All Scouts must have a completed Code of Conduct agreement on file with the Scoutmaster. In addition, the Scoutmaster reserves the right to suspend any Scout for unruly behavior. The Troop Committee reserves the right to permanently remove any Scout for unruly behavior.
Scouts must be in proper uniform for all Scout functions. A Class A uniform is required for all weekly Troop meetings and all other activities unless told otherwise. The Class A uniform consists of an official BSA Scout shirt w/insignia & patches (flag, world crest, shoulder loops, council, unit number, patrol, rank, and leadership patch), a Troop 722 neckerchief and slide for those having earned them, and a Troop 722 hat. Beginning with your Scoutmaster’s Conference for 1st Class rank, you are expected to be also wearing Scout style (olive color) pants/shorts, Scout style (olive color) socks, and official BSA Scout belt for all Scoutmaster Conferences, Boards of Review, and Courts of Honor. Camouflage style pants are not allowed. The Merit Badge sash is recommended for the Class A uniform.
Please remove any non-BSA clothes covering your shirt during the meeting (the red BSA jacket is acceptable). Scouts with improper insignia, hats, jackets or leadership patches will be asked to remove them.
The Class B uniform is allowed on some hikes and other events if announced in advance by the adult and Scout leaders. The Class B uniform consists of the official Troop 722 T-shirt with optional Troop 722 hat and/or red BSA jacket. On some backpacking and other events, uniforms may not be required on parts of the trip (e.g. on-the-trail) if announced in advance.
Families are expected to assist in Scout activities. We need drivers, fundraisers, chaperones, event and activity coordinators, etc. If you are unable to participate in any way, please reconsider your son’s membership in the Troop. We need everyone’s help at some point in the year. Please see the list of adult leader jobs for ideas on how you may be able to help, and then talk it over with the Scoutmaster, Committee Chairman, or other Troop adult leader.
Attendance
Low attendance at Troop meetings or optional Troop activities (outings, service projects, etc. - fundraisers are generally mandatory) could delay Scout advancement since many training and advancement requirements are covered at these events. Also, if you are a Scout with a leadership role, then you should maintain sufficient attendance in order to fulfill the obligations of your assigned leadership position. If extracurricular or other activities prevent you from regularly attending Troop meetings or events, please consult with both the Scoutmaster and the SPL in advance of any ongoing timetable conflict so the Troop can accommodate your schedule.
Scouts on the road to 1st Class rank should always bring their Scout Handbook to Troop meetings. All Scouts should bring a pen or pencil and paper for taking notes to Troop meetings.
Do not bring weapons, radios, electronic games, laser pointers, toys, or other distractions to Troop meetings or on outings. Note: Pocket knives are OK on outings once you have earned your Totin' Chip Card.
Visiting non-family guests are expected to participate in Troop meetings, and permission to attend should be obtained from the SPL or Scoutmaster in advance of the meeting.
All Scouts are expected to show Scout spirit by participating in at least 10 hours per year of Troop fundraising activities. Our current major fundraisers are our annual mistletoe sale and two or three Troop carwashes per year. The mistletoe sale calls for about 6 hours of help per Scout with sales, and about 2 hours in helping packaging the mistletoe. Older Scouts can help with harvesting the mistletoe. The carwashes have 2-hour work shifts, and the Troop expects Scouts to work at least one shift (or two shifts if three carwashes take place) each year.
We also look to the Scout’s parents or guardians to help the Troop by chaperoning at least one 3-hour mistletoe sales shift. Scouts and families that cannot help with a particular fundraiser can make up their fundraising hours on another fundraiser activity, much like making up work after a school absence. It is the Scout’s responsibility to work with the Troop leadership to ensure that his annual fundraising commitment is met so that he may be eligible for continued rank advancement.
The Troop also raises funds through the popular eScrip program and through America’s Car Donation Charity Center. A flyer for the eScrip program is included in the back of the Troop Handbook. Please contact the Committee Chairman or Scoutmaster if interested in donating a car, truck, trailer, boat, or RV to the Troop.
Boy Scouts is a boy run and adult guided organization with a defined chain of command. In general, when a boy has a question, he should check with the appropriate personnel in the following order: his Patrol Leader (PL), his Assistant Patrol Leader (APL), an Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL), the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), the outing or activity Assistant Scoutmasters (ASM), the Scoutmaster (SM).
If the Scout has a personal problem to discuss, contact the Scoutmaster directly.
The Troop collects dues annually. Current dues are $40 per Scout, and $30 per Scout for any additional boys from the same family. Registered adult leader dues are $15; the fee is $5 if the leader’s primary registration is with another BSA unit. Outing participants may be charged additional fees for food and other costs for some outings. (See also the Reimbursement Policy section.)
Medical information forms are required for Scouts, registered adult leaders, and in some cases for parents prior to participating in BSA activities. There are detailed BSA standards for these requirements, but in general the Troop requires that an Annual Health and Medical Record be completed each year.
Parts A and C are to be completed annually by all BSA unit members. Medical information required includes a current health history and list of medications. Part C also includes the parental informed consent and hold harmless/release agreement as well as a talent/photo release statement.
Part B is required for any event that exceeds 72 consecutive hours (summer camp), or when the nature of the activity is strenuous. In practice, it is required for almost all troop outdoor activities. It is to be completed and signed by a certified and licensed health-care provider.
Advancement
Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, and 1st Class rank skills requirements can be signed-off by the Scoutmaster or any representative he designates. Currently, the Scoutmaster has established that the adult Advancement Coordinators, the adult Patrol Advisors, the SPL, the ASPL, or the Troop Guides may also sign approval on most of these requirements. Besides these established signers, the Scoutmaster or Advancement Coordinators can temporarily designate a trained adult leader or Scout to test and sign-off on particular requirements for an individual meeting, summer camp, outing, or other event. The signer should be unrelated to the Scout seeking the approval. Particular requirements or achievements completed at summer camp may need the Scoutmaster’s prior approval; check with the Scoutmaster if unsure.
Scouts working on their Star, Life or Eagle ranks should read their Boy Scout Handbook and consult with the Scoutmaster and the Eagle Advancement Chairperson for guidance on advancement.
Outings
All outings require a permission slip signed by a parent or legal guardian.
On all outings, Scouts will tent with Scouts and adults will tent with adults.
Final determination of a Scout’s eligibility/qualification for participation will be determined by the Adult Leader for the activity, as currently delegated by the Troop Committee.
Winter Awareness Training is mandatory for a Scout to participate in any snow outing. It is only offered once a year, usually in December. Attendance every 3 years is recommended.
On outings, we often cook patrol style. Each patrol is responsible for creating their menu, buying and preparing the food. This is a vital part of the Scout outing and must be demonstrated for advancement. When a Scout is selected as patrol grubmaster, he checks with the Scouts in his patrol on the menu and shops for the food. The grubmaster trusts patrol members to pay for the food. If a Scout has signed up for an outing and food has been bought, he is responsible for an equal share of the expense regardless of attendance or how much is eaten.
The Troop maintains a supply of shared community equipment for use on camping trips. Included in this equipment are “patrol boxes” with heavy-duty camping stoves and pots & pans, propane tanks, and other car-camping community items. In addition, the Troop has a limited number of loaner backpacks, lightweight stoves, and bearcans for backpack trips. Scouts are expected to provide their own personal drinking cups and utensils on Troop outings unless notified otherwise.
Scouts issued Troop gear must promptly return it clean and dry. Priority is given to first year Scouts who are in need of equipment.
Reimbursement Policy
Troop Responsibilities:
Individual Responsibilities:
a) For trips of 50 miles or more (round trip), the adult trip leader may establish a gas stipend pool which is normally collected in advance, typically 10 days prior to the event. The pool amount collected is recommended to be set in advance using estimated costs based on the round trip miles, a flat 18 miles per gallon mileage for all vehicles, the leader’s estimated number of vehicles required, a 3.5 Scouts/vehicle average load factor (allows for cargo, and load factor may be adjusted by the leader), the total number of Scouts signed up for the trip, and the cost of regular gas at a Castro Valley service station.
b) The recommended formulas used (may be adjusted by leader) are:
Est gas cost / vehicle = [(round-trip-miles) / (18mpg)] * ($price/gal)
Est number vehicles needed = (Number of Scouts on trip)/(3.5 Scouts/vehicle)
Stipend pool to collect = (Est gas cost / vehicle) * (Est num vehicles needed)
Gas fee per Scout = (Stipend pool to collect) / (Number of Scouts on trip)
Stipend payment/vehicle = (Stipend collected)/(number-carpool-vehicles)
Further adjustments to the stipend pool are normally not made for actual gas consumed after the trip is over.
c) The gas stipend pool is generally assessed in advance as part of the overall trip fee and normally charged equally to all the Scouts signed up for the event, regardless of whether or not they decide to participate in any carpool. If a Scout cancels after his trip fee is collected and does not provide at least 10-days notice prior to the event, the gas portion of the trip fee is normally non-refundable.
d) To be eligible for a gas stipend, the driver must be willing to carpool Scouts, adults, or cargo as designated by the leader. The driver must have satisfactorily met the leader’s advance planning requirements. In general, stipends will not be paid to drivers failing to coordinate in advance.
e) Cars with very limited seating and cargo capacity (for example a 2-seat sports car) are generally not eligible for a gas stipend. The adult trip leader decides.
f) The leader chooses the needed carpool drivers/vehicles and can allow for spare empty-seat capacity in case of break-downs on the way, last minute problems at departure, etc.. Vehicles/drivers not chosen to carpool may still drive to the event, but will not receive a gas stipend without prior explicit agreement with the leader.
g) The gas stipend pool that was collected is normally redistributed equally across the carpool-vehicles (chief drivers) regardless of the number of passengers or cargo carried. The adult leader may make compensating adjustments for extra miles driven by some vehicles or for special situations such as for summer camp.
h) The gas stipends will be paid out after the trip is over.
i) On shorter trips within our community (under 50 miles round trip) gasoline expenses are usually not reimbursed by a stipend pool, but Scouts can be asked to help share their cost of the gas bill for the vehicle in which they are a passenger. This is at the discretion of and the responsibility of the driver to determine and collect. Fortunately, those expenses are tax deductible. All drivers transporting gear or Scouts (including your own son) on a trip should keep track of their miles. Inform your tax preparer as to the tax deductibility of such expenses.
Quarterly, the Troop has a Court of Honor ceremony. This ceremony recognizes Scouts for their achievements. Part of the ceremony is a family pot-luck dinner. All families are expected to bring a main dish and a dessert or appetizer (enough to feed their family + 6 more); please bring serving spoons. Plates, cups, napkins, and utensils are provided by the Troop.