Resources

Annual Health Form

An annual health form is required for camping.  We highly recommend having this form completed at your Scouts annual health check up - it makes it easy to ensure you have it when you decide to participate in high-adventure activity.  

You can find the complete form at Annual Health and Medical Form - Parts A and B. 

Parental Consent for Photographs and Videos

Please let us know if you give your consent for your Scouts picture or video to be posted online by filling out this online form. 

We keep all the personal, medical, and advancement data in a program called Scoutbook that allows involved leaders to monitor and access the information needed to do their jobs for your scouts.  This is what we consider the “gold standard” for information, so if you need to change an address, or an email, etc, this is the one you want to update.  

As a parent, you can get (read) access to your scout’s personal and advancement records – on the web or on your phone! New scouts and their parents should be able to be added on Scoutbook within two weeks of joining the troop. For more info see: https://scoutbook.scouting.org 

GAMES

Games are played at every Troop meeting and encouraged at Patrol meetings and during campouts.  Scouts can use these great websites for find ideas for Scout-related games:

• http://www.programresources.org/activities/

• http://www.boyscouttrail.com/games.asp

• http://scoutmastercg.com/tag/games

HANDBOOKS

There are lots of great resources for youth leaders.

One of the first to look at for Patrol Leaders and Troop Guides is the “official” Patrol Leaders Handbook:

• Patrol Leaders Handbook

SCOUTS IN LEADERSHIP ROLES 

All newly elected youth leaders will be provided the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops training course that is required to attend the National Youth Leadership Training conference.  This course will be provided over 2 days by the Scoutmaster and an Assistant Scoutmaster, in conjunction with one of the bi-annual Patrol Leader Council planning sessions.  You can read about this course here and see the full syllabus used by the Trainers here.

PATROL METHOD  

The patrol method is THE method of scouting.  Here is a youtube video explaining it. 

While Troop 307 is Scout-led, meaning Youth-led, to achieve all the activities, there has to be lots of strong support from Parents and Adult leaders.  We are always welcoming new volunteers to help! 

To become an Adult Leader, you:

1. Must be over 21 years old

2. Submit an adult application to our local Scouts BSA council - Alamo Area Council, with support from Troop 307 Committee Chair and Charter Organization Representative and pass the background check

3. Take Youth Protection Training through Scouts BSA

4. Take Position Specific Training through my.scouting

See here for more information.

Parental Involvement

All Sports and extra-curricular programs need some level of involvement from Parents.  The Scouts lead the program but they need lots of support.

As a parent, you will need to:

• Check in with your Scout regularly to offer support, encouragement, and motivation to help encourage them advance – this means achieving the next rank. 

• Check in with your Scout on their merit badges – offer support, encouragement and motivation to completing them. 

• Encourage your Scout to attend a campout every few months.  To advance, they MUST go camping.  Winter & summer camps are not enough to fulfill the requirements within the time they have.

More Resources 

• Merit Badge Counselor Guide – a good place to see what’s involved with being a Merit Badge Counselor.

• Mentoring Training – a guide to the BSA view on mentoring – why, how, and when.

• Scoutmaster Conference Training