Troop Resources & Helpful Links

Scouts can be one of the most rewarding activities for young people. For parents, there can be a lot to learn and manage. This section is dedicated to making it easier for our parents to successfully navigate their child’s Scouting experience.

  • Printable Summer Camp Packing List

    Printable Cold Weather Camping Packing List

    Printable Warm Weather Camping Packing List

    See the gear section for additional packing items and tips for backpacking and canoe trips.

  • Cooking together is an important part of Scouting. Patrol cooking helps Scouts develop leadership, teamwork, and outdoor skills. There are cooking requirements for ranks and for the cooking merit badge. We recommend completing your rank cooking requirements before doing your cooking merit badge.

  • Every Sunday, the current PLC sends the weekly Troop Scoop with current announcements, sign-up sheets, and more.

    Upcoming calendar events, photos, and timely announcements are pushed through the Band App.  You will need to create an account and request access to the “Scouts BSA Troop 897” site.  For safety reasons, this is restricted to Troop members and families.  You will get alerts, such as when Scouts are headed home from trips.  This is also where we publish the Troop calendar and photos from our trips.

    Last but not least, check out our Troop’s Facebook group for gear swaps and more!

  • We have several Troop leadership positions for the Scouts.  Troop elections occur twice per year and allows Scouts the opportunity to make the case for why they should be elected for a particular position.

    Senior Patrol Leader (SPL):  This is the most senior youth leader.  This Scout is accountable for planning and running Troop meetings.  If Scouts have questions they should first ask the SPL.  You will hear adult leaders use the phrase “ask your SPL” quite a bit.  This is done to reinforce to younger Scouts that the SPL is in charge and provides the acting SPL an opportunity to make decisions and address questions and minor issues as they come up.  It should be noted that adult leaders are always available when safety is of concern.

    Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL):  This Scout is responsible for assisting the SPL and is next in line when the SPL is not available.  This role is also next in line to become SPL once the current term ends.

    Patrol Leader:  Leads patrol activities and supports other youth leaders by ensuring the patrol is actively participating in Troop events.  This role will often work with the ASM to work through questions and issues.  Accountable for planning and leading 2 patrol service projects during term.

    Assistant Patrol Leader:  Supports the Patrol Leader as needed.  Next in line to be Patrol Leader at the end of the current term.

    Scribe:  This Scout is accountable for taking notes and providing the minutes from the Troop meetings.

    Quartermaster:  This role is responsible for organizing the Troop’s equipment.  They will assign cleaning duties on camping trips and will determine which Scouts need to take home equipment after camping trips for additional and more thorough cleaning.

    Assistant Quartermaster:  This Scout is the assistant to the Quartermaster.  They will help assign Troop gear and is next in line for the Quartermaster position when the current term ends.

    Chaplains Aid:  This role is accountable for the prayer during our opening ceremony and coordination with the Church for annual Scout Sunday services.

    Troop Guide:  This Scout is responsible for supporting younger Scouts and helping them through the earlier stages of advancement.

    Den Chief:  The role will be assigned to a Den within a Cub Scout Pack.  The will support the Den Leader with activities during the Den meetings and may attend occasional trips with the Den.  They are a bridge between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and help the Cubs learn more about Boy Scouts and our Troop.

    Patrol Leaders Council (PLC):  This is name for the group of Youth Leaders.  This will group will meet periodically a couple of times a month, typically at 7:00pm prior to the start of the Troop meeting.  These discussions are chaired by the SPL and are focused on pressing topics at the time.

  • While we have formal positions/roles for adult leadership within the Troop, we encourage all parents to stay engaged.  You don’t have to have a formal role to have an impact.  All parents are welcomed (and encouraged) to attend trips from time to time, participate in meeting programs, serve as merit badge counselors or help drive a specific project.

    Scout Master (also know as Unit Leader): This adult is the leader of the Troop’s Scouting program.  They work closely with the SPL to ensure meeting plans are well thought out and the overall program is running as intended.

    Committee Chair:  This role is accountable for running the business of the Troop.  This includes chairing the monthly committee meetings, addressing parents questions and helping to ensure that all the needs of the Troop are met as it relates to things like finances.  They also are typically the primary contact for the Chartered Organization Representative.

    Chartered Organization Representative (COR):  This is a member of the charter organization who works with the Troop’s adult leadership as needed to ensure that we are supporting the charter organization and addressing any questions that may come relative to topics such facilities usage.

    Advancement Chair:  This adult leader coordinates the management of Scout advancement.  This includes working with Scouts, merit badge counselors and parents to ensuring Scoutbook is updated along with physical Scout Handbook.  They also acquire the merit, rank and other badges / awards that are handed out during our Court of Honor.

    Assistant Scout Master (ASM):  These are leaders who help the Scout Master run the program.  They work with our youth leaders to make sure things are running smoothly during meetings and camping trips.  They often will provide guidance and recommendations to youth leadership.

    Treasurer:  This role is responsible for managing the Troop budge and finances.  They will provide updates during the committee meetings and inform decisions that have a cost impact.  They also support Scouts who are planning trips with collecting trip fees through Square.  The also collect and Troop dues and payments for high adventure trips and manage the Troop’s bank accounts.

    Service Project Coordinator:  This adult will work with known members of the community (e.g., neighborhood leaders, park rangers, etc.) to identify service projects our Scouts can participate in.  This does NOT include Eagle Scout Projects which Scouts are accountable for planning and coordinating themselves.

    Committee Member:  This can be any parent who would like to sign up to be member of the committee and provide any level of support.

  • Keeping the Troop website current and accurate is a Troop-wide initiative.

    If you see an error, change, or update needed on the site, please enter your request below.

    Updates are made once a month by the current Troop webmaster.

    Website Update Sheet

  • Welcome to Troop 897!  We are excited to have you but also understand that there is a lot of information that can feel a bit overwhelming.  This page will help you navigate how the Troop operates along with some terms to demystify the terminology.  Please don’t hesitate to send an email or reach out to any Troop leader if you have any questions.

    New Parent Check List:  To get you started, we have created a checklist.  This will provide a quick guide to the essentials for getting your Scout off and running.

    Monthly Parent Info Nights: Approximately once a month we will offer a Parent Info Night. This is an opportunity to make sure you feel clear on how to help your Scout success in certain areas. Past info nights have covers topics such as: preparing for winter camp / summer camp, how to meal plan and cook on a campout, how to navigate ScoutBook, and what parents need to know about merit badges.

    Parent Volunteering: Many hands make light work. While ours is a Scout-led troop, it is also a parent-supported one. We ask that at least one parent or guardian from each family contribute to the troop in some capacity each year—whether by attending campouts, helping with potlucks, serving as a merit badge counselor, joining the committee, or supporting in another way. If you have questions about how you can help, please reach out to Jane Broadbent.

  • Uniform Components:  Uniforms consist of a Scout Shirt, olive green shorts or pants, a Scout belt, green socks, a neckerchief, a slide, and epaulettes. Click here to learn more about the different Scout uniforms.

    Learn where patches and badges go. Here is the official guide with diagrams to help parents and Scouts place rank patches, awards, and other insignia correctly. Use these resources to keep uniforms up to date and ready for meetings, Boards of Review, and Courts of Honor.

  • All Scouts are required to have updated annual forms on file at the start of each school year. These forms ensure we have up-to-date medical information, contact details, and the necessary permissions for safe participation in meetings, campouts, and troop activities. Please review, complete, and submit all required documents before the new school/Scouting year begins.

    • The most current contact list can be found in BAND. Email mpryan79@gmail.com if you have any questions.

    • Need to update your contact info? Click here.

  • We meet on Monday nights at Winfree Church.  Scouts typically gather around 7:00 for a variety of targeted meetings with the formal Troop meeting beginning at 7:30.  Each meeting will start with a flag ceremony and announcements.  The announcements are a great way to get information about upcoming events and the night’s activities.  The meetings are planned and run by the Scouts with the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) leading.  Please note that during the school year,if Chesterfield County schools are closed (including for inclement weather), we will not meet.  The meeting schedule during the summer months is a bit more sparse as Scouts are often at summer camp, attending high adventure camps or out of town on family vacations.

    Committee Meetings

    Committee meetings are open to all parents and committee members.  These meetings will focus on Troop business such as finances, open positions and other pressing topics.  Parents are welcome to bring any topic to this meeting for discussion.  These occur monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.  The Zoom information is made available through a targeted email and our Troop’s Band site.

  • Having the proper forms updated is important to ensure we have the right information to remain in compliance with BSA policies.  This also provides the Troop with critical information such as medical needs, in the event of an emergency.

    Youth Protection Training (YPT): Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers and is a joining requirement.  Please see the BSA Youth Protection Training page to learn more about the training and how to get started.

    Adult Application:  To become registered as an adult leader, you will need complete BSA’s adult application.

    Scout Application:  For new Scouts to join, a youth application must be completed.

    Merit Badge Counselor Application:  If you have experience relative to any merit badge, please consider signing up to be a merit badge counselor using this form.

  • The following is a quick look at the Eagle Merit Badges our Troop does well, and which are better suited for a camp setting.

    Troop 897 Merit Badge Cheat Sheet

More Questions?

How-to-Tips-and-Tricks

Helpful Scouting Resources