Overview:
If you are a New Scout/Webelo attempting to figure out how to join our Troop, you have come to the right spot! If you have not already figured out, our Troop holds their meetings at Neshanic Reformed Church, and we have them every Thursday. Keep scrolling to learn more about eligibility, how to join, and meeting times!
How to join:
There are many ways to join our boy-led Troop! Most folks would have gone through the Cub Scouts program in which you might have learned about us. In that case, the Cub Scout pack would be able to help you through the steps until you arrive at the first “trial” meeting. In this meetings you will be walked through the basics of scouting, and what you can expect. Additionally, parents will be brought to view a video, which explains all the things needed to know about the Troop. However, if you were not previously in Cub Scouts, the registration process is slightly different. You would have most likely heard of our Troop from ads, Facebook pages, or word of mouth. You would then come to the New Scout introduction meeting, in which you will follow the same guidelines as the other New Scouts who were in Cub Scouts. Next, you would branch off the basic pathway, and have your own signup sheet in which you could add your phone number, and email to receive regular emails. After that, you successfully have become part of our family and will be guided by the Troop on the upcoming steps!
Eligibility for Activities:
Though Boy Scouts is a pretty guided path that is open to all, there are a few restrictions for certain activities and trips. For example, to go on any water based trip, the Scout must demonstrate the ability to pass the BSA swim test, which reads: Jump feet first into water over the head in depth. Level off and swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be completed in one swim without stops and must include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating. This requirement has been added to ensure the safety of the Scouts on the trip along with their surrounding peers. Another example of a restriction when it comes to trips is our Venture Trips. These high-adventure, high-difficulty outing can only be ventured if the Scout is at least 14 years old (this is the basic age requirement – it could vary based on trip), and have some experience in fields like, backpacking, canoeing and/or hiking. This is again to ensure the safety and compatibility of the Scout compared to the challenging aspects of the trip. Though it might sound like a bummer that you can’t go on fun trips because of these eligibilities, we often have many similar trips every year, meaning if you miss out on the opportunity to go one year, you could go the next year.
Meeting Times and Places:
Though our meetings are usually held at the Neshanic Reformed Church (address is written in header above), at 7:30 PM, there are a few occasions where the meetings are held in other locations at other times. These rare occasions are the times where we take our swim test, and the meeting gets moved to the YMCA, with the time changing accordingly to the spot we are able to book. Each meeting follows the same basic structure, set up (putting chairs and tables up), announcements, patrol business (where each individual patrol meets up to figure out future meeting plans), followed by the main meeting run by patrol. This leads us to our second exception, where the patrol chooses a location other than the church to host a meeting. For example, in recent times, some patrols have chosen to go on hikes, which take place out nature reserves and other hiking locations. Don’t worry though, whenever there is a meeting at a place other than the church, it will be explicitly stated in the previous few meetings, along with the emails that are sent with the upcoming meeting’s info.