Troop 120 Scout and Parents Guide
Scoutmaster minute:
Scouts & parents, we are so thankful to have you be a part of Troop 120! Scouting is unique among youth organizations because it is led by boys, not by adults. Unlike Cub Scouts, school organizations, and many other activities, the adults are only there to provide guidance, safety, and logistical support. Scouting provides Scouts with a safe place to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow. And it develops boys into leaders. Advancement is one of the means of Scouting, but it is not the main thing. If a Troop 120 Scout learns skills, makes friends, develops a love of the outdoors, and becomes a young man of high integrity, his Scouting experience has been a success no matter his rank.
I have been working with kids in volunteer roles for the last 25+ years, and I am looking forward to getting to know your boys and investing in their futures. I can speak for all of our leaders when we say, thank you for trusting us to guide your son in this journey. We believe it is a privilege to serve your son.
Please reach out to me at any time if you have questions or concerns (Scouts, remember to include your parents or another leader on all communications per BSA policy).
Jason Roth, Troop 120 Scoutmaster
704-907-4676
Troop 120 mission:
Our mission in Troop 120 is to help young men grow into responsible citizens, strong and confident leaders, and compassionate stewards of our world and fellow man. We will achieve this through activities in fitness, exploration, teamwork, leadership, service, ethics, and character, as well as striving to follow the Scout Oath and Scout Law in our everyday lives.
Troop Structure:
Troop 120 is run by you, the Scouts! Scouts hold all the leadership positions in the troop. This includes the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), the Scout who leads the troop. The troop is divided into patrols, and each patrol has a Patrol Leader. Many activities in meetings and outings are with your patrol. The main body that decides what we do in meetings and outings is called the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC). The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters oversee the PLC and approve the plans they create. They meet at least once a month to plan and make decisions.
The following scout leadership positions make up the PLC:
Senior Patrol Leader (SPL)
Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL)
Patrol Leaders
Scribe
Other roles as invited, such as the Instructor
There are many other leadership roles in the troop—some with mandatory rank requirements. For more information, see Troop 120 Youth Leadership Positions on the Troop 120 Resources page (Guidelines).
Your Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters (ASMs) support the troop by helping with outings, ensuring safety, providing coaching, signing off rank requirements, and supporting the PLC. They will give you room to make mistakes, solve problems, and figure things out on your own. If a Scout can do it, then adults don’t get involved. When you have a question, ask your boy leaders.
The troop is overseen by the Committee, a group of adults that includes a Chair, Troop Treasurer, Advancement Coordinator, and other logistical roles. If parents need to reach out to the committee, they can use the website Contact Us form to get connected.
Finally, all BSA troops must have a Chartered Organization that partners with them. Troop 120 is chartered by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2423. We are grateful to have a facilities-use agreement with Weddington Methodist Church which allows us to meet at Marvin UMC.
Advancement:
At the back of your BSA Handbook, there is a place to track all your achievements in Scouts. As you learn and serve in the troop, you earn ranks: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle.
Sign-offs:
The requirements for each rank are in the back of the book. You will learn many of these in meetings and outings, but you can also learn many of them on your own using your handbook (the requirements tell you the page numbers to read). When you know one of them, you must talk to an Assistant Scoutmaster who will verify you know the information and sign off on the requirement.
Tips:
You can work on any requirements for the first four ranks at the same time.
Pay attention to the requirement (ex: if it says “demonstrate” you can’t just give facts). If this is a challenge, ask a leader for help.
Parents should typically not sign off on requirements, even if they are Assistant Scoutmasters. One notable exception is the Safety Videos requirement for the Scout and Star Rank.
Record all campouts, hikes, and service hours in the logs in the back of your book. Parents can sign off on these because they are also being tracked within the troop separately.
New AOL scouts might already know a lot of the Scout rank requirements.
Plan ahead. For example, some requirements must be completed on campouts.
If you need to talk to an Assistant Scoutmaster to sign off on a requirement, there is advancement time at 7:15pm – 7:30pm on Mondays before the meeting starts. There is often time during meetings as well. And you can always approach a leader on a campout.
Scoutmaster Conference:
The last requirement to get signed off in a rank is the Scoutmaster Conference. When you are ready, tell the Scoutmaster that you are ready to have a Scoutmaster Conference. The conference will typically be held during the Monday meeting. This is not a retest of what you signed off. It is a conversation between you and the Scoutmaster to find out more about you, your experience in the troop, and how you’re living out the Scout Oath and Scout Law both in and outside the troop. After the Scoutmaster Conference, the Scoutmaster will contact the Advancement Coordinator to schedule your Board of Review.
Board of Review:
For all ranks except for the Scout rank, you must have a Board of Review (BOR) to advance. The Board of Review is given before three adults (typically committee members) who will ask questions to ensure you are ready for the next rank and to get your feedback on the troop. This is also not a retest of the specific requirements, which have already been signed off.
Tips:
Boards of review are held monthly as needed. Times can be found on the Troop 120 Calendar.
Requirements must be completed the week before the BOR.
Come in full Class A uniform. See the uniform section for more information.
Bring your BSA handbook for inspection.
For Star, Life, and Eagle, you must be “active” in the Troop (attending roughly 50% of meetings, outings, and service projects).
Be prepared to talk about your experiences in the current rank.
Be prepared to talk about your service to the troop and the community.
Rank advancements and merit badges are recorded in Scoutbook, an internet tracking system, by the Advancement Coordinator, and this becomes the official record with the BSA. However, you should keep your BSA Handbook and any awards earned as evidence of your progress. You can even take a picture of your signed-off requirements as you go in the event that you lose your book. Parents can gain access to Scoutbook as well. For more information, contact the Advancement Coordinator.
Court of Honor:
Several times a year, Troop 120 holds a court of honor to celebrate the ranks, merit badges, and accomplishments of the scouts. Come in full Class A uniform.
Advancement Tips:
You advance at your own pace based on your personal goals.
You own your own advancement. Let your patrol leader and adult leaders know if you ever feel stuck on a particular requirement.
We recommend first-year Scouts attend Summer Camp, if possible, as most camps have a program to cover many early-rank requirements and give them a head-start on their Scouting journeys.
With steady progress on sign-offs, you can reach First Class within 18 months to 2 years. If Eagle is a potential goal, this leaves plenty of time to achieve it. Again, not everyone will choose to advance to Eagle, and that is OK. Your leaders are here to support you in reaching your goals.
Remember, the goal is not to advance for advancement’s sake. The point is to learn new skills, gain new experiences, and grow—all while having fun with your fellow scouts. Share your goals with your leaders, and we will support you in achieving them!
Merit Badges:
You earn merit badges by working with a merit badge counselor, on your own, and at merit badge classes (given both by fellow scouts/parents, summer camp, and programs in the area). Eagle requires 21 merit badges, 14 of which are required, but you earn these over your whole scouting journey.
To understand how the merit badge process works in BSA (and the specifics of Troop 120), please see Troop 120 Merit Badge Guide. For any questions about the merit badge program or advancement, please contact troop120mb@gmail.com.
Monthly Outings:
Except for August, the troop goes on at least one outing a month. Most of these are camping trips, except during the coldest months. You can find the upcoming outings on the Troop 120 Calendar. Most outings are supported by a payment per scout on the Events page or the Camp and Adventures page.
Troop 120 provides tents, and you should use Troop tents unless we are short for a given outing. If you do need to bring your own, they must be small 1-2 man tents. You should bring a mess kit, personal first aid kit, water bottle, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp, and pocketknife and/or multitool (requires Totin’ Chip).
During the year, some hike-in trips will require a backpack. Scouts are responsible for obtaining their own backpacks. The troop attempts to hold a backpack fitting session at REI each year for new scouts. After a campout, tents and patrol boxes are sent home with scouts for checking and cleaning. Dry out tents as soon as possible to prevent damage. Bring all gear back to the Troop 120 Quartermaster cleaned and checked within 2 weeks after we return. There are inventory forms for both tents and patrol boxes on the Troop 120 Resources page.
General outings policies:
Leaders are always two-deep with Scouts.
Buddy system used during outings.
No tent buddies more than two years apart, no matter how many Scouts are in a tent or cabin. In the event of larger, more open accommodations, Scoutmasters will divide Scouts by age within the structure.
No betting, selling, or gambling.
Scouts should not carry medication (prescribed or over-the-counter). Any needed medication should be turned in to an Assistant Scoutmaster with instructions at drop-off.
Phone policy:
Phones can be used appropriately on any car trip.
Scouts can ask leaders to use phones during the day/evening for approved uses (GPS, research, pictures, hike, etc.). Any such phone use should be out in the open (not in tents) and limited to the approved purpose. Scouts should not share phones without leader permission.
Phones are locked out of sight in cars at night.
Leaders will provide phone numbers to parents in case they need to reach a Scout on a campout (assuming there is a signal).
Leaders will ensure that Scouts know where they are tenting in case of overnight needs.
For any questions, contact the Scoutmaster or use the Contact Us form.
Summer Camp:
Each year, Troop 120 spends a week away at a BSA summer camp. Camp is a ton of fun and a great place to earn merit badges. Information about camp registration and fees will be communicated in early spring. For more information see the Camp and Adventures page.
High Adventure:
Troop 120 has a goal of providing High Adventure trips every year. These are trips like Sea Base in Florida, hiking in the Grand Tetons, or canoeing in Canada’s Boundary Waters. The age limit on High Adventure trips will vary based on the event but is generally 13 or 14 minimum. These trips require dedicated scout and adult volunteers to make them happen. For more information see the Camp and Adventures page.
Uniforms:
Class A: Class A is required at all weekly Troop meetings, when traveling on monthly outings, at flag ceremonies, religious ceremonies, and at special events. To buy uniforms, you can go to a local Scout Shop or purchase on the Scout Shop Online. To understand the rules for the uniform, see BSA Guide to Awards and Insignia and at Class B. There are also seamstresses in the area that know exactly where all the insignia goes on the uniform. Class A includes:
Scout uniform shirt (tucked in) with appropriate insignia:
Green shoulder tabs (provided by Troop).
120 numbers (provided by Troop).
Patrol patch (provided by Troop).
BSA rank patch (only after you earn the Scout rank).
Position patch (only after you are elected to a position).
At most, one temporary patch hanging from the right pocket.
Note: Totin’ Chips and Fireman Chits are temporary patches and not to be sewn onto the pocket flap.
Scout pants or shorts (these can be generic olive/army green switchback pants from Amazon).
Scout belt.
Any neutral socks.
Closed-toe shoes.
Optional:
Undershirts (short or long) are permitted if black/white/gray/tan/olive green.
Coats can be worn in cold weather but no sweatshirts that cover the uniform completely unless removed indoors.
Scout-related hat. Only worn outdoors.
Class A (formal): For formal ceremonies like Boards of Review and Courts of Honor, follow all the Class A guidelines above and add:
Merit badge sash or OA sash only if you have six or more merit badges.
Olive green Scout pants or shorts.
Class B: For other activities such as service projects and hikes, Class B uniforms can be worn. It includes:
Any Scout shirt (such as the Troop T-shirt) that can be tucked or untucked. Troop 120 T-shirts preferred on hikes or outings. You can purchase a Troop T-Shirt on our Troop 120 Store.
Any solid-color pants or shorts.
Closed-toe shoes.
Optional:
Any solid-color hat without prominent logos. Only worn outdoors.
Exceptions:
For summer camp, Scouts can wear any clothes, but they must bring Class A for daily ceremonies.
If coming straight from work/sports, do your best (possibly consider bringing uniform and changing in the restroom). But we would rather you be at Scouts than not if you forget your uniform.
Alternate uniform may be allowed at the discretion of the Scoutmaster.
We do not want financial hardship to keep a boy from Scouting. Troop 120 can supplement the cost of the uniform if needed. If this would be helpful, please reach out to the Scoutmaster.
Active Status:
Part of rank advancement is demonstrating “Active” status in our Troop, especially for Star, Life, and Eagle, where this is a sign-off for a given period of months. Troop 120 defines “Active” as roughly 50% meeting attendance, 50% outing attendance, and 50% service project attendance. For Scouts with leadership positions, we have a higher expectation of between 50-75% for these. It is difficult to make this a perfect math equation, so talk to the Scoutmaster if you have any questions or concerns about your active status. There are also specific expectations about helping with roadside clean-up and the Christmas tree sale described below.
Note that some sign-offs in the first four ranks ask for you to attend a certain number of Troop/Patrol activities.
Troop/Patrol activities include:
Campouts.
Troop events (not including meetings).
Roadside cleanups or other Troop-specific service projects.
Christmas tree sale (only counts once even if you do multiple shifts).
Troop/Patrol activities do NOT include:
Troop meetings.
Merit Badge Classes.
Service projects with other organizations (like Operation Sandwich).
Community Service:
Troop 120 is part of the Adopt a Highway program, and we clean a section of Crane Road four times a year. Scouts are expected to sign up for at least two roadside clean-ups a year.
There are also other service opportunities, such as Sandwich Saturday at the Weddington Methodist Church. The Service Chair will make sure that opportunities for community service are communicated. Please make sure to sign up with the signup genius app to allow us to make sure we have enough Scout and adult coverage.
All Scouts are encouraged to serve in their own way in their schools, religious organizations, and communities. If you do serve outside of Scouts, please talk to your Scoutmaster to determine if these should be counted toward your overall service hours in the Troop. If approved, share these hours with our Service Coordinator for tracking purposes.
Fundraising:
Troop 120 does not raise money through any door-to-door sales. Instead, there is a Christmas Tree sale each November that raises money for the next Scouting year. Each Scout is expected to serve two shifts during the Christmas Tree sale. Parent volunteers are also needed to oversee the Christmas Tree sale.
P.A.T.H.S. is a non-profit organization created by a former Troop 120 Assistant Scoutmaster to support Scouting in our area. Donations made to P.A.T.H.S. referencing Troop 120 will come to our troop to support our program. Because P.A.T.H.S. is a registered non-profit, it is eligible for corporate matching gifts and volunteer matching as well. For more information, see the Donate page of our troop website.
Raise Right is an optional program that raises money for the Troop through gift cards. Any money earned can be used to offset the expenses for dues, summer camp, Eagle projects, and high adventure. You buy a gift card, and the Troop immediately gets a percentage back. Then you use the gift card online or at the store. There is also a phone app. For more information, see the Donate page of our troop website.
Dues:
Starting in 2024, each Scouting family is responsible for handling their annual registration renewal and paying the yearly dues. BSA has recently moved to a new self-pay model, so the Troop will not collect these fees. Most, but not all, renewals take place on December 31. If you wish to apply Raise Right funds toward your renewal, or if you have any other questions, please reach out to the Scoutmaster or the Troop Treasurer.
Medical Forms:
All scouts must annually submit BSA medical forms each year. Section C is required only for summer camp and High Adventure (and for the Personal Fitness merit badge).
Two-Deep Leadership:
There should never be any one-on-one interactions between a scout and a leader where others are not present. This includes emails and texts (see the BSA Social Media Guidelines). If you need to email or text a leader, include another leader or a parent on the communication. Everyone in the troop should help ensure that this is being followed for the safety of the scouts. In addition, please do not drop off your son at the meeting because you see a car in the parking lot. Always make sure there are at least 2 people at the scout house before you leave.
Website:
The Troop 120 website (https://bsatroop120.org) includes our calendar of events and many useful resources. Most of the links in this document can be found on the “Troop Resources” page on the website.
