Pinch" Troop logo are available for purchase for $10.00 each. These shirts are not worn at Troop meetings unless special notice is given, but are always approriate while at campouts or while working on service projects and other activities.
Uniforms are expensive, so we encourage that uniforms that are grown out of be passed along to other Scouts when they are in good condition (the uniforms...not the Scouts, although it would be good if the Scouts were in good condition also). The Troop has a supply of hand-me-down uniforms that you are welcome to use. It is OK for the Webelos uniform to be worn for a few weeks until a BSA one is acquired.
HOW TO GET STARTED
To join Boy Scouts a boy must have completed 5th grade, or be eleven years old (but under 18), or have earned the Arrow of Light award. If you meet those requirements and agree to meet the other joining requirements listed on the Application and in the Scout Handbook (Scout Oath, Scout Law, etc.), and you want to join Troop 35 please contact the Scoutmaster, Mr. Carlson. If you are a Webelos Scout let your Den Leader know also so we can arrange to be at your Cross Over Ceremony to welcome you into the Troop. We’d love to have you, and will do everything possible to make your Boy Scout experience fun and rewarding
