Troop 140 Buffalo Grove
Troop 140 Buffalo Grove

BSA & Troop 140 Policies

Service Hours:
Separate service hours must be earned for each rank. As soon as you attain a rank, your service hours reset to zero, no matter how many you have had, and you will start over obtaining service hours for the next rank.
Service hours can only be obtained for Scoutmaster approved projects. There is a wide variety of acceptable service projects. Eagle projects are scoutmaster approved projects.
Permission for a service project, other than a Troop service project, such as the road cleanup, must be obtained from the Scoutmaster before the project is completed. If approval is not obtained, the service hours will not count.
It is the individual scout’s obligation to report his service hours to the Advancement Chairman. It is not the responsibility of anyone else.

Uniforms:
Scout shirt, neckerchief, and correct rank insignia, Troop position (Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL), etc.), troop numbers and council patch for scouts less than First Class rank.
First Class scouts or above must wear scout pants in addition to all of the above.

Adults Camping with the Troop:
The following is a guideline for adults participating in a troop campout. We hope that you will enjoy the outdoors with your son(s) and provide assistance to the troop leadership.
Adults activities while camping with the troop are to be conducted in conformance with all the BSA policies. The Troop Committee has assured that all policies are followed during any scout function or meeting.
"Guide to Safe Scouting",  "Procedures for Youth Protection", "Local and National Tour Permits", Troop Permission Slips and Refund Policy.  These forms and rules can be found on the  Forms Page.

Attendance:
Scouts to advance need at least 50% at meetings and 50% on outings. If less for a period of three months, they are moved to inactive status. To be reactivated, they need to talk to the Scoutmaster, and state that they want to be reactivated. Reactivation can only be done by the Scoutmaster or the Troop Committee Chairman with the consent of the Committee. This is applicable for all Rank advancements.
Conflicts with schooling, sports, and scouting are understood. It is "advancement" in a nonscout are and acceptable. However, if a scout fails to meet the scout attendance percentages set forward above, he will be in the inactive Patrol for that time period. Tenure for rank advancement will not accumulate when a scout is inactive, nor will the Scoutmaster sign off on the youth’s Troop participation. A special exception may be made for prolonged or chronic illness.
For High Adventure outing and regular outings, if space is limited, priority is given to active scouts first.
SPL, ASPL, and PL are expected to attend 75% of the Troop Meetings and 75% of the outings as a normal guide. If they can not do this, another should be elected to fill the leadership position. These are essential positions and the heart of the Troop.
Scouts holding the position of QM, Scribe, Jr. Asst. SM, Troop Guide are expected to attend 60% of Troop Meetings and outings.
SPL and ASPL must be at least a Star Scout, all other leadership positions must be at least First Class.
Den Chiefs are Ambassadors of the Troop: must have impeccable scout skills, leadership ability, respect for adults and cub scouts, excellent deportment, language skills and appearance standards. They must be approved by the Scoutmaster and the Cubmaster.
If at some point the Troop is considered full by the Committee, those Scouts on the inactive list will be replaced by new scouts who desire to be "active scouts." An "active scout" must comply with the spirit of the attendance policy as set forth above.

All State and Local Government regulations supersede the above policies.
Highlights of these policies are contained in this document. Please contact the Troop Committee Chairman or the Assistant Scoutmaster of Youth Protection, or refer to the Forms Page if you need a complete copy of the above policies.

Safety:
All Troop activities that adequate preparation has been made by the Unit Leader for the activity, including filing tour permits, obtaining parent/guardian permission notes, required medical data and other documents to ensure everyone’s safety.
It is the Unit Leader’s responsibility to assure that the participants are adequately prepared, equipped, and physically fit for the activity involved. The Unit Leader’s decision to allow participation is final. The Unit Leader for Campouts is the Scoutmaster, or a trip leader approved by the Troop Committee Chairman in the Scoutmaster’s absence.
Scouts are not to be left alone without responsible supervision at any time during Troop activities. Therefore, all adults assigned responsibility for their care are required to inform the Unit Leader, if they are leaving the activity area.
It is the responsibility of all adults involved to report willful violations of these policies to the appropriate governing authority. In most instances, this is the Troop Committee Chairman or the Assistant Scoutmaster of Youth Protection for review.

Adult Vices:
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all Scout Campouts. Tobacco products are not prohibited, but are careful of the example you set. Adult language is unacceptable at all times.

Discipline:
The Scoutmaster and his assistants have been trained in Scouting’s aims and methods. Please refer discipline matters to them, unless it involves an immediate danger to the Scouts. The Scouting method we emphasize is Boy Leadership with Adults acting as coaches to provide the learning experience. However, Bullying, physical abuse, and hazing are unacceptable at all times.

Driving Scouts to and from Camp:
When the trip budget includes transportation fees, you will be reimbursed for your gas, toll, and parking fees provided that you are approved to car-pool a group of Scouts. The trip leader will select drivers based on the needs of the group and will notify you prior to the trip. Drivers will be briefed at departure on the schedule and directions to camp.
The BSA liability policy provides for secondary coverage, so we will need your Drivers License Number, Car data, and Proof of Insurance for our Tour Permit application. All drivers must be at least 21 years old to drive.
Departure and return locations are listed on the permission slips. For departures from St. Mary’s, drivers are to line up along the cemetery fence at the North end of the parking lot to avoid chaos around the Activity Center in the dark. The trip leader will assign Scouts and equipment to your car.
Please inform the Scouts of your rules of conduct. This includes food in car, trash, noise, etc. Scouts are required to wear Seat Belts. Try to refuel during meal stops to keep Scouts from wandering the gas station mini-marts for treats.
We will caravan in small groups for mutual assistance. Flash your Headlights if you are experiencing a problem. (Bring a CB if you have one).

Equipment Needed:
Personal equipment needed for the outing is listed in the permission slip for that outing. The Troop has tents and cooking equipment available. Space in most campgrounds is limited, so large tents are discouraged, unless you are going to share with other adults.
Be prudent in how much gear you bring, space is at a premium for personal and group gear. Your son must learn how to survive on his own, so please refrain from bringing extras for him in the car.
BSA’s "No Flames in Tents" policy prohibits using gas lanterns, heaters, and candles inside tents.

Food for Outings:
Part of a Scout’s advancement is menu planning, purchasing and cooking their own food. The Scoutmaster approves the menu, food list, and budget. If your son is assigned the task, please take the scout shopping as a learning experience, and then present the receipt for payment to the trip leader at departure.
Do not vary from the food list, someone else may be bringing other items to complete the meal. The Troop will provide coolers for each patrol for perishables.
Scouts are like forest animals, they will never learn how to cook if you feed them with extra food, soda, etc. from the car.
The adults will usually prepare their own food on campouts, except wilderness experiences where you would eat with your group.

Permission Slips and Payment
Please adhere to the date and time the permission slips and money (preferably not cash) is due. Plans for food, reservations, and transportation are made as a result of that cutoff date. Any changes cause additional effort on the part of the scouts and adult leaders, all of whom are unpaid volunteers. Please be considerate of their time, after all, they have volunteered their valuable time to accompany your son on the outing. 

Refund Policy
Scout Outings (excluding High Adventure Outings)
Except as provided below, if cancellation is made before 8:30 PM on the Monday prior to the outing, a full refund is usually available. However, if any troop costs are not recoverable, a pro-rata amount will be deducted from the deposit. Refunds will not be made until the conclusion of the outing. Refunds will be placed into your scout’s Troop fund account for use on subsequent outings or scout activities. Refunds will not be paid by check. Any late cancellations or no shows will forfeit all deposits. If an incorrect amount is paid for an outing, the Troop Treasurer will first credit or debit the amount to your Scout’s Troop Funds account. If there is still a shortage you will be required to pay the balance due. 

High Adventure Outings
High Adventure deposits are nonrefundable unless the canceling or non-attending scout or scouter can find: a full paying, qualified replacement; acceptable to the high adventure leader. A refund may be available on a case by case basis, after payment of all non-recoverable fees. In addition, a $100 cancellation fee will be assessed before the high adventure deposit is refunded. Due to certain popular high adventure destinations requiring commitments and nonrefundable deposits years in advance, this policy is required. While you may think this is unfair, the risk of loss must be placed on the canceling scout or scouter, and not absorbed by the other High adventure participants or the Troop. Troop 140 High Adventure trips are “stand alone” financial activities. They are not subsidized by troop general funds. (In fact, the Philmont, Alaska and Hawaii high adventure trip budgets are greater than the troop’s annual operating budget). All costs and cancellation fees, if not paid by the canceling scout, would have to be borne by the other high adventure participants, which is certainly not fair to them. 

Good Faith
In the case of cancellations for monthly outings, we do our best to see that as much of the deposit as possible is returned to the scout’s Troop fund account. In regard to high adventure cancellations, we will inform you of any scout on the waiting list. You however, must notify us of cancellation on a timely basis, the sooner the better. If you have any questions, contact our Treasurer at Treasurer@troop140.org or talk to him/her at a troop meeting.

Thanks for the help in making Troop outdoor experience possible. Your volunteer effort help provide a safe and economical learning experience for our youth.