Troop 367's
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Boy Scout Troop 367
(Palmer, Alaska)
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Frequently Asked Questions











As a Committee Member, you should be willing to attend the monthly Committee Meeting each month and get involved in as much/little upcoming activities as you wish.

As a Merit Badge Councilor, you choose to provide counseling from 1 to many of the available Merit Badges. YOU DO NOT need to be an "expert" to be a councilor, as the handbooks will cover ALL that you need to know to learn/teach each particular badge.


NOTE.. all leaders MUST complete a BSA Adult Application, which requires you to provide your Social Security Number. A background check will be done. WE (The Troop) will NOT know of the particular details of anyone's record, but will simply be told "yes/no" regarding your eligbility. If you do not provide your SSN, you will not be accepted as a leader. This is National BSA policy and not the policy of Troop 367.














How much does Scouting cost?



The Troop charges an annual "activity fee" of $100.00.
The Activity Fee - helps to pay for  numerous awards, badges, pins, camp ground fees, and more. It usually is NOT enough for all expenses and we rely on fundraising activities to cover the rest.


Monthly "camp fee" (food fee) - . The troop creates their own menu for the monthly camping trip and can decide to raise or lower this fee to be aligned with their menu choices. TYPICALLY, this is $5.00 per meal .


Summer Camp Fee - Week-long Summer Camp is a great experience, and we encourage Scouts to attend every year. The average fee is $270.00. Please start saving for this NOW so that Camp is not a "financial burden" when payment is due (usually May of each year).


Fund Raising - held as needed to supplement the cost of running the Troop. Covers new/replacment equipment (tents, stoves, cook gear, propane tanks, etc), or to cover the cost of more elaborate camping destinations.








Will my son be intimidated by the older boys?


















What do boys do as "Boy Scouts"?












What are some of the things THIS troop has done?









... camp EVERY month
... Canoeing
... hiking
... Webelos Camporee
... week-long Summer Camp each year
... cooking over open fire
... Flag Cerimonies


What do YOU want to do?














What "age limits" exist in the Boy Scout program?



The ONLY age requirements established by the National Program are as follows:

10 years old to join (If completed 5th grade or earned AOL, otherwise must be 11)

12 years old by July 1st, to attend a National Jamboree contingent

13 years old to participate in COPE (14 preferred, 13 with Scoutmaster's recommendation)

13 years old to join a Venture Patrol

14 years old to join a Varsity Team

15 years old to join Sea Scouts or a Venture Crew

16 years old to become a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster

16 years old to be Youth Staff at a camp or Jamboree

Day before 18th birthday - the last day you are a Boy Scout or Varsity Team member (includes Venture patrol). PRIOR to his birthday, all work (rank and badges) must be DONE. The Eagle Board of Review can occur after the 18th birthday, but work/project must be done PRIOR to the 18th birthday.

Day before 21st birthday - the last day you are a Sea Scout or Venture Crew member

There are NO age requirements for ANY merit badges or youth leadership positions (other than JASM and Camp Staff)

National publishes no "minimum age" for Eagle Scout Rank, but the earliest possible age a Scout could become eagle is 11 years and 5 months of age.














Uniforms. What's "official"?





The official BSA uniform is comprised of:

a BSA hat *
a troop neckerchief *
BSA tan shirt (with patches placed in the proper spots)
a Merit Badge Sash **
BSA olive pants
BSA web belt w/ buckle
BSA socks




















The difference between Rank & Merit Badges?






He then works on the first 3 RANKS;


















Does my son have to come every week?




Scouting is NOT just playtime, or "weekend fun" away from the kid sister. Scouting is a carefully crafted character-development program.

A boy who shows up sporadically DEPRIVES himself of the chance to make key decisions within the troop; choose trip ideas and destinations, make menu selections, divy out workload, and build close friendships. Every meeting includes a period of valuable skill instruction and fun competitions that may relate to the upcoming camping trip. If a boy misses a meeting, he will find himself less prepared for the upcoming weekend in the outdoors. The troop meetings are where we "learn", but the camping trip is where we reinforce the skills by putting them into practical use.















Which political party does the BSA endorse?



By National policy, the BSA is APOLITICAL. We have no affiliation with any one political party, nor are Scouts (in uniform) permitted to act in ANY WAY that would be interpreted as giving support to any 1 political party or political issue.

Uniformed Boy Scouts may serve as the Color Guard at political events, but must exit the stage before any political speeches or grand-standing take place.

By Constitutional Charter, the President of the United States is the Honorary President of the BSA.






























What if my son is not advancing?



Advancement in Scouting is STRICTLY the responsibility of each individual Scout.


HE is responsible for informing the Scoutmaster (in advance) of his choice to begin working on a Merit Badge; the completion of which is up to HIM and his Merit Badge Councilor. Through INDEPENDENT work (with a friend or family member - to comply with Youth Protection) he will work with his MBC to complete Merit Badge requirements at his own pace.




The SCOUT is ultimately responsible..... that's what makes the "Eagle" rank so significant and valuable. Attaining "Eagle" tells the world, that this is a young man who is responsible and a leader.

















Once a RANK or a Merit Badge has been earned, it can never be taken away. In addition, once a Merit Badge Councilor signs a "blue card" stating that the badge requirement has been completed, no one has the authority to overturn the decision or refuse to award the badge to the Scout. (BSA policy)

Firemen' Chit and Toten' Chip are safety badges and it is at the discretion of the Troop Leadership to revoke a Scouts PRIVILEGES for fire-starting or knife/axe use. Should this ever happen, the corrective process is usually retaking the instructional course. Until that happens, a Scout is not permitted to carry/use a knife, nor may he start or tend a fire.





























What is a Court of Honor?



A Court of Honor is a Boy Scouting awards ceremony, commonly held quarterly throughout the year.

At the Court of Honor, Scouts and their families gather for a formal recognition of advancement(s) and accomplishments that have been earned since the last Court of Honor. There are also periods for the Troop's Committee Chairperson to speak to the state of the Troop, or for some other event such as Scouting's annual Friends of Scouting campaign.

By ceremoniously recognizing the value of advancement and hard work, we hope to strengthen a boy's motivation to continue being active within the Troop. The Court of Honor also gives parents/guardians valuable insight to accomplishments or Program happenings they may not see due to their lack of presence at the weekly meetings.

As always, the goal is to ENCOURAGE, through positive reinforcement and praise.














How many merit badges can I work on?



There is no limit to the number of merit badges a Scout can have "open" at one time. He may start working on Merit Badges the day he signs his registration form and has until his 18th birthday to complete the work.

Some units impose their own limits, but that is NOT BSA policy, and therefore, we do not endorse such restrictions.

That being said, the idea is to LEARN about a particular topic through the Merit Badge Program. A boy will be best-served if he strives to complete the work for a badge in a short enough time frame that ALL the information/lessons remain relevant. Again, this is at the Scout's discretion.














Can I keep working closely with my son?






He's becoming a young man and needs to start interacting with other adults like the Scout Master, Assistant Scout Masters, and various Merit Badge Councilors. He also needs to become comfortable with working without adults hovering over him as he works with his patrol.














What is the minimum age to become an Eagle Scout?



The BSA does not list a minimum age before a Scout can earn his Eagle rank.

However, a boy must be at least 10 years old to join a Boy Scout troop, then there is a 30 day requirement in Tenderfoot requirement 10b, at least 4 months between First Class and Star, 6 months between Star and Life, and then 6 more months between Life and Eagle.















What is the ONE bit of advice for a Scout?






















How do Scouts earn Merit Badges?





The process:





















What badges are "Eagle Required" ?





















What kind of knives can Scouts carry?



Contrary to urban myth, the only regulation on this (other than earning the Totin Chip award) is the restriction that may exist at part of State/Local law. National BSA DOES allow Councils and Districts to set their own rules, so long as the rules result in a SAFER result.

While the BSA strongly encourages folding (preferably locking) pocket knives, fixed-blade, or sheath knives are allowed. In fact, the Guide to Safe Scouting specifically lists "fillet" knives as a prime example of a sheath knife that is appropriate for Scouting purposes (Fishing MB requirements). Fixed blade knives are big, bulky, heavy, and generally far more "knife" than a Scout needs.

Some BSA camps impose their own limitations, which visiting Scouts are obligated to respect, regardless of Troop or BSA/BAC policy.

Troop 367 respectfully asks that adults encourage their sons to carry the appropriate knives (small, folding pocket knife), as these are more than adequate for 99% of all scouting activities.