Joining Troop 8
How to Join Troop 8
For boys and parents who have never visited with us, we strongly encourage you to attend one of our regular Troop meetings, which take place at Our Lady of Lourdes School every Monday evening at 7:30 PM during the school year (excepting holidays, please check our calendar). This will give you an opportunity to see who we are, get a sense for the personality of the group, and decide if you would like to join.
Paperwork?
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✓Complete the Boy Scouts of America Youth Application
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✓Complete the Annual Health and Medical Record form
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✓Give both forms, along with your Troop annual dues (details below) to the Scoutmaster at a Monday evening Troop meeting.
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✓Complete the Troop 8 Scouter Questionnaire (online or paper)
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About BSA medical information
The Boy Scouts of America has established minimum standards for providing medical information prior to participating in outdoor activities, and requires that a basic health and medical record be completed annually by all registered members of the Troop (Scouts and Leaders). This is well explained on the “Annual Health and Medical Record” form.
We ask that a parent or guardian of each joining Scout complete this form and submit it to the Scoutmaster along with the Youth Application.
We subsequently ask participants in individual outings to provide a permission slip that recapitulates important medical conditions, allergies, and medications (which sometimes change month-to-month). Here is an example of such a form. These are carried on the outings for use by adult leaders.
Please note that part B of the “Annual Health and Medical Record.” requires a licensed health care practitioner to examine the Scout, review his health history, and approve him for participation in a variety of Scout activities (with restrictions as applicable). The Troop regularly conducts outings that require this form. All BSA-sponsored summer camps require this form. It should be refreshed annually at the time your Scout normally has his physical exam.
Troop 8 dues
Troop dues are collected in the Fall of each year, and are currently $110 annually for the first Scout in a family, and $85 for subsequent Scouts. For Cub Scouts who are crossing over into the Troop in 2011, the cost is $1 for the BSA cost to process the transfer. Checks should be made out to “BSA Troop 8.”
Costs for individual outings vary (typically $15-$30) and money is collected with permission slips before each outing. Some outings (skiing, summer camp, high adventure) are more expensive and have different payment schedules.
BSA Summer Camp with Troop 8
Please send your new Scout to BSA-sponsored summer camp with the Troop. Most Troop 8 Scouts attend a week-long BSA summer camp each year. We will attend Ockanickon Scout Reservation from June 19 - June 25, 2011. This is an opportunity to complete rank advancement requirements and earn merit badges, but more importantly, to have fun. It is particularly helpful for new Scouts to attend, because they complete most of the requirements for their first several ranks, and get to know their fellow Troop 8 Scouts before the 2011 - 2012 outing program kicks off in September.
Please SIGN UP NOW! We submit our campsite preferences to Ockanickon in mid-May, so please sign up as soon as possible - even if (as a current Webelos) you have not yet crossed over into Boy Scouting. New Scouts who pay for Ockanickon before May 31 receive the special Ockanickon Webelos Crossover Rate of $319. Payment is made through Troop 8; checks made out to “BSA Troop 8” should be presented to Kevin Canavan, our 2011 summer camp planning coordinator. Kevin attends most Monday troop meetings.
Troop 8 Scouter Questionnaire
The Questionnaire also helps us to supplement the contact information from the Youth Application. For the convenience of our Scouts, leaders, and parents, we maintain a Scout and Parent Roster that includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The Survey also allows you to indicate the email addresses (or addresses) through which you would like to receive email regarding Troop events.
If you do not know the access credentials for the “Scout and Parent Roster” or other protected parts of the web site, please contact incoming Scoutmaster Andy Mullin, at asmullin@aol.com.