Frequently Asked Questions

Uniform

If your son is crossing over from Cub Scouts, he probably already has a khaki- colored uniform shirt. (If he wasn’t a Cub Scout, you’ll need to get the shirt.) Here’s what changes:

• Shoulder Loops: Replace the blue ones with red ones.
• Left Sleeve: Remove the Pack numeral under the Mayflower Council shoulder patch and replace it with the numbers “44.”
• Right Sleeve: Remove the Den numeral strip and Webelos colors. You will be adding a Patrol Emblem under the U.S. flag.
• Arrow of Light Patch: This is worn centered under the left shirt pocket.

It is up to the Scout and his family to obtain the following: "Class A" khaki- colored uniform shirt, red shoulder loops, "44" numerals, Mayflower Council shoulder patch, and World Crest emblem. Once a Scout begins earning merit badges, he should have a merit badge sash on which to display them. All these can be purchased at the local Scout Shop, which is located in the Brickyard Marketplace on Route 9 westbound in Southborough.

Scouts also are required to have Troop 44 "Class B" T-shirts, troop caps and troop neckerchiefs. These can be purchased through the Troop, which sells them at cost. Contact Mr. Rudden about ordering them.

All rank badges (Scout, etc.), position badges (Patrol Leader, etc.), "Trained" patches, "Totin' Chip," merit badges and other Scouting awards are presented to Scouts by the Troop as part of the Troop 44 program.

Depending upon the Scout's patrol name, patrol patches may be ordered by the Troop for the patrol. It is each Scout's responsibility to reimburse the Troop for these patches.

Note: Troop 44 recommends getting a short-sleeved BSA shirt. We also strongly recommend sewing on all patches, as opposed to using “Badge Magic” or other glue- type adhesive.

Gear

Troop 44 recommends that you hold off on any major gear purchases until you talk to the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmasters. We want to make sure you buy appropriate equipment, and that you do not spend money unnecessarily on equipment that your son will not need, or equipment that is inappropriate.

Your son will need some basic gear for his first campout – a mess kit and utensils, sleeping bag, ground pad, pillow, and a duffel bag for his clothing. There are a range of options available for even these basic needs, and we would be happy to discuss recommendations and lessons learned with you if you have questions about them.

The Troop 44 Troop Committee has voted to establish the “official” Troop 44 uniform as follows:

“Class A” shirt: The official BSA khaki-colored uniform shirt (see below for BSA rules on insignia placement) Troop 44 cap Troop 44 neckerchief “Class B” shirt: The Troop 44 T-shirt is worn at Troop meetings, events and campouts when the “Class A” shirt is not required. Pants: During our summer week at Camp Resolute, the Troop requires either olive-colored shorts or official BSA shorts to be worn for occasions requiring the “Class A” shirt, such as for the Troop photo, Camp-wide assemblies, and daily dinner.

BSA Shirt Insignia

• Shoulder Loops: Red (for Boy Scouts) or Silver (if holding a District/Council position).
• Left Sleeve: Mayflower Council shoulder patch, the “44” unit numerals, position patch (e.g., Patrol Leader), and “Trained” strip.
• Right Sleeve: Patrol emblem patch and “Quality Unit” patch.
• Left Pocket: The World Scout Crest emblem is worn centered above the pocket. Service Stars are worn centered beneath the World Crest Emblem and above the top of the pocket flap. Badges of rank are worn on the pocket. The Arrow of Light patch is worn centered under the left pocket.
• Right Pocket: The “Totin’ Chip,” “Firem’n Chit,” or “Order of the Arrow” lodge patches are worn on the pocket flap.

Note: For proper BSA insignia placement, refer to the Uniform Inspection Sheet.

Buying Uniforms

It is up to the Scout and his family to obtain the following: "Class A" khaki- colored uniform shirt, red shoulder loops, "44" numerals, Mayflower Council shoulder patch, and World Crest emblem. Once a Scout begins earning merit badges, he should have a merit badge sash on which to display them. All these can be purchased at the local Scout Shop, which is located in the Brickyard Marketplace on Route 9 westbound in Southborough.

Scouts also are required to have Troop 44 "Class B" T-shirts, troop caps and troop neckerchiefs. These can be purchased through the Troop, which sells them at cost. Contact Mr. Rudden about ordering them.

All rank badges (Scout, etc.), position badges (Patrol Leader, etc.), "Trained" patches, "Totin' Chip," merit badges and other Scouting awards are presented to Scouts by the Troop as part of the Troop 44 program.

Depending upon the Scout's patrol name, patrol patches may be ordered by the Troop for the patrol. It is each Scout's responsibility to reimburse the Troop for these patches.

Note: Troop 44 recommends getting a short-sleeved BSA shirt. Based on historical use, we strongly recommend sewing on all patches, as opposed to using “Badge Magic” or other glue-type adhesives.

Our troop employs “patrol cooking” on campouts. Your son is one member of a “patrol” that includes a group of boys. When we camp, the patrol is responsible for cooking its own meals.

The grocery list your son has come home with is the result of a meal plan for the campout that the patrol put together. To give each boy both the opportunity and the responsibility to shop for a campout, the task of shopping for groceries is assigned to different patrol members for each campout.

Troop 44 believes that the responsibility to shop is your son’s, not yours. Obviously, your son will need to be driven to the grocery store; and obviously, your son may have plenty of questions for you during the experience, since most of our boys do not do the family grocery shopping.

Your responsibility is to act as a guide. If your son wants to buy three dozen eggs to cook a single breakfast for his patrol of 5 scouts, we would encourage you to ask some leading questions to help your son determine how many eggs may be reasonable for the campout. The goal is to teach your son the skills that are required to shop smartly, and to be able to keep within a budget.

The following are examples of the types of shopping skills we would like you to suggest as you help your son with the shopping task:

• Purchase store brands, when available, to make the budget go further
• Bring a calculator or a pencil and paper to keep track of total cost while shopping
• Stick to the grocery list—don’t impulse buy additional items
• Purchase smaller portions when larger portions are not required (e.g. smaller loaf of bread, rather than a full loaf)
• Ensure that you have all required ingredients for any mixes you buy (e.g. tomato paste for Sloppy Joe mix or milk/eggs for muffin mix)
• For lunch meats, order by the slice, rather than by the pound (e.g. 2 slices per scout)

The money your son has represents a budget of $8 per scout. The goal is to purchase adequate food for the campout and stay within that budget. The menu planner/grocery list that your son has identifies how many scouts in his patrol will be attending the campout, and your son should use that in calculating food portions and total budget.

It is conceivable that a campout will occasionally go over budget (e.g. if the patrol is trying to cook something “fancier” than usual). When this does occur, the cost should be kept as close to $8 per scout as possible.

When the shopping is complete, your son has just a few more responsibilities:

1. Bring the patrol’s food to the campout
2. Give the grocery receipt to his Patrol Leader
3. Settle any budget overage/underage with the scouts in his patrol

The cost of each campout varies because the amount charged by each location at which we camp is different. For example, the cost for us to camp at Buck Hill in Pascoag, RI is only $50 per weekend; cabin camping at Treasure Valley, Camp Sayre or other places usually costs between $150 and $200 per weekend.

Typically, Mayflower Council-sponsored events, such as the Freeze-out or Spring Camporee, cost more—about $15 per person—because the Council sets a fee needed to cover its expenses to operate the event.

For the typical monthly campout, we calculate the cost per Scout/adult by dividing the expected number of campers (which averages roughly the same number over the course of a year) into the cost per site. In some cases, we also are charged a fee-per-person in addition to the camp site fee.

Troop 44 does not make any money on campout fees. Depending upon actual participation, we make take in a little less or a little more than we need per campout, but we aim to "break even" over the course of each year.

There are several reasons why we ask for Permission Slips for our campouts to be turned in by a certain date:

1. To allow patrols enough advance time (in weeks) to know which boys are coming, to plan their menus, to collect money for food, and to shop for food.
2. To allow the SPL and adult leaders to know which boys are going and ensure that they are prepared in terms of skills, gear, etc.
3. To allow adult leaders to plan in advance how many adults are needed at the campout.
4. To allow adult leaders to plan in advance how many drivers are needed to get Scouts to/from the campout.
5. To allow the Outings Chair enough time to prepare a Tour Permit and obtain it from Mayflower Council in advance of the campout.
6. In some case, such as Camporees, to provide head count numbers to Mayflower Council/event sponsor to meet their deadlines.

To help parents plan, all campout dates for a given school year are posted on the Troop 44 Web site calendar by the start of each school year.

Permission slips are e-mailed to all Troop 44 families as soon as they are available. (Even though we try to coordinate campouts months in advance, we often have to wait for information or final confirmation from campsite owners.) In addition, we usually have them posted on the Troop Web site as well.

The “Camp Resolute Scout & Parent Guide” we provided to you contains lists of “What to Bring to Camp” and “What Not to Bring to Camp.”

Here is a list of things Troop 44 requires:

• A footlocker or large duffel bag to store clothing and personal gear
• “Class A” shirt, Troop cap, Troop neckerchief, and a pair of olive-colored shorts (or BSA shorts) for the Troop photo, Camp-wide assemblies, and daily dinner
• “Class B” T-shirt or other Scouting-related T-shirts for other times at Camp
• A set of 4, four-foot long wooden dowels and inexpensive mosquito netting for each bunk (Dowels are available at local hardware stores and AC Moore in Bellingham. Mosquito netting is available locally at the Sports Authority in Milford and Decathlon Sports in Bellingham)
• Spending money for the Trading Post ($2-$3 per day)

In answer to the question you really want to ask—no, we’re not nuts. When properly prepared for, a winter campout can be just as enjoyable as a summer campout.

Obviously, staying warm and dry is the key to not being miserable on a winter campout. Below is a recommended list of items that should accompany your son on a winter campout.

Note: As important as it is for your son to have the items he needs to stay warm and dry on a winter campout, it is far more important that he remembers to actually bring them on the campout. Please take a few moments to prompt/remind him while he packs for the campout.

Sleeping Gear

• Warm sleeping bag—a 20? “mummy” bag with polyfill or hollowfill will work well for our campouts. Mummy bags are shaped in such a way that they minimize the amount of extra room in which cold air pockets can form. They also include a draw string that lets your son cinch the bag around his face to keep drafts from getting in and warm air from escaping. Sleeping bags packed with down are NOT recommended.
• Fleece blanket to supplement the mummy bag.
• Ground pad to place beneath the sleeping bag to insulate it from the cold ground. There are simple foam pads available, as well as inflatable pads. Inflatable pads provide the best protection in cold weather, but they can be more expensive. If you purchase a foam pad, it must be constructed of a closed-cell foam in order to ensure that it will not compress and lose all of its insulating value. Please ask a Scoutmaster if you have questions about the available options.
• Ski cap or skull cap. Wearing some form of warm cap at night prevents body head from escaping through your son’s head.
• Cotton socks to keep his feet warm and to let them breathe.

Note: Encourage your son to put on dry clothes at bed time - sleeping in damp clothes will make him feel colder. Wearing clothes to bed will add additional layers between your son and the cold, helping him to keep warm. Cotton clothes are best at night, since they breathe well.

Daytime Gear

• Your son should have available enough clothing to be able to wear many layers (e.g. t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, fleece coat, winter coat). He can always remove layers if he is too warm, but he needs to have them available in case he gets cold.
• Warm gloves. A couple of pairs may be useful, in case one pair gets wet.
• Wool socks
• Waterproof boots

Note: Wool and fleece are particularly good during the day, since they can keep your son warm, even in wet weather.

About Merit Badges

The Boy Scouts of America merit badge program provides opportunities for youth to explore more than 120 fields of skill and knowledge, choosing those that seem most interesting to them. Some subjects are in craftwork, some in vocational fields, some in service to others, and many in cultural or self-improvement areas. Instruction is offered in everything from Animal Science and Public Speaking to Swimming and Communications, providing a young man with invaluable career, physical, and interpersonal skills.

By earning merit badges, a Scout learns career skills, develops socially, and may develop physical skills and hobbies that give a lifetime of healthful recreation. And, as a vital part of the BSA's advancement plan, the merit badge program is one of Scouting's basic character-building tools: A Scout acquires self-confidence from overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal.

Each merit badge subject and the requirements to earn it are outlined and explained in a pamphlet that contains short introductory information written for Boy Scouts by recognized authorities. The actual merit badge award—a small, round piece of khaki cloth with a design embroidered in color—is presented to a Scout after he works with a merit badge counselor to complete the particular requirements for it.

When a Scout is interested in earning a particular merit badge, he first needs to find an appropriate merit badge counselor, and then needs to obtain a “blue card” (a record of the merit badge work) and permission from his Scoutmaster.

The merit badge counselor will review the badge requirements with the Scout and decide with the Scout what projects should be undertaken and when they should be completed. After the counselor has certified that the Scout has completed all merit badge requirements, he or she will sign off the “blue card” and return it to the Scout. If the work is not completed, the Scout has what’s called “a partial.”

After receiving his “blue card” back, the next step for the Scout is to have his Scoutmaster sign the “blue card” off as well, and then turn it in to the Troop’s Advancement Chair. With all these steps completed, the Troop can award the merit badge to the Scout.

“Required” Merit Badges

To qualify for the Eagle Scout award – Scouting's highest advancement rank – a Scout must earn a total of 21 merit badges (along with meeting other requirements), including these 12 “required” ones: Camping, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Emergency Preparedness (or Lifesaving), Environmental Science, Family Life, First Aid, Hiking (or Cycling or Swimming), Personal Fitness, and Personal Management. (“Required” merit badges are recognized by their silver-colored edges.)

To obtain the rank of Star Scout, a Boy Scout must earn 6 merit badges, including 4 required for Eagle Scout (along with meeting other requirements). To obtain the rank of Life Scout, a Boy Scout must earn 5 additional merit badges, including 3 additional required for Eagle Scout (along with meeting other requirements).

Displaying Merit Badges

Merit badges are displayed on a “merit badge sash” (also called a “brag rag”) that is suspended from the right shoulder downward on a slant. Merit badges are the only Scout insignia worn on the front of the sash.

Merit badges are placed on the sash in rows of three, and may be worn in any order that the Scout chooses. Many Scouts choose to wear merit badges in the order in which they have earned them, or with the “required” badges placed vertically down the center row.

The merit badge sash is worn only during formal activities and events, and not during Troop meetings or campouts. Examples of a “formal activity" are: an awards ceremony, a Blue and Gold banquet, a Troop Court of Honor, or a recognition dinner staged by a Troop, District, or Council. (If a Scout is in the Order of the Arrow, he should not wear both sashes at the same time.)

Some Tips on Earning Merit Badges

Troop 44, the Tri-River District, and the Mayflower Council offer numerous opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges:

• Merit Badge College (March—up to 3 merit badges)
• Spring Camporee (April—usually 1 merit badge)
• Summer Camp week (July-August—up to 3 merit badges)
• “Trail to Eagle” week at Camp Resolute (August—up to 5 required merit badges) —open to all Scouts who have earned “First Class” rank
• “Citizenship in the Community” —offered to all Troop 44 Scouts during a Scout’s first year
• “Citizenship in the Nation” —offered to all Troop 44 Scouts during a Scout’s second year

Troop 44 holds several fund-raising events each year so that it can fund its operations without imposing more than a "modest" annual fee upon the parents of Scouts within the Troop.

Roughly half the annual registration fee per Scout collected by the Troop in September is used to pay each Scout's annual BSA registration fee, insurance, and subscription to "Boy's Life" magazine. The balance is used to cover the cost of adult volunteer registrations and pay for awards earned by the Scouts.

These funds are not enough to pay for the rest of the costs involved in operating the Troop, which include:

• Buying equipment for the Troop, such as new tents and tarps, and Dutch ovens
• Buying equipment for each Patrol, such as cooking gear and propane stoves and lanterns
• Buying "camping consumables," such as paper towels and toilet paper
• Paying for awards, such as rank advancement and merit badges
• Costs associated with hosting Webelos at our campouts (recruiting expenses)

Since its inception, Troop 44 has held these fund-raising events:

• A can and bottle drive each Fall and each Spring
• A BSA/Mayflower Council/Troop 44 popcorn sale each Fall
• Selling soda and popcorn at the Mendon Lions Country Fair
• A Christmas tree recycling pick-up in early January

Simply put, the proceeds from these events help to fund the Troop's annual budget and are a necessary part of our annual program. The Troop picks fund-raising activities that involve the Scouts and their parents, so that everyone feels "ownership" in the success of Troop 44.

Objectives

The primary objective of the Venture program is to keep the older Scouts interested and active in the troop. It also provides an opportunity for older scouts to safely test their physical capabilities and utilize the skills learned in Boy Scouts in a more challenging environment.

Venture Group

The Venture Group will form based on the number of eligible Scouts that sign up for a given event. That group will gather during regular troop meetings for planning needs and outside of regular troop meetings as necessary to accomplish event specific goals. When not working on Venture Group activities the Scouts will be part of their patrols formed through the normal Troop process. Eligible Scouts that choose not to participate in a particular event would be part of the normal Troop activities.

Participation

A Scout must be at least 13-1/2 years of age and have the minimum rank of 1st Class to participate in the Venture program.

Enrollment will be open twice each year in September and March when the planning sessions for the following six month period will occur. All eligible Scouts can participate in the planning session. There will be approximately two events in each period.

Each Venture activity will have preparation and training activities designed to educate the Scout in proper technique, equipment and safety. All Scouts that sign up for a Venture activity must participate in all of the associated training.

Planning Sessions

Event planning sessions will occur twice a year. At each session all of the eligible scouts can participate in the event list generation and final selection. The expectation is that the final choices will be made by the third meeting in September for the Sept-Feb period and the third meeting in March for the March- August period.

Scout Performance Expectations

Troop – Venture Scouts are always expected to be a good example to the younger Scouts through their behavior. Venture Scouts are part of the Troop first. They are expected to participate in the Troop activities associated with development of younger Scouts and community service.

Patrol – When back with their individual patrols the Venture Scouts should demonstrate the enthusiasm and skills learned through the Venture program.

Venture group – Each of the Venture Scouts is expected to participate in each aspect of the venture program and support a positive and challenging atmosphere. The adult coordinators allow the Venture Scouts more responsibility in the planning and execution of the Venture activities. The success of the group and the program rests as much with the Scouts attitude and performance as with the adult leaders.

Adult Leadership

In general the Venture Group will maintain the standard “two deep” approach but will aim at achieving a ratio of one adult to four Scouts.

There will be at least one adult leader present at each Scoutmaster meeting to provide progress reports and other program feedback to the Scoutmaster. Also, the adult leader will be prepared to provide a list for each Venture outing of the eligible Scouts that do not plan on participating.