The Troop #1056 Committee has established and approved the following policies and guidelines

The Troop #1056 Committee has established and approved t= he following policies and guidelines. They have been placed into various categories for easy reference. These policies are designed to guide decisio= ns within the Troop and provide consistent direction to the boys, parents and leaders. Questions regarding these policies and procedures should be direct= ed to the Troop Committee either by contacting a committee member or by attend= ing the monthly Troop Committee meeting. These policies and guidelines are in addition to but do not override Boy Scouts of America policies and guidelin= es found at www.scouting.org.

1. Me= mbership and Recruitment

1.1 Patrols

The Troop shall consist of patr= ols and a leadership corps. Scouts properly registered with the Troop and in compliance with the following attendance and advancement criteria shall rem= ain active.

1.2 Recruitment

The Troop Scoutmaster will keep direct contact with Cub Scout leaders of Packs #4033 (St. Michaels), #4056 = (St. Francis), #4252 (Lincoln Park<= /st1:place>), and #4014 (Blufton/Nims). Webelos II will be invited to a Troop meeting and outing to further both the boys and parents' understanding of the BSA progr= am.

2. Tr= oop Meetings

2.1 Meeting Room

The Troop meeting room will be = set-up and cleaned up every week at the direction of the Senior Patrol Leader. The troop meeting room shall be inspected and properly secured by the Scoutmast= er or designated person before leaving.

2.2 Meeting Frequency

Troop meetings shall be held on= Monday evenings and will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. Patrol Leaders Council meetin= gs shall be held on the last Monday of every month. If there is no school, suc= h as holidays, snow days, etc. then there will be no meeting. The troop generally follows the Mona Shores and Muskegon Catholic Centr= al calendars. Meeting dates will be posted on the website and in the News Flas= h.

2.3 Meeting Behavior

Scouts shall follow the Scout L= aw during Troop meetings, giving due respect and courtesy to both adult and yo= uth leadership, this includes appropriate language.

3. At= tendance

3.1 Early Departure

Early departure from Troop meet= ings is not acceptable, unless a uniformed leader is notified in advance and the Scout has a legitimate excuse.

3.2 Active Participation

To be considered an actively participating Scout within Troop 1056, the Scout must attend a minimum of 50 percent of the scheduled Troop meetings and 50 percent of the scheduled outings, or meet with the Scoutmaster and discuss a means of improving attendance. A Scout who does not maintain "Active Participation" status is considered not to demonstrate Scout spirit and may not be eligible for rank advancement. A Scout who has not been active for a period of six consecutive months will not be registered with the Troop at the time of re-chartering.

4. Ad= vancement

4.1 Records

Scouts are required to keep individual advancement records in their Scout Handbook and information shal= l be given to the Troop Advancement Coordinator to be entered into TroopMaster. Records shall be checked at the Scoutmaster Conference and during Board of Review for rank advancement.

4.2 Service Time

Service time may only be accumu= lated for the next rank, for instance a First Class scout can earn service hours towards Star, but not Life. Scouts seeking service time or projects shall g= et approval from the Scoutmaster. Service hours required by another organizati= on may not be used as Scout service hours.

4.3 Scoutmaster Conferences

Scoutmaster Conferences should = take place before the board of review and may only be performed by the Scoutmast= er or Assistant Scoutmaster.

4.4 Boards of Review

Boards of Review should be cond= ucted on the first Monday of the month. Scouts going before the Board of Review s= hall present themselves in Class A uniform with a Scout handbook.

4.5 Courts of Honor

The Troop Advancement Coordinat= or is responsible for coordinating an annual Court of Honor. Parents are expected= to participate in the Court of Honor. Scout attendance is mandatory unless exc= used by the Scoutmaster. The Eagle Scout and his family will coordinate an Eagle Court of Honor with help from the Committee as necessary.=

4.6 Rank advancement patches should be distributed at the next scheduled Troop meeti= ng with formal recognition at the Court of Honor.

4.7 Merit Badges

Before a Scout starts work on a= merit badge, he shall meet with the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster, express= his interest and receive a signed "blue card". The Scout should show = this card to the merit badge counselor at their first meeting. When the Scout has completed the requirements for the merit badge, he will return the blue car= d to the Advancement Coordinator, signed by the counselor, to be entered into TroopMaster. The troop may, from time to time, arrange for presentation of merit badge topics at Troop meetings. These presentations may include the opportunity to try some skill(s) related to the merit badge topic. Merit ba= dges should be distributed at the next scheduled Troop meeting with formal recognition at Court of Honor.

5. Co= nduct & Discipline

5.1 The Patrol Leader shall first deal with behavioral problems that occur. In the event that the Patrol Leader is having a problem with a patrol member and it cannot be resolved, he shall report it to the Senior Patrol leader. If a behavior problem becomes uncontrollable, the Scoutmaster or an Assistant wi= ll step in to determine the appropriate discipline in conjunction with the Sen= ior Patrol Leader. Any major behavioral problems that occur will result in any = of the following actions:

5.1.1 Parental contact and pick-up from the meeting or outing.

5.1.2 Suspended participation in Troop meetings or outings for a period of time, to be appr= oved by the Troop Committee upon recommendation of the Scoutmaster.

5.1.3 Delaying rank advancement because a Scout's inappropriate behavior does not demonstr= ate the last requirement of living by the Scout Oath and Law, to be approved by= the Troop Committee upon recommendation of the Scoutmaster.

5.1.4 Adult conduct issues shall be brought to the Scoutmaster or the Troop Committee Chairman.

6. Un= iforms and Accessories

6.1 Class A Uniform

The Class A uniform is comprise= d of a scout shirt (including the Gerald R. Ford Council patch, Troop 1056 numeral, world crest emblem, patrol emblem, badge of rank, badge of office if approp= riate, red shoulder loops and the US Flag already on the uniform), the Troop1056 neckerchief (provided by the troop) and a neckerchief slide. The scout shirt must be tucked in at all times. Suggested are: scout pants or shorts; scout belt; scout socks and dark shoes. The scout hat is optional. The Troop requ= ires that each Scout wear a complete Class A scout uniform for Scoutmaster Conference, Board of Review; Court of Honor, the first meeting of the month= and all outings, unless otherwise designated. Scouts must also have a Boy Scout Handbook, which shall be brought to all meetings, advancements and other outings as designated.

6.2 Class B Uniform

The Class B uniform is the teal= Troop 1056 t-shirt available for purchase. See the Scoutmaster. The Class B unifo= rm shirt must be tucked in at all times.

6.3 Camping Accessories

Accessories required for camp o= utings are:

6.3.1 Plastic/Lexan type container for use as an eating dish.

6.3.2 Plastic/Lexan type silverware.

6.3.3 Plastic/Lexan type drinking cup.

6.3.4 Water bottle, can also be used as a drinking cup.

6.3.5 Sleeping bag.

Accessories suggested for camp outings are:

6.3.6 Camp chair

6.3.7 Therm A Rest self-inflating mattress ( ¾ length of body is okay).

6.3.8 Camp pillow (small).

6.3.9 Pocket knife (the smaller the better) on a bright colored lanyard.

6.3.10 "AAA" or “AA” Mini-Mag light (with spare batteries) on a bright colored lanyard.

6.3.11 Compass (fluid filled) on a bright colored lanyard.

6.3.12 Backpack (Kelty woman's pack fits young boys best).

6.3.13 Rain wear (packable).

7. Ou= tings

7.1 Frequency

There will typically be one out= ing per month, not including service projects, fund raisers, etc. Sign-up sheets will be available at troop meetings. Scouts and Leaders should sign-up as s= oon as possible for proper planning of outings.

7.2 Payment & Fees

Payment for outings should be m= ade no later than one week before outing. Payment can be made in cash or a check m= ade out to Troop #1056 and should be given to the outing coordinator. For campi= ng or where the fee is not set due to undetermined costs such as food, the out= ing coordinator or designated individual shall refund unused money. If a scout cancels from an outing after expenses are incurred for the outing the scout will be held responsible for his share of the expenses. If, after the outin= g, there is an excess of funds, every attempt will be made to refund as much of his payment as possible. This policy is to develop a sense of responsibility within each scout.

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8. Du= es

8.1 Annual Dues

The scout pays dues monthly from September through June. Dues are $2.00 per month.

8.2 Unpaid Dues

Scouts whose dues are in arrear= s may not be allowed to participate in outings. Cases of financial hardship will = be considered (in confidence) on a case-by-case basis. In these special cases,= the Troop Committee Chairman or Scoutmaster should be contacted.

9. Fu= nd Raising

9.1 Popcorn Sales

The troop participates in the District annual popcorn sale event. Scouts selling popcorn will earn a percentage of individual popcorn sales to be determined by the Committee af= ter all sales and costs are determined. For group sales, the profit will be div= ided between participating scouts according to time served.

9.2 Other Fund Raisers

For all other fund raisers 10% = of the profit will go to the General Fund, 90% will go to the Scout Accounts to be divided between participating scouts according to time served for fund rais= er.

10. Scout Accounts

10.1 Account Maintenance

The Treasurer will maintain a S= cout Account for each Scout for monies earned from fundraisers. Scout Accounts m= ay be used to better the scout experience (such as Summer Camp, outing expense= s, scout equipment, etc.) and must be approved by the Scoutmaster.<= /span>

10.2 Forfeiture

Scout account balances will be forfeited to the Troop General Fund when Scouts leave Troop 1056 or reach t= he age of 18. Scout accounts may be transferred to a sibling. If a Scout is in good standing and transfers to a different troop, due to circumstances beyo= nd his control (parent relocation, etc.) the Scout Account may be transferred = to the new troop. This must be done within 90 days of the scout leaving the tr= oop. A check will be made out to the new troop and sent to the new troop’s Scoutmaster/Treasurer.

11. Leaders= hip

11.1 Duration

Leadership positions normally r= un for terms of 12 months: From August to July. Leadership applications are accept= ed during April and May. Voting is usually held at the June picnic. Scouts sha= ll see the Scoutmaster to apply.

11.2 Participation Requirement for Credit

Scouts occupying leadership pos= itions are expected to attend 70% of Troop functions during their tenure to receive leadership credit towards advancement. Non-participating Scouts are not fulfilling their obligation and set a poor example for the Scouts they lead. Leadership Scouts are expected to set the example for other Scouts in condu= ct, proper uniforming and Scout spirit. Scouts are also required to obtain a satisfactory performance rating from the mentor for the position they serve= d to obtain credit. In the event there is no mentor, credit shall be approved by= the Troop Committee upon recommendation of the Scoutmaster.

12. Troop Communication

12.1 Newsletter

The Troop publishes a newslette= r, Troop #1056 Newsflash, monthly. The Newsflash highlights upcoming outings for= the Troop and Council.

12.2 Web Site

The Troop's web site, www.tr= oop1056.org is also a source of information for troop activities. The troop's calendar, committee meeting minutes, newsflash, forms, photographs of outings and oth= er items of ongoing interest are maintained here.

12.3 Use of Photos on Web Site

From time to time photos of sco= uts and leaders may appear on the Troop's web site. These photos may or may not appear with captions. Last names will not be used.

12.4 E-Mail List

The Troop often uses e-mail as = a form of communication. To add your e-mail address to the distribution list, cont= act the Troop Advancement Coordinator. Only current members of the troop are allowed to be members of the Troop's mailing lists.

12.5 Personal information such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. shall not be give= n to persons outside the troop or Council.

13. Parental Responsibility

13.1 Parents must encourage their son to atten= d the weekly meetings and scheduled troop outings. Scouts need to work toward and= steadily make progress toward advancement within the program. Parents are expected to actively support their son's efforts. Steady advancement will keep them act= ive, interested, and learning throughout the year. Parents are encouraged to att= end outings and Troop Committee meetings. Committee members meet monthly, usual= ly after the Patrol Leader Council Meeting to assist the scouts in planning and carrying out "their" program.