Troop 285 - Our Troop Meetings
Albuquerque NM
Meetings start promptly at 7:00 PM and are over at 9:00 PM. Since we are a "full-uniform" Troop, the expected uniform is Scout shirt, Scout pants (or shorts), Scout socks, and full-coverage shoes (no sandals, please). Hats may be worn to and from the meeting, but once inside, please uncover. Coats, sweaters, or sweatshirts should be removed during the meeting, too. We don't allow food or drink to be brought into the meeting, so please eat dinner before you come - this saves us time cleaning up messes, and prevents the temptations sometimes surrounding a snack or drink that may appear to be "abandoned" by its owner.
Now, here's the normal schedule for our meetings - we typically follow it pretty closely unless there is a special visitor who needs a lot of time for a presentation.
Presentation of the colors - patrols take turns each week carrying in the US and the Troop flag, then leading the Troop in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scout Oath:
A welcome is extended from the Senior Patrol Leader (one of our older Scouts) to the
entire Troop. General announcements are regarding the past week's activities or the coming planned events are made. The Scoutmaster (Mr. Rick Mondick) then provides
specific announcements about special things happening at this meeting, any announcements that may have not been covered yet by other people, and his own welcome to the Troop.
On most of our campouts, each patrol plans it's own food menu and the Patrol Leader, with help from the parents, is expected to buy the food for the event. The Patrol Leader then must collect the fees from each Scout going on the event, either before or after the event has occurred. If a Scout plans to go and then backs out at the last minute, after food has been purchased, the Scout of course will owe for the food.
An adult advisor is available to each patrol during patrol corners, and for the entire meeting, for that matter. However, the advisor does not conduct patrol corners. Troop 285 is a Scout-led Troop. It is the Patrol Leader's responsibility and opportunity to lead his patrol in orderly meetings as well as in Scout-like conduct on any events.
Troop 285 attempts to alternate between games and instruction classes each week. If there is some important instruction, that may take priority over a planned game. Sometimes, there is a brief instruction period followed by some time for games, too.
Instruction over the last few years has included: a visitor from the Air Force Academy talking about the requirements to attend a military academy; an Order of the Arrow representative explaining that part of Scouting; or a Scouter or Scout teaching how to camp, how to cook, how to wash dishes, how to pick out good camping equipment, or how to live the Scout Law and Oath in your daily life. Games are selected by our Scout Gamemaster, and have included: "Duck-Duck-Goose", "Red Rover", "Frisbee Soccer",
relay races and lots more fun events to get to enjoy being with your fellow Scouts.
In this time, the first year scouts attend a fast-track, highly-structured "basic skills" program designed to let them achieve the requirements for advancement through the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class within a year of joining Troop 285. More than half of the topics for these first four ranks of Boy Scouts can be learned
right in our meeting hall. These topics, like first aid, knot tying, citizenship, personal fitness, record keeping,
buddy system, safety, map and compass, and several others can be taught mainly in the classroom. Some of the requirements, like hikes, camping, cooking, knife and ax use and care and other outdoor skills, are saved until the summer's Long Term camp, which is REALLY important for the first year scout to attend. Basic Skills Scouts learn all this stuff in a "protected" environment - since our training patrols are made up of the Scouts in their first year in Troop 285, there isn't a need to worry about the younger guys being "shown up" or "crowded out" by the older Scouts. And they learn by doing - all instruction is very "hands on", and practiced until the Scout is confident he can perform well!
Merit badge classes start after the Scout has achieved the rank of First Class.
The goal of reaching Eagle Scout proceeds in rank steps through Star and Life. The Scout soon finds that he has a multitude of choices for the merit badges he will work upon during the rest of his Scout adventure. A minimum of twenty-one merit badges must be earned for the rank of Eagle Scout, but only ten are specifically required. There's a lot of choices to be made in the selection of other badges, or additional ones.
At any Troop meeting, adult leaders (Grannies) within the Troop offer three to five merit badge classes from which a Scout may choose. Some Troops don't offer merit badge classes within their meetings - Scouts have to band together to find willing instructors where ever possible, then meet at the convenience of the instructor. We are lucky to have a large group (over 30) of qualified instructors for just about every merit badge topic imaginable (the current Scout handbook lists 103 elective merit badges, and we can provide an instructor for just about all of them). Merit badge classes last four to six weeks, and some require work at home, visits to public facilities, or outdoor activities to complete the class. All of them are fun, though - recently, Scouts have really enjoyed the Model Rocketry and Electronics merit badges, since they have gotten to build and test neat stuff!
Troop 285 gathers into a large, unbroken circle of Scouts, Scouters and parents for the Closing. The closing ceremony consists of a Scoutmaster's minute, which is a brief talk about a topic related to Scouting that helps Scouts apply some part of the Scout Law or Oath or Motto or Slogan to their own lives. Then the closing benediction is recited, with each person bonding to the person to the left with a hand on their shoulder, giving the Scout sign with the right so the sign descends during the benediction:
Good night, Scouts!
Last Updated - 2000-08-29