About

Though we are a large Troop, we are happy to consider new Scouts: a) who are eager to participate fully in the weekly and outdoor programs; b) who are interested and motivated to advance in rank; c) who are willing to accept responsibility and leadership roles as they gain in age, rank, and experience; d) whose parents will actively help the Troop in some of its many needed areas; e) whose parents will help and support their son as he progresses in the program.

To become a Boy Scout, a youth must have completed fifth grade, or be 11 years old, or have earned the Arrow of Light Award as a Webelos Scout. The youth must not have reached age 18.

Because of the Troop's size, there may be times when joining is limited. Preference will be given to members of St. John's, Scouts moving up from Pack 116, brothers and other Troop 116 legacies. Below are the joining steps for those interested in Troop 116.

• Parent or prospective Scout contact the Scoutmaster in advance of a visit to discuss the current membership status of the Troop and to discuss the prospective Scout's interest in joining. Prearrange a visit to a regular Troop meeting. A minimum of 2 visits is usually required before joining.
• Parent and prospective Scout read the Troop Booklet. It is full of necessary and helpful information about the Troop. It will explain many facts and answer many questions about being a Boy Scout and parent in Troop 116. The Scoutmaster and other adult leaders are available to answer questions.
• Parent complete and sign the Boy Scout Application form and turn it in to the Scoutmaster.
• Parents complete and both sign the Troop 116 Activity Permit (last page in the Troop Booklet) and turn it in to the Scoutmaster. The Activity Permit serves as a parental permission to participate in Troop outings and is required by BSA.
• Health care provider, parent, and Scout complete and sign the BSA Annual health and Medical Record form, Parts A, B, & C.
• Pay the fees and dues applicable at the time of joining. Make check payable to "BSA Troop 116" for the appropriate amount (see Costs of Scouting in the Troop Booklet) and turn it in to the Scoutmaster.
• Parent complete the Troop Resource Survey from and turn it in to the Scoutmaster.
• Parent discuss with the Scoutmaster or Troop Committee Chairman his/her willingness to register as a member of the Troop Committee and to complete an Adult Registration Application form. (See Costs of Scouting in the Troop Booklet for the applicable fees.)
• Purchase the Boy Scout Handbook for the new Scout so he can study and learn the "joining requirements" and pass them off at a regular meeting as soon as possible. He should bring his Scout Handbook, note pad and pencil to every meeting.
• Purchase the Official Scout Uniform for the Scout, including patches and insignia, from the retailer immediately after joining. Also be prepared to purchase/obtain needed camping equipment. (Refer to the Uniform and Equipment section of the Troop Booklet, and check with the Scoutmaster about custom patches that the Troop provides.)

Very soon after joining, a boy is assigned to a Patrol, a group of 6 to 10 boys. A boy's Patrol will be his team for games and contests, his closest pals in camp, and his teachers as he works on advancement.

This troop is sponsored by the chartering organization, Charlotte Southpark Rotary Club. It arranges for our regular Troop meeting place and approves the adult leaders who administer the Troop's affairs. The adult leaders are the Scoutmaster and his assistants and members of the Troop Committee. All are unpaid volunteers; most are parents of boys in the Troop.

Our regular meeting night is Monday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Troop 116 does not suspend operations in the summer - we are busy all year. The Troop Committee meets regularly once a month.

Troop meetings are planned and conducted by boy leaders under the guidance of the Scoutmaster. A typical Troop meeting includes work on outdoor skills, first aid, fitness, citizenship, or some other aspect of Scouting; a brief patrol meeting for advancement progress or planning a future patrol event; a game, competition, or other recreational activity; and ceremonies highlighting Scouting's ideals.

Every month the Troop conducts an outing or special event. It is usually an overnight camping trip and/or a visit to some location of special interest or significance.

Scouting requires family involvement. In order to encourage that, there are usually four planned Family Night Dinners between September and May. These Family Nights are covered dish suppers followed by a Court of Honor where rank and merit badges are awarded and other achievements earned by the Scouts are recognized. It is also a time for families to get to know each other and to share information about important Troop activities.

At Troop meetings, during Troop outings, and on his own, a boy will have a chance to earn many badges and awards. His goal is advancement through the ranks of Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, Life, and, finally, to earn the most distinctive of all - the Eagle Scout Award.

Troop 116 does have attendance requirements and guidelines. These are outlined in the Troop Operations section.

Communication to Troop members about planned events and other information is handled by several means:

• Internet Web Site - www.troop116.org
• Mailings, usually Emails, to Scouts and parents. (Note: When adult leaders send email messages to Scouts, it is standard troop practice to send a copy to parents. Parents are expected to help insure delivery to their son.)
• Weekly Patrol Leader communications tree
• Announcements made during regular weekly meetings, typically during the opening and closing formations, and at our Family Night Dinners
• Printed information flyers for most events handed out at regular weekly meetings, typically during the closing formation
• Troop Booklet, published online and sometimes printed

Though we try very hard to have a well planned schedule and to get all the information out to everyone in a timely fashion, the process is never perfect. If a Scout does not attend meetings regularly he may be missing key information about upcoming events. A Scout should assume some responsibility in initiating communications with his Patrol Leader, the Senior Patrol Leader, and with appropriate Adult Leaders when needed.

The success of Troop 116 has been, and continues to be, dependent upon the full participation of the Scout parents. Every family is invited to participate in the Troop Committee, and we need and encourage parents to register as Adult Scouters.

As a parent, you will want your son to get the most out of Scouting. So you'll keep the dates of Troop activities on your calendar as a reminder, encourage him as he progresses in the advancement program, and perhaps help him master the skills of Scouting. But his success in Scouting depends in part on the success of our Troop. You can help keep the Troop strong with your support of talents and available time. Opportunities to help are many - serving on the Troop Committee; providing transportation for outings; helping organize and participating in Troop camping trips; helping maintain Troop equipment; serving as a merit badge counselor in a hobby or career field you are familiar with; attending and/or helping with the Family Night Dinners. Your participation in these activities, and your offers of help when the Troop has a need will show your son that you support him and want him to have the best experiences possible in Scouting.

Listed below are costs that each Scout family should be aware of:

• The Troop collects fees and dues annually according the schedule outlined in the Troop Booklet. These fees and dues include:
  1. Troop dues (Scout only) which are budgeted to cover most Troop operating costs such as BSA supplies (badges, advancements, awards, etc.), camping equipment, and leadership training and development.
  2. BSA national registration and recharter fee. The Troop must be rechartered annually, as required by National BSA. Every Scout and adult must be re-registered. Troop 116's rechartering month is January, and the collection of Troop fees and dues is scheduled in November to coincide with this rechartering process.
  3. Boys Life magazine (Scout only).
  4. Scouting magazine & council newsletter (adult only).
  5. Accident & liability insurance.
  6. Troop T-shirt (new scout only).
  7. Troop numbers and veteran bar integrated patch (new scout & uniformed adult).
  8. Quality Unit patch (Scout & uniformed adult).
• Summer camp at the Council's Scout Reservation, Camp Grimes, and other camping and training opportunities that are periodically offered by the local BSA Council have fees for attendance. Summer camp for 1 week at Camp Grimes is approximately $165. Troop 116 desires all Scouts to participate in this camp. We also encourage participation in leadership training camps available to the Scout and adult leaders and defray some costs for these.
• Uniform and equipment costs vary but can be significant.
• Certain trips require recovery of part or all of the expenses based on the plans of the adult trip leader. These fees are determined in advance. They typically cover cost of food, transportation, and special fees that may be charged by a camping area, outfitter, resort, etc. The Troop defrays some trip costs based on proceeds from our fund-raising activities and each Scout family's participation in them. These fund raising activities are:
  1. Popcorn sales. Each year in the fall, we participate in the BSA council's popcorn sale campaign.
  2. Annual Troop Fund Raising Project. A good source of income is a Troop Fund Raising Project, which requires substantial Scout and parent support. Profits from our fund raising activities are budgeted to supplement the cost of certain major trips. This has provided many opportunities to plan exciting high adventure trips while keeping the individual cost for such trips at a more affordable level.

The Troop Web Site, created in 1995 by one of our Eagle Scouts, was one of the first Boy Scout Web Sites in the world. It is maintained to provide information about the Troop for those interested in our program. As a privacy and youth protection policy, we typically do not publish in the Web site pages available to the general public last names of Scouts, contact information, and specific locations of upcoming Troop outings.

A Troop Member Section, protected by an individually assigned user name and user-selected password, is maintained to provide helpful, detailed, and specific information to the Scouts, their parents, and the Adult Leaders of the Troop. Information about troop outings and special events are regularly posted, and the option for online sign-up and fee payment is available for some camping trips. This section is intended for the exclusive use of Troop members.

All information in the Troop Web Site, whether it be a trip information flyer or calendar or patrol roster, is maintained only as a convenience to supplement regular communications. The traditional means of communication mentioned above will never be replaced by sole use of the Troop Web Site.