SM -train and guide boy leaders to run the troop
-work with and through responsible adults to bring Scouting to boys
-help boys grow by encouraging them to learn for themselves
-guide boys in planning the troop program
-help the troop committee recruit assistant Scoutmasters
- teach scout skills, and sign off requirements in a fair and consistent manner when those skills are understood and learned
-conduct Scoutmaster conferences

ASMs -support the SM, concentrating on the outings with regular attendance, working with the SM and the boy leaders to build and maintain a scout troop that follows and supports the policies of the Boy Scouts of America
-Teach scouting skills to boys
-Test scout skills and sign off requirements fairly and consistently, always insuring skills tested are understood and learned

GENERAL POLICY GUIDELINES

Scoutmaster Conferences
These conferences, required for every rank, will normally be conducted in the scout’s home  or Scoutmaster's home with at least one adult present. Scoutmaster conferences will be accomplished by the troop’s scoutmaster, unless extended absence makes that unfeasible. In that case, an alternate ASM will be selected by the scoutmaster to accomplish the conference for him. The importance of the scoutmaster conference cannot be overemphasized--it is a wonderful opportunity for the scout to discuss his position within the troop, and a chance for the scoutmaster to individually emphasize the importance of living the Scout Oath and the Scout Law in the scout’s everyday life. It is also an opportunity for the parents to talk with the SM about any problems they are having, either with their son or with the troop. Discussion centers around the scout ideals, and the boy’s goals for the future.

Advancement
Normally, advancement items are performed with prior coordination between the scout and an adult scout leader of his choosing. Advancement that does not take place as part of a planned meeting activities, such as cooking during a cooking night, will be accomplished after or before a meeting, or wait for a campout or a special pre-arranged time and place. Advancement items in the middle of a regular troop meeting will be discouraged---we don’t want boys leaving their patrols during a normal meeting. Rank advancement will be signed off in the boy’s Boy Scout Handbook. It is troop policy that all scouts will have a current issue of the Boy Scout Handbook, and bring their book to every event. An exception is the Boy Scout Handbook is normally not carried on backpacking trips where weight is a consideration. Scouts working on all ranks through, and including First Class, can get their requirements signed off by any of the following individuals:
1. Scoutmaster
2. Assistant Scoutmaster
3. Troop Committee Chairman
4. Any Eagle Scout registered in Troop 21, scout or Adult
5. Individual’s own patrol leader, if Life Scout or greater, with approval of the Scoutmaster
6. Any scout registered in Troop 21 who holds a Troop Instructor leadership position

Items of emphasis:
1. It is troop policy that parents will not sign off their own son on any requirement, regardless of the position they hold in the troop
2. Requirements that specify "show" or "demonstrate" mean exactly that---the scout must show or demonstrate by actually doing the skill to be signed off. Talking about it is not sufficient. Scouting is usually "hands-on"skill mastered by doing is a skill learned for life.
3. Although rare, requirements or other items that require a signature from the scoutmaster will be approved or signed only by the scoutmaster. The scoutmaster’s signature will not be stamped or copied.

Merit badges are earned by working with a BSA registered merit badge counselor. To earn a merit badge, here are the required steps:
1. Scout obtains a blue merit bade card from the Scoutmaster and obtains approval to begin working with a counselor
2. SM will give the scout a list of approved merit badge counselors
3. Scout will obtain the merit badge book through either private purchase or by checking one out from the troop Librarian
4. Scout will find a buddy to work with.
5. Scout will read the merit badge book and then contact the pre-approved merit badge counselor.
6. The scout will, along with a buddy, meet with the merit badge counselor and begin working on the badge, completing the requirements at his own pace. (A buddy is required to insure the scout does not place the adult counselor in a one-on-one situation. In the absence of another scout, the boy’s own parent(s) may serve in the buddy capacity.)
7. When the requirements are completed, the blue merit badge card will be signed by the merit badge counselor and the scout will then return it to either the Scoutmaster or Troop Advancement Chairman.

Troop policy is that scouts will earn all requirements for the ranks they seek. While parent participation is important and encouraged, all registered adults must carefully insure that the scouts themselves are accomplishing the requirements they are earning. Occasionally, over zealous parents may begin to do for their son what the scout needs to be doing for himself. Typical danger signs are when the parent makes appointments, arranges merit badge counselors, sets up outings specifically for their son, or on rare occasion pressures registered adults to do something unique for their son only. Usually, when their behavior is pointed out by the SM, an ASM, or a Troop Committee member they realize that they are defeating the very tenets of the Boy Scout Program. As Baden Powell, scouting’s founder put it, "never do for a boy what a boy can do for himself."

Board of Reviews
The troop committee will conduct a Board of review normally once each month. As a matter of troop policy, a minimum of three adults will sit on the board, at least two of which are registered committee members. Other adults are encouraged to participate, except that no parent may sit on their own son’s Board of Review. Scouts wishing to meet a Board of Review will wear a full scout uniform (scout shirt, scout pants, troop scarf, and merit badge sash, if owned). Scout uniforms should have all earned patches in place, including but not limited to the current scout rank, troop numbers, council patch, OA flap (if owned), leadership position, and patrol. A uniform inspection will be part of every Board of Review. Scouts meeting a board or review should have their Boy Scout Handbook in their possession, and be ready to discuss the requirements of the rank they seek. While it is not normal policy to retest the scout, it is encouraged to ask questions of the scout that shows they did in fact accomplish the requirements. For example, "tell us about how you built your three difference types of fires" or "which knot was the hardest to learn" are good questions, while "show me the sheet bend" is not. As a matter of troop policy, in order to emphasize the importance of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, every scout will be asked to recite the Scout Oath as a minimum and the Scout Law on occasion. Boards of Review in our troop will be conducted along the guidelines as specified in the most recent issue of the Advancement Policy published by the Boy Scouts of America.

Passage of a Board of Review is not automatic, and not meant to be. If problems are encountered that prevent the Board from bestowing the rank upon the scout, that problem will be explained to the scout, along with very specific guidance on what must be done to complete it. As an example, if a scout going for First Class was unable to recite the Scout Oath or did not understand its meaning, the Board President should tell the scout in plain terms exactly what is expected. The SM should be informed so that he can insure the scout is prepared for his follow-up Board of Review. Then, as soon as possible, but normally not the same night, a new Board of Review should be scheduled to accommodate the boy. A scout out of uniform will not meet a Board of Review.

Rule of Three
At no time will any scout be alone with any adult, except for a parent with his son. This rule protects both the adults and the scouts. All adults working with scouts will always insure that there are at least a minimum of three individuals present. For example, an ASM could work with a scout on advancement items with a group of scouts, or with a single scout and another adult. At all campouts, we require a minimum of three adults to attend, one of which must be a registered adult leader. At no time and under no circumstance will there be less than two adults in any camp. If only two adults are present and one has an emergency requiring his departure, the campout is over. During campouts, the scouts will sleep in their patrol areas and the adults will sleep in a HQ area. Adults will not sleep in scout areas. Scouts wishing to sleep in the same tent with their Dad (or Mom) are discouraged, as scouting may be a family activity, it is to the benefit of the scout to bond with his patrol. In cases of cabin "camping" where cabins consists of multiple bunks, no adult can sleep in such a cabin without the presence of another adult if any boys are also present.

Leadership
One of the jobs of the scoutmaster is to "train and guide boy leaders to run the troop." When a scout holds a troop leadership position (patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader, troop guide, troop scribe, troop librarian, troop historian, troop quartermaster, troop bugler, junior assistant scoutmaster, chaplain aid, den chief, or instructor, it is a tremendous opportunity to learn what leadership is all about. If the scout has a positive experience, learns to handle his responsibility to others, enjoys the benefits that come with being in charge, and does a good job he will go far at gaining necessary life skills that someday will prove useful. It is also important that he learn that leadership requires time and effort and often sacrifice. Leadership requires a commitment to the guys he leads--even over many other items in his personal life. This is a hard lesson to teach, and one that many adults don’t ever learn. However, it is the commitment to others that is the key to being a success as a leader.

Leadership positions are sought by the scout and can be obtained in two ways. The first is through troop elections. Twice yearly elections will be conducted and the scouts in the troop will elect the boy leaders. Each scout has one vote, and adults do not vote. Absentee voting is allowed, but choices must be placed in a sealed envelope and given to the SM or an ASM prior to the night of the election. Troop elections will be used to select the positions of Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, and Troop Quartermaster(s). Elections will be by ballet and counted by at least two registered adults--no boy will be embarrassed by finding out he was not popular. Election results will be announced as soon as the votes are counted.

The second way a scout can obtain a troop leadership position is by appointment from the scoutmaster. The troop leadership positions of Troop Guide, Troop Librarian, Troop Scribe, Troop Historian, Troop Bugler, Chaplain Aid, Den Chief, Troop Instructor , and Jr Asst Scoutmaster are Scoutmaster appointed positions. The Scoutmaster will make these assignments himself and not delegate that task to others. In addition, because of the importance and close monitoring required of a "new boy patrol" the SM may elect to designate the positions associated with that patrol, including the Patrol Leader if he deems this necessary.

We do not operate the troop in a vacuum. Scouts have many activities in their lives, and there are always conflicts and other activities that from time to time will take a higher priority than the scout troop. This is understood and expected. It is the intent of the troop leadership policy to recognize these concerns, requiring a reasonable commitment to the duties of the job held, realistically weighted against other life commitments.

Boy leaders are held responsible for the job that they hold. They are expected to lead their fellow scouts, setting an example and attending most activities. Leadership is so important that it cannot be overemphasized. It is required for every higher rank in scouting, and for a very specific and good reason. A boy who learns to be successful as a scout leader is highly likely to be successful as an adult leader as well. Allowing scouts to obtain leadership for leadership poorly performed sends the wrong message and is potentially counterproductive. Scouts in leadership positions that fail to set an example or who lack the commitment to attend most events may be replaced after being warned. It is not however the intent to require a boy leader to attend everything---in fact, having a leader miss an event from time to time allows other boy leaders, in assistant leadership positions, to gain valuable experience. As normal troop policy, the basic expectations for scout leaders follow:

1. All scouts in leadership positions are expected to wear their full scout uniform when the event requires it. Scouts unwilling to set an example by wearing the uniform will be warned, and may be replaced. A full uniform consists of a BSA shirt, neckerchief with correct rank, insignia, patrol and troop numbers, combined with a troop scarf, BSA scout pants, scout belt, and scout hat. The red jacket is highly encouraged, especially for leaders.

2. Scouts holding the positions of all leadership positions are normally expected to attend the events of their troop.. Scouts holding these extremely important positions are the heart of the troop. A missing patrol leader impacts his entire patrol. Scouts holding these positions will normally be expected to attend summer camp--it is the most intensive leadership training they can get and their absence will have a strong, negative impact on the entire troop. A scout leader unable to participate in a given event is expected to notify the SPL and the assistant who will be handling things in his absence. Unannounced "no shows" are not typical for a leader who cares. Scouts in leadership positions who consistently fail to attend the events of their troop and abdicate their responsibility for leadership will not be credited of leadership not performed and my be replaced by the Scoutmaster. This may affect advancement opportunities. As a minimum guideline, at the end of a six month leadership period, scout leaders should have attended at least 6 out of 10 meetings, 3 out of 6 outings and at one out of every two service projects.

3. SPL and ASPL must be at least a Star Scout.

4 . All other leadership positions must be held by a First Class Scout. On a case by case basis, this requirement may be waived by the SM if sufficient extenuating circumstances are present.

5 . Den Chiefs are the ambassadors of the troop. Only those scouts showing a strong desire, and who have demonstrated within the troop that they possess the scout skills, leadership ability, impeccable appearance standards, and personality traits for the job will be selected by the SM. Because of their impact outside the troop, SM appointments to Den Chief will require the concurrence of the Committee Chairman and gaining Packmaster.

Attendance
No scout will make every meeting and every campout. Family, church, and school activities often conflict with troop activities. High school sports often demand an inordinate amount of time. Yet, attendance is important none the less. As the Boy Scout Handbook puts it, "To gain full advantage of all that Scouting has to offer, you need to be present when things are happening. Take part in meetings, in planning activities, and in the fun of adventures. If you’re there, you can do your part to make your patrol and troop a success." - page 169 All scouts are appreciated whenever they can attend any event. Troop 21 has historically been a very active troop. The strength of the troop depends on the attendance of its members. The troop activities fall into three primary areas of activities: Troop Meetings, Troop Outings, and Troop Service Projects. Being active in this troop means being active in all three of these important areas. It is not sufficient to attend only meetings---scouts that do quickly lose interest in the troop and leave. They also miss the "outing" part of scouting. It is not sufficient to attend only the outings---the meeting are used to teach important skills and allow the older scouts to teach and prepare the younger scouts for these activities. Likewise, the Troop Service Projects are where the second point of the Scout Oath, duty to Others, is put into practice.

The scout rank of Star, Life and Eagle, as well as Eagle Palms require an active participation level for rank advancement. For rank purposes, a minimum attendance of only 50% of the campouts , 50% of meetings and 50% of the service projects will be considered active participation. Scouts who involve themselves in other scout activities outside the troop, such as Order of the Arrow Outings, OA Tapout ceremonies, and ordeal camps, scout summer camp counselor, Philmont High Adventure Treks, den chief activities, cub scout crossover ceremony participation or other scout related activities may count those non-troop activities towards their overall participation level. . Scouts not meeting the 50% activity level in the three areas of activities will not meet a board of review until they fulfill this requirement. Scouts unable to meet the activity level as averaged since their last Board of Review may use the most recent six month period to average their participation level if that works to their benefit. For example, in the previous six months if a scout has attend only 3 outings, 6 troop meetings and made as least on service project event, he would meet the minimum activity level for advancement.. This level of participation is a minimum level, and in fact, if every scout in the troop participated only at the minimum level, the troop would come apart.

Sometimes scouts have trouble making activities because of conflicts with school, sports, medical, or other reasons. We have had several scouts who have had to take a break from scouting because of these conflicts. If a scout finds himself in this position, he should notify the SM of the situation and when he will be able to participate again.. A scout in in this situation should realize that his advancement may slow down some, but he will be advancing in another area (soccer, baseball, swimming, etc.). Although it should be obvious, a scout taking such a break should not take a leadership position during this time.

Discipline
Experience has shown that at most activities serious discipline problems are rare. Usually, reminding a scout to follow the Scout Oath and Scout Law is sufficient 99% of the time. Sometimes the situation requires calling a parent--in this day and age of cell phones usually that is easy to accomplish. On even rarer occasions a parent might be needed to come and talk with their scout son who is having difficulty handling himself. Other than asking a scout to take a "time out" to cool off, adult leaders will not take active discipline measures against any scout in the troop. Scouts out of control and who are unable to live the Scout Oath and Scout Law during an activity, troop meeting, or campout will have their parents contacted. If the adult leader in charge feels the behavior warrants the scouts removal, then the scout’s parents will be contacted and asked to come and pick up their son who’s behavior has not been acceptable. This is extremely rare, but having the ability to call a parent day or night and have a misbehaving boy taken away is an important safety valve and good for every scout and parent in the troop. Scouts who continuously cause problems and who require exceptional time and vigilance may necessitate requiring parental support at the campouts as a prerequisite for attendance. Please review our discipline document for more detail.

Uniforms and Clothing
All scouts are expected to have a full scout uniform. A full scout uniform consists of official BSA Scout pants, official BSA Scout shirt complete with patches and red epaulets, troop neckerchief, scout belt, and a scout hat. The red scout jacket is optional but encouraged. Uniforms will be worn when specified on the month’s activity sheet. The availability of items depends on the donations received and varies from time to time. All scout families are encouraged to donate any items outgrown to the uniform library to help future scouts. The troop also utilizes a green shirt "Class B" which consists of BSA scout pants, a scout belt, and a Class B shirt. This green T-shirt uniform is sometimes specified for certain events. It works well for summer hikes, summer camp, and some indoor activities and "saves" the regular uniform when the planned activity might dirty up the regular uniform. They can be purchased from the Troop quartermaster, normally at a cost of $10.

Camouflage pants is allowed on a case by case basis. Troop policy is to discourage the regular wear of camouflage clothing; however, when its pouring rain wear what works. Some scouts own the popular Gortex camouflage military raingear--if that’s what you have and its raining put it on.

Open toed footwear is prohibited during ALL scout functions, unless we are participating in a water activity that makes it convenient for foot protection.

Visitors
New scouts are the lifeblood of any troop, and give the older scouts someone to practice their leadership skills on. Troop policy is to treat every visitor well. For all new visitors, the following steps should be taken by the SM or ASM who first notices them:

-introduce the boy’s parents to the troop’s leaders
-meet the boy, shake his hand, and assign him to a patrol.
-call over the patrol leader, and let him escort the scout back to the activities.
-briefly describe the scout program, covering the Oath and Law, patrol method, advancement system, and the leadership ideal of boy-run activities to the boy’s parents. 
-get information; name, address, parents name(s), phone #, age
-thank them for coming at the end of the night
 

Service to Others
Higher ranks in scouting require that the scout take part "...in service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster." The scoutmaster as troop policy automatically approves all projects associated with other scouts in the troop working on their Eagle service project requirement, all troop projects listed as service projects printed in the monthly newsletter, and all service projects associated with our sponsoring organization, the American Legion Post 88’. Other service projects must be approved IN ADVANCE by the scoutmaster to be counted toward rank advancement. Specifically, projects done for anther purpose, such as church/parish work days, school service projects accomplished for credit or by teacher request, court-ordered service time, and any project where any kind of monetary income is received will not normally meet the troop’s service policy.

Parental Support
The strength of Troop 21 is in the support of the parents. BSA is not "Baby Sitter’s Anonymous"---there is a need from time to time for every parent to do something. Some parents are campers---some are not. Some parents have lots of fee time---most do not. All parents have something to offer; perhaps a talent or a skill they can teach or share. Some parents are single, with other kids to handle. The policy of Troop 21 is to ask that each parent support the troop and do what they can. We can always use drivers, both to and from every event. We welcome additional support at every campout. The annual lock-in, summer camp, and our high adventure activities and our ongoing hiking program all require multiple adult support to make these happenings possible. Scouting is meant to be a parent/son activity, but unlike the cub scout program, the entire emphasis is toward independence and self reliance. While it is important to encourage your son and to give praise whenever possible, it is also just as importance to allow your son to advance at his own pace. At special "Court of Honor" we reward the scouts with badges and patches to recognize their achievements. Please come to these special events and give scouting the emphasis that it deserves. You will be rewarded a thousand times over--in you son’s accomplishments, and his ever increasing self esteem, and abilities.

Last comment: As a general guideline, try to be as upbeat and positive with each and every scout as often as you possibly can. Try and catch them being good, and give them praise at how impressed you are with their performance. We would like each boy to feel good about being a scout, and especially to feel good about coming to a meeting or a campout. The troop policy is simple---keep it fun! and demonstrate Scout Spirit. Experience has shown that scouts generally thrive in a positive environment where good performance is recognized and rewarded. If we believe in them they will believe in themselves.