Who are we called to be and what are we called to do in this time and this place?

As a parish organization, Boy Scout Troop 9 seeks to promote the personal growth and development of its members through the national scouting program with a special emphasis on the outdoor program.

Oversight / Accountability

Who is responsible for oversight of the troop, its operation, and its program?

The direct leadership of the troop is provided by the adult scouters: the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters under the direction of the parent-based Troop Committee. The Troop Committee is responsible through the Institutional Representative to the parish and to the local Boy Scout Council.
Program planning and delivery is the responsibility of the adult scouters with broad input and approval from the Troop Committee.

From the Annual Charter Agreement, the parish is responsible for the following:
•  Conduct the Scouting program according to its own policies and guidelines as well as those of the Boy Scouts of America.
•  Include Scouting as part of its overall program for youth and families.
•  Appoint a chartered organization representative who is a member of the organization and will coordinate all unit operations within it. He or she will represent the organization to the Scouting district and serve as a voting member of the local council. (The chartered organization head or chartered organization representative must approve all leader applications before submitting them to the local council.) [In practice, this appointment has been made by the Rector upon nomination by the Scoutmaster.]
•  Select a committee of parents and members of the chartered organization (minimum of three) who will screen and select unit leaders who meet the organization's standards as well as the leadership standards of the BSA. (The committee chairman must sign all leadership applications before submitting them to the chartered organization for approval.) [In practice, the members of this committee include parents of Scouts and parishioners invited by the Scoutmaster with the approval of the standing Troop Committee and the Institutional Representative.]
•  Provide adequate facilities for the Scouting unit(s) to meet on a regular schedule with time and place reserved.
•  Encourage the unit to participate in outdoor experiences, which are vital elements of Scouting.

What is the troop's mission?

As a parish organization, Boy Scout Troop 9 seeks to promote the personal growth and development of its members through the national scouting program with a special emphasis on the outdoor program.

From United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 2 - Boy Scouts of America:
§ 23. Purposes of corporation

"The purpose of the corporation shall be to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which were in common use by Boy Scouts on June 15, 1916."

From the Scoutmasters Handbook:

It is the purpose of the Boy Scouts of America to provide for boys an effective program designed to build desirable qualities of character, to train them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop in them personal fitness, thus to help in the development of citizens who:

• Are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit.
• Have a high degree of self-reliance as evidenced in such qualities as initiative, courage, and resourcefulness.
• Have personal and stable values firmly based on religious concepts.
• Have the desire and the skills to help others.
• Understand the principles of the American social, economic, and governmental systems.
• Are knowledgeable about and take pride in their American heritage and understand America's role in the world.
• Have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people.
• Are prepared to fulfill the varied responsibilities of participating in and giving leadership to American society and in the forums of the world.

The Boy Scouts of America accomplishes this purpose by making its program available in partnership with existing groups having compatible goals, including religious, educational, civic, fraternal, business, labor, and governmental bodies.

For Troop 9, our mission is paraphrased from Scouting's honor society, The Order of the Arrow, also known as the Brotherhood of Cheerful Service. The mission of Troop 9 is to provide an environment where boys can learn to be Scout campers, to exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, to develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit, to promote Scout camping, and to crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

Through its outreach to youth within the parish and the community at large, the troop brings a practical setting that provides an opportunity to live out the ideals embodied in the Scout Oath and Law and in the various Scouting purpose statements, including a strong and central religious element.

The Institutional Representative is appointed by the parish. In practice, this appointment has been by the Rector upon nomination by the Scoutmaster.

The Troop Committee is appointed by the parish. In practice, the members of this committee include parents of Scouts and parishioners invited by the Scoutmaster with the approval of the standing Troop Committee and the Institutional Representative.

The Scoutmaster and other adult leaders are volunteers who either have a child in the troop or have an abiding call to Scouting. All adult leaders are presented to the Troop Committee. Each adult must apply to the Troop and be approved by the Institutional Representative and the local Scout Council.

The troop is governed by the policies, procedures, and guidelines of the national and council Scouting organizations and of the parish. Under the oversight of the Troop Committee, operational procedures and guidelines exist as ad hoc standards.

The topic outline of National Policy relevant to troop operation is included below:

I.Adult Leadership
        1.Leadership Requirements for Trips and Outings
     II.Aquatics Safety
        1.Safe Swim Defense
        2.Classification of Swimming Ability
             1.Swimmer Test
             2.Beginner Test
        3.Pool and Surf Swimming
        4.Safety Afloat
        5.Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's)
        6.Water Clarity
        7.BSA Lifeguard
        8.Swimming
        9.Diving and Elevated Entery
       10.Scuba (Explorers and older Scouts only)
       11.Asthma/Reactive Airwave Disease / Scuba Activites
       12.Snorkeling, BSA
       13.Waterskiing
       14.Board Sailing
       15.Whitewater Safety Code
     III.Camping
        1.Age Guidelines
        2.Trail Safety
        3.Beware of Lightning
     IV.Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use and Abuse
     V.Emergency Preparedness
        1.Emergency Phone Number List
        2.Reporting Deaths or Serious Injury
     VI.First Aid
        1.First-Aid Kits
        2.Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
        3.Protection Considerations for Bloodborne Pathogens
        4.Near-Drowning
     VII.Fuels and Fire Prevention
        1.Chemical Fuels
        2.Guidelines for Safely Using Chemical Stoves and Lanterns
        3.Flammability Warning
        4.Extinguishers
        5.Fireworks
     VIII.Guns and Firearms
        1.Cub Scout Standards
        2.Boy Scout Standards
        3.Handguns (Explorers only)
        4.Shotguns
        5.Muzzle Loaders
        6.Rifles
     IX.Hazardous Sports and Activities That Require Special Precautions
        1.Cave Exploring
        2.Judo and Aikido
        3.Rock Climbing and Rappelling
        4.Unauthorized and Restricted Activities
        5.Carbon Tetrachloride
        6.Knives
        7.Rope Monkey Bridges
        8.Parade Floats and Hayrides
        9.Unit Fund-raisers
       10.Tractor Safety
       11.Bike Safety
       12.Skating Guidelines
     X.Inspections
        1.Meeting Room
        2.Motor Vehicles
        3.Unit Camping
        4.Boats
     XI.Medical Information
        1.Immunizations
        2.Life-Threatening Communicable Diseases
        3.Religious Beliefs and Medical Care
        4.Prescriptions
     XII.Transportation
        1.Automobiles
        2.Campers, Trailers, and Trucks
        3.Buses
        4.Trains
        5.Boats
        6.Aircraft
        7.Tour Permits
     XIII.Winter Activities
        1.Winter Sports Safety
     XIV.Youth Protection and Child Abuse
        1.Hazing and Initiations

What is the troop's program?

The troop's program is comprised of two main elements: 1.) personal achievement through the Scouting advancement program from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout and 2.) a vigorous incremental outdoor camping program.

The troop's program is implemented with regular weekly meetings of an hour and a half throughout the school year, eleven weekend camping trips of two to four days, a week of structured summer camp at a council-based camp facility, a nine to fourteen day long-term hike in wilderness conditions, and three Courts of Honor at which the Scouts are recognized for their achievements. Other non-troop based activities, such as the Parish ABC Sale are included in troop activities. Most service projects are included as a part of the regular activities or are individually scheduled by the Scouts themselves. Total program time for the year is budgeted at four hundred direct hours of program involvement, including forty-three complete days, and twenty-eight nights.

Scouts are admitted into the troop upon application. After initial meetings, the new Scout is placed in a patrol of six to ten other Scouts based on a combination of personal preference, parent input, and staff discussion.

Any boy, eleven through seventeen years of age, can join. An application form signed by a parent or guardian, a brief parent-supplied medical history, a release for emergency medical treatment, and dues of fifty dollars a year are required. Scholarships are available for dues and camping expenses.

Disciplinary action that results in a Scout's being asked to withdraw from the troop or take a leave of absence are reviewed by the troop's adult staff, the Troop Committee, the District Executive, and the Rector.

The current troop membership presents from white, moderately affluent, and generally well educated families.

How does the Troop Committee direct troop staff in the delivery of the scouting program?

Active involvement from parents and the Troop Committee is solicited in the development of the troop's program. Feedback on program delivery is an agenda item for each of the troop's monthly committee meetings. The annual program and budget are approved by the committee at its May and September meetings.

The troop budget is jointly developed by the treasurer and the scoutmaster and approved by the troop committee. Monthly reports are submitted by the treasurer at the committee meetings.

The annual troop budget for 1997 - 1998 is $1,509.60 for adult and boy registration, patches and badges, camp registration fees, equipment replacement, and newsletters. Funding sources are scout dues and the parish.

The troop operates one checking account under the management of the troop treasurer.

See policies and procedures above.

What reporting requirements are in effect for the troop?

The troop reports to the parish, to the Boy Scouts of America, to the Scouts' parents, and to the Troop Committee.

The troop submits a report for inclusion in the Annual Parish Report. An annual report is also supplied to the Boy Scouts of America with the troop's charter renewal in January. Reports are sent to parents in the troop's newsletter which is published three to six times a year. Parents are all members ex officio of the Troop Committee and are encouraged to participate regularly. The Troop Committee meets monthly on the second Thursday of each month from September through May.

How does the relationship-in-practice of the troop and parish compare to that of other troops and sponsoring organizations in the community?

Troop - sponsor relationships are fairly laissez faire within the Chapel Hill - Hillsborough scouting community. Troop 9 at the Chapel of the Cross was initially sponsored as an outreach of the Laymen's League in the late 1940's. The closeness between the troop and parish has varied over the years.

While each troop uses the national scouting program, the combination of focus and personal chemistry brings a unique touch to each unit. For Troop 9, that element which has been of special importance to parents and Scouts over the last three decades is the extensive camping program.
 

Within the last twenty-four months, back-country trips have included over a hundred fifty miles of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Virginia, the Joyce Kilmer, Shining Rock, and Linville Gorge Wilderness areas, portions of the Black Mountains on the Mt. Mitchell - Celo Knob ridge, and Mt. Rogers, Virginia.

Personal advancement is good; each boy has advanced at least one rank in the last twelve months. One has recently completed his Eagle Scout badge and will receive this in May. Two others are within months of completion; three others are on an active 'Eagle-track.' Over the last three years, the troop has rebuilt from a low of six active scouts. We now have a solid age mix of boys from ages eleven to seventeen with strong boy leadership.