First, we are glad that you as a parent are part of Troop 810. We are very glad that you have taken the time to encourage your son to be in scouting and we are thankful that you are a part of his life as he grows to be a man! We are also thankful that you are considering what you can do to help the troop.
Think back to when you first checked out Troop 810. While meeting with some of the adult leaders, the topic of what you might be able to do to help the troop came up (it always does) and we stated that we would welcome any help that you wanted to give. Feel free to help how you can - not everybody can give lots of time all of the time, but every bit helps to make a huge difference. We are always looking for parents to help in many ways so let us list them out.
1. Consider becoming a merit badge counselor. Do you have hobbies or interest that is just more than a passing interest? There are tons of merit badges offered and finding a local counselor. can sometimes be hard. To find out what all of the merit badges are and what the requirements are, check out Meritbadge.org. If you are interested, touch base with Mr. Berthiaume to get a merit badge counselor. form and an adult application (yes, scout rules dictate that you must complete an adult application each time we make a change to your status).
2. Please let Mr. Parisi, our Scoutmaster, or Mr. Callahan, our committee chairman that you are available for Boards of Review. When a scout is ready to advance, they have already completed all of the requirements listed in their scout handbook and they request a Board of Review. The Board of Review is an interview with a Scout after completion of a Scoutmaster conference and is conducted by 3-6 parents or members of the Troop Committee (not adult troop leaders). This is not a test, but a last check to ensure that all requirements have been met, and an opportunity for the Committee and Scout to visit about the Troop's programs and the Scout's perception of his personal scouting experience. We are ALWAYS in need of adults to help with boards!
3. Come to parent meetings and participate. Participation does not mean having to serve on a committee; it means coming and sharing your thoughts and knowledge and helping us to make decisions that guide the troop. Of course, if you wanted to have a more active part on the troop committee, we might be able to work something out...
4. Volunteer your skills for our program. We have needs of medical personal for helping us train and refresh the troop youth members for first aid and CPR. We are always interested in other program offerings also and if you don't volunteer, we won't know you are interested...
5. We might need some help driving to/from campouts.If you can help and want to, please let Mr. Callahan know...