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BSA
Troop 101
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BSA
Troop 101
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About Troop 101
History
We are currently celebrating our 70th year of continuous
service, which makes us one of the oldest Troops in the Council and the country.
Troop 101 is part of Del Mi
District (Hamilton & Tipton Counties), which is
part of Crossroads of America Council,
which is part of the Boy Scouts of America.
Leadership
The Boy Scout Program calls for much of the leadership to come from the boys;
however, it is critical to have strong adult leadership to deliver the program
to the Scouts. We are fortunate to have an active, well trained, group of Adult
Leaders.
Patrol Leader Council meetings are held the first Sunday of every month, usually
at the home of the Scoutmaster. These meetings begin at 7:00 P.M. and usually
last an hour. Attending these Patrol Leader meetings is one of the important
responsibilities of being a Patrol Leader. Patrol Leaders are responsible for
having their Assistant Patrol Leader attend in their place when they are not
able to attend.
The Scout/Boy leadership positions within the Troop include, but are not limited
to the following:
Adult leadership meetings are held on the third
Thursday of every month, usually at the home of the Troop's Committee Chairman.
These meetings begin at 7:00 P.M. and usually last for two hours.
Troop Meetings
Troop meetings are held every Monday from 7:00 P.M. until 8:30 P.M. at First United Methodist Church. Please try to arrive 5-10 minutes early. Meetings are not held during School Holidays. Activities during a meeting usually include announcements, planning for outings, attending merit badge classes, working on rank advancements, and playing a game. Swimming & Scoutcraft skills are offered during specific times each year.
Scouts are expected to wear their Class A (khaki) Scout Shirt including their neckerchief and slide to all Troop meetings. In addition, the appropriate patches should be sewn on the shirt as indicated in the Scout Handbook. We strongly encourage, but do not require Scouts to wear official BSA pants or shorts, belt, and socks.
Scouts should also bring their BSA Scout Handbook, a pen, a Band-Aid, 35 cents, and their Troop 101 notebook with them to each Troop Meeting.
Patrol Meetings
We are placing a renewed emphasis on Patrol Activity. Each new Patrol will be assigned an Adult Advisor (Asst. Scoutmaster) and a Troop Guide. While each Patrol will be responsible for making a Patrol flag and coming up with a Patrol Cheer, we are asking every Patrol to meet on a regular basis, which can be before the regular Troop meeting. In addition, we encourage Patrols to complete service projects and to go on periodic Patrol Outings (with appropriate Adult Leadership participation). Participating Patrols will earn special BSA Patrol awards.
Troop Outings
Troop 101 schedules at least one weekend activity a month. The Scouts choose most of these activities during an annual planning session in August. These weekend adventures are typically based in the great outdoors. Hiking, Camping, Caving, Biking, Climbing, and Skiing are some of the typical activities we participate in.
Sign-up sheets for these outings are placed on the front table at the Troop Meetings beginning 3 - 4 weeks prior to the trip. If there is a cost associated with the trip, the deadline for payment is usually by the Troop meeting prior to the weekend of the activity. Scouts can use money from their Scout Account to pay for these activities. Please encourage your son to sign up for these outings. They will enjoy Scouting more if they can participate in these outings on a regular basis. Scouts must indicate if a parent is going on the outing as well.
Our normal departure point for these weekend trips is the Noblesville Burger King. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Most Scouts eat there first since we typically depart on a Friday evening or Saturday Morning. Please be sure to contact one of the Adult Leaders if your son has signed up for an outing, but due to an unanticipated circumstance, is unable to go.
The trip we are taking will dictate what equipment the Scouts will need to bring. Please refer to the Troop 101 Weekend Camping Checklist. As is indicated on the list, all Scouts must wear a Class B (Troop 101 T-shirt) uniform to and from a trip location. Troop T-shirts can be purchased for $7.00 at the Troop meetings.
During a typical Troop Outing, Patrols/Patrol members will be assigned specific responsibilities which will typically include cooking a meal(s), cleaning up after a meal(s), leading a flag ceremony, leading a prayer, participating in a campfire program, etc. This can be quite a change, especially for new Scouts, from some of their Cub Scout outings they have participated in.
Rank Advancement
While we strongly encourage Scouts to work toward their Rank Advancements, we realize some boys may be involved with sports, band, etc. and as such may progress toward their rank advancement at a slower pace. There is nothing wrong with this. The requirements for each rank advancement are included in the BSA Scout Handbook. Please read through these requirements with your son. Listed below are some general goals for rank advancement for new Scouts that we promote as a Troop. Again, some Scouts will progress faster and some slower.
Scout - Within one to three weeks
Tenderfoot - Within three to six months
Second Class - Within six to nine months
First Class - Within one year to 15 months
Star - Within two years
Life - Within three years
Eagle - Within five years.
Progressing at this rate will allow a typical new
Scout (11 yrs old) to earn their Eagle when they are 16. The age cut-off to be
able to become an Eagle Scout is 18.
Merit Badges
There are a significant number of merit
badges a Scout can earn over the course of
their Scouting career. A specific 21 of these merit badges are required to reach
the Eagle Rank. Troop 101 offers 10-15 merit badge classes over the course of a
year, many of which are Eagle required merit badges. Other merit badges are
intended to provide Scouts exposure to certain career possibilities.
Many of the Merit Badges taught during Troop meetings cannot be 100% completed.
Certain requirements may required the Scout to complete activities over a 1 - 3
month period of time. Parents, we ask that you help your son keep up with these
requirements so they don't end up with a large number of partial merit badges.
A list of all the merit badges will be provided in the Troop 101 notebook.
Summer Camp
Troop 101 attends Ransburg
Scout Reservation every Summer for one
week. Ransburg Scout Reservation is one of the premier Scout Camps in the
Midwest. Detailed information is provided to Scouts and parents during the
months of February and March. Scouts sign up for specific classes/activities
offered during the camp. This is usually done in March. An initial deposit for
half of the camp fee is typically due by the end of February, with the balance
due in April. The cost of the camp is typically around $175. This is a great
experience for all Scouts and we recommend they attend.
High Adventure
High Adventure Trips are offered to older Scouts, usually either 13 or 14
yrs. old and up. Previous years trips have included Boundary
Waters Canoeing, Grand
Canyon Backpacking, and Philmont
Scout Reservation Backpacking. Typical
cost for a high adventure is between $350 and $650.
We also offer a 4 day high adventure trip during Fall Break, which is open
to younger Scouts.
Service
We encourage Scouts to participate in as many community service projects as
possible. Most Ranks require Scouts to have a specified number of community
service hours. Scouting
for Food and the White River Cleanup are two examples of projects
we participate in. Additionally, older Scouts' Eagle projects, which benefit the
community, provide many service hour opportunities for younger Scouts.
E-mail us!
Troop 101 Scoutmaster
Troop 101 Webmaster
