Boy Scout Troop 1018

Troop Handbook

Dranesville United Methodist Church

Dranesville, Virginia

The Troop 1018 Handbook

Background and Revision History

The purpose of this handbook is to provide a ready source of information for members of the troop and their parents.

Despite our best efforts to provide accurate and complete information, you may run across errors, omissions, or areas that need further clarification. Please highlight these to the Scoutmaster (scoutmaster@troop1018.org) so that they may be corrected for future editions.

This edition of the Troop 1018 Handbook is version 2.1, published on 2/28/07.

Version 1 was published in 2004 and brought together many separate papers and information sheets that had been written and posted to our website over a number of years.

Version 2 represented a complete overhaul of the Troop 1018 Handbook and was placed in draft form on the troop website in January of 2007. Each existing chapter from the original handbook was rewritten and updated and much new material was added. Version 1, for example, included the actual by-laws; version 2 contained extracts from the by-laws and integrated troop policies and procedures with their respective topics. Version 2 was only published on the website in draft form for review and comment.

Version 2.1 includes revisions and changes based on feedback received from the draft version and will serve as the baseline for future editions.

February 1, 2007

Scouts, Scouters, Parents, and Friends,

Welcome to Boy Scout Troop 1018. This handbook was created to serve as a guide to our Scouts and their families and brings together information from a wide range of sources. We’ve consolidated the information into a format designed be used as a ready reference for Troop 1018 families.

If you’re not familiar with the Scouting program, the “Quick Start Guide” (Chapter One) and “What a New Scout Needs to Get Started” (Chapter Two) should give provide a jump start in the Scouting adventure. The remainder of the handbook focuses on specific areas of interest to Scout families. More detailed information on a wide range of outdoor and Scouting topics is available on the troop website www.troop1018.org.

No handbook is perfect and I’m always interested in your feedback and suggestions for improvements or possible additions. The selection of topics for this guide and much of the content of the website came from questions I’ve been asked about Scouting-related topics. Your input can make this handbook even better.

Wishing you the best in your Scouting adventure . . .

Yours in Scouting,

Doug Donnell, Scoutmaster

Table of Contents. 3

Chapter 1 - Troop 1018 Quick Start Guide. 3

Introduction. 3

Boy Leadership and the Patrol Method. 3

Troop Organization. 3

Rank Advancement 3

The Cost of Scouting. 3

Activities. 3

Uniforms. 3