FAQ

Q: What is a Grub master? 

The Grub master is the scout who is responsible for going shopping and buying the food that his patrol will be eating during the campout.

Q: Does the Grub master have to pay for the food he purchases for the campout? 

Food for the campout will be paid for by the troop. Please submit receipts for reimbursement to the Troop Treasurer (treasurer1154@gmail.com ). A direst reimbursement can be provided, or reimbursement can be made through the scout account. 

Q: I’m not getting emails from the troop, how do I get added to the troop mailing list? 

Review your email address is correctly listed in Troop Track, which can be found under your profile/household info. Add Troop 1154 (@trooptrack.com) to your safe sender list. 

Q: How do I send an email to others in the troop? 

Use Troop Track! Under menu option Communicate->Send an Email.  There you can select individual scouts/adults, your patrol, leaders in the troop, or to specific email distribution lists. All youth and adults must follow the 2-deep leadership rule; please have at least two adults copied in all email communications. 

Q: Which merit badge sash should I buy? 

There are two sizes (30” and 36”) of the Merit Badge sash. Buy the larger one (36”). While it will be way too big for your son when he first starts in scouts, you will be surprised how quickly he will grow into it.

Q: What is a Blue Card? 

When a scout earns a merit badge you receive three items at the COH (Court of Honor): (1) the merit badge, (2) an award card for the badge and (3) a completed/dated blue card. The blue card is “proof” that you earned the stated merit badge. Do not lose your blue cards. The blue cards are very important, especially for the Eagle required merit badges. The blue cards are needed for the Eagle certification process.

Q: Where do we meet for campouts? 

As a general rule for campouts, we meet in the Eagle Ridge Middle School parking lot at 5 pm on Friday. Scouts should bring a bag dinner. 

Q: Where do we travel for monthly campouts? 

We camp all around the Northern VA and DMV area, though we usually stay within a 2 hour drive. 

Q: How does a scout go about getting signed off on a requirement for rank advancement? 

For Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class requirements, the scout should demonstrate the requirement to an older scout of First Class, Star, Life or Eagle Scout rank and ask them to sign off on the requirement. Typically, the scout should ask his Patrol Leader or Troop Guide to sign off. For Star, Life, and Eagle requirements the scout should have the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster sign off requirements. This is typically done prior to or during the Scoutmaster conference.

Q: How does a scout request a Scoutmaster conference? 

The scout should ask the Scoutmaster for a conference. If the scout knows that he has all of the requirements done for his next rank, he should send an email to the Scoutmaster, (Scoutmaster1154@TroopTrack.com ) requesting a conference at the next meeting (follow 2-deep leadership by copying another adult). Advance notice is appreciated so the Scoutmaster has time to recruit Assistant Scoutmasters to help out if needed. Often times many scouts ask for a Scoutmaster conference in the weeks leading up to a Court of Honor. Scouts should be in full uniform for a Scoutmaster conference and have their scout book available for review.  

Q: How do they request a Board of Review to move up to the next rank? 

A scout should send an email to the Advancement Chairman, advancement1154@trooptrack.com . This will provide time for the Advancement Chairman to try to get enough committee members and parents to assist with a Board of Review. A Board of Review consists of at least 3 adults, at least one of those adults needs to be a member of the Troop Committee. The Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, and the scout’s parent are not permitted to serve on the Board of Review. For an Eagle Board of Review, a representative from District is also required.

Q: What is the purpose of leadership roles, how does a scout go about applying for a leadership role - when is this and what is the process? 

In order for scouts to earn the ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle, the scout must perform in a leadership role. Once a scout has become First Class he is eligible for a leadership position, pending Scoutmaster approval. The troop holds elections two times a year, typically in April and in October. The leadership terms run for six months mid April-mid October and mid-October to mid-April. The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) and Patrol Leader positions are elected positions. All of the scouts in the troop can vote for the Senior Patrol Leader and scouts in the individual patrols vote for their patrol leader. The Senior Patrol Leader, pending approval of the Scoutmaster, appoints the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader(s). The Scoutmaster and Senior Patrol Leader will appoint scouts to the other leadership positions. In the weeks leading up to the elections, the Scoutmaster will ask scouts who would like to hold a leadership position to fill out a Leadership Application (available on the troop website under the Forms tab) with the scouts first, second and third choices. One of the key requirements for serving in a leadership position is that the Scout MUST commit to performing the position for six months. Scouts that do not have active participation during the tenure will not be credited for the position.

Q: Are there any mentors assigned to younger scouts who take a leadership position for the first time? 

The troop provides Troop Leadership Training twice a year at ILST. We try to provide the schedule the training as soon after the elections as possible. This training is designed to teach the scout's leadership skills and tools that they can use to be successful. The Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters, and other adult leaders will work with the scouts as time permits.

Q: Is there an older scout or adult looking over to see what is still remaining to be completed in order to achieve the next rank?  

The First Class Program Coordinator (typically an Assistant Scoutmaster) will work with the Troop Guides to come up with plans to provide the new scouts the opportunity to learn and demonstrate the requirements for the first six to seven months after the AOLs have crossed over. This program typically runs from March until September. In the October timeframe, the new scouts are integrated into the older Scout’s patrols. At which time the Patrol Leader should be working with each scout in his patrol that is not First Class to complete the outstanding requirements. Once a scout becomes First Class further advancement is primarily based on his own initiative.

Q: Why does a scout need Scoutmaster Approval prior to starting a Merit Badge? (Requesting a Blue Card) 

The Troop plans for a two year rotation of Eagle-required merit badges, regularly offers merit badge opportunities at monthly campouts, plans for one-day merit badge workshops, and host a yearly Wimp-o-Ree with merit badge sessions. A scout may be requesting a merit badge that is already "in the works" with a troop event. In addition, with scouts having a variety of well over 100 merit badges, it is important that scouts don’t overload themselves with trying to do too many badges at one time. Also, with many of the badges covering topics that can be difficult even for adults, some badges are recommended for older scouts. The Scoutmaster can review the scout’s desires as well his scout workload to ensure he is ready to work the badge; the Scoutmaster can help locate a merit badge counselor if needed. 

Q: What happens if a scout is in the middle of a rank and new requirements are announced by BSA? Will he need to “start over” and repeat all of the requirements for completed or partial ranks? 

No, not all—only new requirements and any new elements of (existing) requirements. More specifically: 

• If the wording of a completed rank requirement has not changed and that requirement was signed off on or prior to the changes, the approval should be transferred to the corresponding new requirements. For Tenderfoot through First Class ranks, this may include approvals that were previously listed in a different rank. 

• When the rank in progress has new requirements (or new elements of requirements) that were not in a previously completed rank under the current requirements, those new requirements or elements will need to be completed going forward.