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http://troop294scappoose.ScoutLander.com
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Troop 294 has been serving families in Scappoose since 1960!
Welcome! We are very happy to have you stop by. We have been a member of the community for 55 years. We help to strengthen families by brining them together in wholesome activities and promoting the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Scout Oath: on my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Scout Law: a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
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It is a pleasure having the opportunity to tell you a little bit about our troop. There are three points I'd like to make about the scout shirt.
First, the Scout uniform shirt is a traditional Boy Scout item. Boy Scouts have been wearing Scout uniforms for nearly a hundred years. You don't see anyone but Scouts wearing Scout uniforms.
Second, each Scout shirt is a bit different. There is a standard starting place—a blank shirt that you can buy at any Scout shop—but then each boy's shirt starts to look different. There are different sizes, different patches. All Scout shirts have the same basic shape, but beyond that there is endless variety.
Third, Scout shirts are generally decorated on just one side—the outside, the part you show off.
The Boy Scouting program itself is a lot like the Scout shirt.
First, it is a traditional program. Boy Scouts today enjoy many of the same activities that Boy Scouts enjoyed when Baden-Powell first created the program a century ago. There are many other things about Boy Scouting that haven't changed much over time, including things like the Scout Law and the Scout Oath. The Scouting program has three aims or purposes that shape the program: character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness.
Second, Boy Scouts and Scouting adults each have unique experiences. Everybody's time in Scouting is different. Also, just like patches, Boy Scouts and Scouting adults come in an almost endless variety of colors and shapes and personalities and skills and intelligence and even political persuasions. They aren't all "red." There's lots of "blue." And lots of purple and green and polka dots and stripes. But they are all Boy Scouts, because they all strive toward those same three aims: character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness.
Third, Boy Scouting is like a Scout shirt because it has a "showy" side and a plain side. The showy side of the program is what attracts boys—the fun and outdoor adventure. That is the fun stuff, the colorful stuff, the stuff you look at and point at and say, "That's cool—I want to do that." But the adults like us are concerned about the other side. On that other side, our eyes are not distracted by the colors and designs, by the showy stuff. We look at what the Scout shirt—the Boy Scouting program—is made of. We can feel the fabric. We see the three points clearly— character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness. We're glad that the boys are drawn to the colorful stuff on the outside, but what really matters to us is on the inside.
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In the Boy Scout Handbook you will find pretty much everything your son will need to know to become a skilled Boy Scout. I encourage you to get a copy, if you don't already have one, and read it with your son. This book will tell you what Boy Scouting is really all about: hiking, camping, cooking, first aid, citizenship, nutrition, health, and fitness.
I'd like to read for you a little summary. We call it "the promise of Scouting." It is right there up front, on page 1 of the Boy Scout Handbook.
"Welcome to the Boy Scouts of America."
Our sons have an incredible number of activities they can pursue—all kinds of sports, music lessons, before-school activities, after-school activities, in-school activities. And they are great. But none of them have, in one place, the fun and challenge that Scouting offers.
Our sons also have an incredible number of distractions—video games, cell phones, instant messaging, a hundred channels of mindless, tasteless television. We offer your son the chance to swap a few hours of that for a few hours of this.
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You may recall that the Scouting program has three aims or purposes: (1) character development, (2) citizenship training, and (3) physical and mental fitness. What makes Boy Scouting unique is that it has eight methods it uses to achieve those aims. Those eight methods define Boy Scouting and show how it is different from other programs. - Ideals—The ideals of Boy Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. The Boy Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve.
- Patrol Method—Patrols are small groups of Scouts who camp together, cook together, play together, and learn together. Patrols are where Scouts learn citizenship at the most basic level. They also take on responsibilities within the patrol, and learn teamwork and leadership. Patrols sort of look like Cub Scout dens, but there is one big difference: Patrols elect their own leaders, and through these patrol leaders, Scouts have a voice in deciding what activities the troop will put on its calendar. Patrols are one component of what we call youth-run, or youth-led, troop.
- Outdoor Programs—Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. We camp. We hike. We get dirty. We get up close and personal with bugs and spiders. There's no way around it. Our program is largely built around outdoor activities. So, expect to have more laundry after a campout and to hear some interesting stories about wild things.
- Advancement—Boy Scouting has a system of ranks in which Scouts learn progressively more difficult skills and take on progressively greater responsibilities. The highest of these ranks is Eagle Scout. Becoming an Eagle Scout is an important achievement that your son can be proud of his entire life. But turning out Eagle Scouts is not what the Boy Scouting program is all about. Advancement is probably the most visible of the Boy Scouting methods, and the easiest to understand, but it is only one of eight methods. We strongly encourage advancement, but we never force it—advancement is the Scout's choice, and he sets his own pace. We don't do "lock-step" advancement. And many great Scouts, and great men, never became Eagle Scouts.
- Associations With Adults—Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of the troop. In many cases, a Scoutmaster, a merit badge counselor, or one of the troop parents who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives. Adult association is also part of what we call a youth-led troop. Adults understand that their role is to create a safe place where boys can learn and grow and explore and play and take on responsibilities—and fail, and get up and try again. If you were involved with Cub Scouting, this is a very different role that can take some time getting used to.
- Personal Growth—As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. Probably no device is as successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims.
- Leadership Development—The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to lead in some way, whether as part of a team, or as the leader of his patrol or as the senior patrol leader of the troop. Leadership development is another component of the youth-led troop.
- Uniform—Like most sports teams, Boy Scouts wear a uniform. Like most sports teams, we expect our Scouts to wear the uniform when they are doing Scouting, and to wear it properly. It is a symbol of who we are and what we do.
Youth-leaders: Boy Scouts is different than Cub Scouting, and it is different from the way a lot of youth activities are run, where the adults decide what to do and the youth do it. Boy Scouting is different, and it is sometimes difficult for adults to realize that we have a different role and a different goal. In Cub Scouting and in many other programs, our goal is to have fun activities and generate achievements. Our role is to make sure that the activities happen, that the achievements take place. Boy Scouting is different. In Boy Scouting, the role of the boys is to have fun activities and generate achievements. The role of the adults is not the destination, but the journey. That is, our responsibility as adults is to promote the "process" of Scouting. What is important for us is - Not the food on the campout, but that the boys cooked it.
- Not a sharp-looking flag ceremony, but that the boys put it together.
- Not who would make the best patrol leader, but that the boys elect one.
- Not that Johnny learns first aid, but that Billy teaches him.
- Not that we cover everything on the meeting agenda, but that the senior patrol leader is in charge.
Our goal is not to get things done, but to create a safe and healthy environment with the training and resources that the Scouts need, and then let them do it. It can be a very messy business, and painful to watch. Meetings where the boy leaders are in charge can be very chaotic. And it can be very tempting for adults to jump in and sort things out, because that is what adults do. But we have to remember that that is the process of Scouting. That is how they learn—even from disorganization and failure. We just have to remember that our business as adults is not the same as the business of the boys. It is up to them to get things done. It is up to us to make sure they have what they need, but (within the bounds of health and safety) not what they do with it. Youth Protection. The Boy Scouts of America has had a very strong program in place for many years to protect our youth from abuse of all kinds. We require all of our leaders to be trained in Youth Protection, and to refresh that training at regular intervals. There are some rules we follow that you will hear about, such as two-deep leadership and no one-on-ones. That means that there should not be a situation where a Scout leader is alone with a single Scout. There are other rules and policies as well, and we encourage all parents to take the training and learn about Boy Scout Youth Protection. |
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To register with our troop, you need to fill out a registration form and pay the registration fee and dues. fee and dues are $60 per year. Fees are pro-rated. That mess that if you join in June, you pay $30. If you join in January, you pay $60. If you join in September you pay $80 because you are paying for the last bit of this year and all of next year. Memberships run throughout 12/31 each year, and we begin collecting for the next calendar year in September. Uniforms are available from the Scout Shop, 2145 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97201, if you buy the whole uniform at once, it might be very expensive. Sometimes you can find uniform shirts on ebay for less money. Sometimes you can find them at Goodwill. I found two at Halloween time. Free uniforms are available from the council uniform bank. There are no forms to fill out. The honor system is used. If you need help, just ask. Requests are filled on a first come first sever basis. The requested items are delivered to the council office several times per month. They can also be mailed if the recipient is willing to pay for postage. Requests should be sent to Carolyn Kirby cbk97031@gorge.net. Here I have listed the parts of the uniform in order of importance: - The official tan shirt is the most important part of the uniform. I recommend the short sleeve shirt ($23) because it’s easy to put a long sleeve shirt under it for cold weather. I also recommend getting a shirt at least one size too big in the hopes that he doesn’t grow out it in a single year.
- U.S. Flag, right sleeve, this will be included if you buy a new shirt. It might be included if you buy a used shirt.
- World Crest emblem, above left pocket, this will be included if you buy a new shirt. It might be included if you buy a used shirt.
- Council patch, CASCADE PACIFIC COUNCIL, left sleeve
- Veteran unit bar, optional, 55 YEARS, left sleeve
- Troop numerals, 294, left sleeve, olive numbers on a tan background.
- The pants ($25) are available in several styles. My favorites are the cargo pants that zip off to become shorts. My son loves to wear shorts, but I wanted him to have long pants for winter and Scout Sunday and hiking in the woods. I don’t recommend the official blue scout pants to Cub Scout because my son outgrew three pairs and taking him shopping is a real chore, but I do recommend the official pants for Boy Scouts because Boy Scouts spend so much more time outdoors, and the official pants are the most economical pair of non-cotton, outdoor pants that you are likely find.
- The belt ($8). I suppose any belt would do,but this one will fit the belt loops perfectly. It is a wide belt that that will accommodate gear.
- There are also official socks ($6), which look great with the official shorts, and they are perfect for hiking.
- Sash. At some point, your son will earn a merit badge, and that will be displayed on a sash. I recommend getting one that would fit his father since that might be a good guess on how tall he will grow.
Gear: I like the advice given by Bob Shaver at http://backpackingtechnology.com/packs/scout-parents-guide-to-backpacking-gear/ His troop did a lot of backpacking. Our troop does more car camping, but small scouts still have to carry all of their own gear to the campsite, so its still all very good advice. These items are listed in order of importance. Your scout needs the items at the top of the list right away. He might never need the items at the bottom of the list. - sleeping bag: Shaver recommends a 15-25° sleeping bag with down insulation, in a mummy shape, in an adult size. It should weigh less than three pounds. Such a sleeping bag can be found for not much more than $100. Alternately, you can buy a much cheaper bag and make it warmer by adding a wool blanket, but it will be heavy.
- backpack: start with a small external frame pack. Sometimes you can find them at Goodwill. External frame packs have the advantage of being ale to lash items to the outside. Later, he will likely want to upgrade to an internal pack, but he will need all the smallest gear in order to fit everything inside.
- boots: optional. Scouts grow so much that a dedicated pair of hiking boots is not practical. They won’t need the kind of ankle support that hiking boots provide until they reach their full height.
- clothing: no cotton, no cotton, no cotton, outdoorsmen must have nylon
- pants: scout pants are good
- long sleeve shirt, nylon, available at REI, Sports Authority and other retailers
- 2 T-shirts, nylon, available at Sports Authority, Under Armor and other retailers
- 2 pair of underwear, nylon, available at REI and other retailers
- sun hat, provided by the troop
- stocking cap, fleece, for sleeping
- pullover, fleece, available at REI and other retailers
- 1 pair of socks, wool blend, available at Costco, REI, and other retailers.
- rain gear, unlined, not a ski coat, totally waterproof, with a hood, covers the butt, have pockets, stuff inside a sack the size of a coffee cup, this could cost $100. Personally, I can’t get my son to wear any kind of rain gear aside from a hoodie, so I would be thrilled if he just agreed to carry a poncho.
- sleeping pad, optional, a lot of boys can sleep through the night without one. If he wants a pad, start him with a cheap blue foam pad from Wal-Mart and work your way up if he is uncomfortable.
- cooking gear: do not buy a mess kit. Get a plastic bowl, a plastic cup and a plastic spoon from the cupboard or Goodwill. Mark the cup with indicators for portions of a cup to make it a measuring cup. mark all items with the scout’s name.
- knife: scouts love knives. All he really needs is a small, lock back knife, something with scissors is excellent because he will mostly need to open food packages.
- flashlight: something small is best. Headlamps are great. Mostly used for finding gear in a dark tent.
- first aid kit: building a first aid kit is an important step along the scouting trail. These items are recommended: First Aid Items: moleskin, bandaids, gloves, gauze, soap, tape. antiseptic, and scissors
- pack cover
- hygiene kit: tooth brush, tooth paste (baking soda preferred because it doesn’t have a scent to attract bears), wet wipes disposable facecloth, pack of 12, toilet paper in zip lock bag, dental floss, camp soap, liquid, in small container, for washing clothes and bathing.
- survival gear: compass, map, waterproof matches, small mirror for signaling, whistle, fire starting steel, cigarette lighter, mosquito repellant, and sun block
- tent
- stove
- water filter
the troop calendar: if you are a registered member of this website, you can browse the troop calendar. You will also receive an automated reminder email, 48 hours before each scheduled event.
meetings and upcoming activities: we meet almost every Monday at 6:30pm at Grant Watts Elementary School in Scappoose.
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Settling Into The TroopTrainer Tip: This segment could be easily adapted into a PowerPoint presentation. This segment could be given by multiple presenters, each doing a paragraph as a sort of mini-testimonial about Scouting. Presenter: You may be wondering—even a little nervous—about what your role is in Boy Scouting. Well, your first role in Scouting is simply to continue what you are doing: Be a parent. Help your son succeed. Be supportive. Follow through. You're here because you see value in the Scouting program. Help that value come through. There will always be times when your son doesn't want to go the weekly meeting or seems to be losing interest in advancing and doing his best in Scouting. That's when he needs a parent's encouragement. Scouting works best when the whole family is behind it. And you're probably dreading the standard call for volunteers that you hear from school and every other organization you are associated with. Well, don't get me wrong — Scouting operates only because we have great volunteers. And yes, we hope that you will offer to help out the troop in some way. We have volunteer roles of every size and every type. Even if you only have a few minutes a month to help us out, we can use you. But being a Scouting volunteer isn't just another chore you take on because you have to. Let's hear some typical experiences of Scouting volunteers: Presenter reads the following: "When I first got into Scouting, it was because of my son. I thought it would be a great program for him. What I didn't realize then was what a great program Scouting has been for me. I have met so many great people in Scouting and have made some great friends. It is something I wasn't looking for and didn't expect. I know I'll always be with friends at a Scout meeting or event." "When I first got into Scouting, I expected to just drive my son to meetings and drop him off. I'm not an outdoor person. I work in an office all day. But when the committee chairman announced that they were looking for a new treasurer, I figured that would be a small way that I could contribute, so I put my hand up. Well, I was surprised to find that even my skills were needed by the troop. Everyone really appreciates what I do, and I've even started taking an interest in the outdoor stuff—I went on my first campout last month, and it was a blast!" "With my job, I don't really have a lot of free time, and I don't have a regular schedule, so I can't really go to Scout meetings or on campouts. But they told me that as a merit badge counselor, I could meet with Scouts whenever it was convenient for me. This way I get a chance to share my woodworking hobby with these great boys, and can do it on my schedule." "One of the things that surprised me, after I had been an assistant Scoutmaster for a year or so, was that I had starting applying things to my job that I learned in Scouting. The training for Scouting adults is excellent and has a lot of practical applications. It's a lot more than learning to tie knots." "I don't have a lot of time I can contribute to the troop. But one thing I did sign up for is to be a troop committee member so I can sit on boards of review. Boards of review are like little job interviews, where adult committee members ask the Scouts about their experiences in the troop and what they have learned. It is so rewarding to have a real conversation with those boys." Regardless of your skills or interests, there is something you share with all Scouting volunteers that makes your involvement priceless—your interest in having your son in the best possible Scouting program. |
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Hiking sticks come in many different styles, from the plain dead branch you just found in the woods to carved and decorated staffs to high-tech aluminum models with spring-loaded tips.
A good hiking stick can be a pretty handy thing to have with you when you're out walking in the country. Regardless of the type of stick or what they look like, they all do pretty much the same three things.
When you are going uphill, particularly if it is steep and rocky, the hiking stick can be a big help. You plant that stick in front of you, and you can use your arms to help pull you up the hill—you don't have to rely on just your legs.
When you are going downhill, particularly if it is steep and rocky, the hiking stick can really help you. You plant that stick in front of you, and it helps you keep your balance, takes a little of the weight off your knees, and gives you that little bit of extra support you need.
And when you're walking on the flat, well, the hiking stick is just a welcome companion on the trail.
Yep, many good Scouts have a hiking stick.
And just a Scout should have a hiking stick to help support him on his journey, he must have adults who support him on his journey through Scouting.
When he is on his way up, advancing, taking in new experiences, facing new challenges, it's nice to have something sturdy he can grab onto to help pull himself up, and the encouragement of those who have gone before him to help him along.
When he is on a bit of a downhill, trying to keep his balance and stay upright, he needs that extra support and stability.
And when he has a smooth, flat trail in front of him, it's just nice to have a companion to talk to, or just to share the silence with.
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