Frequently Asked Questions

Youth can join Scouts BSA if they are at least 10 years old, currently in the fifth grade and register on or after March 1st; OR have earned the Arrow of Light Award and are at least 10 years old, OR are age 11 but have not reached age 18.

To join Troop 73, parents please do the following for your son:

• Complete a BSA Boy Scout Application
• Complete Parts A and B of the BSA Health and Medical Record
  (covers health history, parental informed consent, and hold harmless/release agreement)

Note: Part C of the BSA Health and Medical Record will be needed for scouts prior to participation in summer and winter camps

• Experience age appropriate challenges and personal growth
• Learn skills that he will use for a lifetime
• Participate in a structured program in which he determines his rate of advancement
• Develop leadership skills and learn cooperation
• Make new friends
• HAVE FUN!

Troop Meetings

Troop 73 meets every Monday evening from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. During the School year, we follow the School Calendar; if School is out on a Monday, the troop will not meet, unless we need to meet for advancement, trip planning or to make up for a missed meeting. Please check the troop calendar for meeting info.

At troop meetings, Scouts are expected to arrive on time, in uniform, with their Scout handbooks, merit badge books and any worksheets that they need to use as they work on advancement. We are all expected to conduct ourselves as guests of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and leave it in the same condition and order as it was when we arrived.

At the meetings, Scouts will:

• Gather for the opening ceremony, hear announcements of upcoming events, make plans by patrol for upcoming activities, and plan for upcoming outings. Sometimes there is a special program planned with a guest speaker or visitors.
• Work on rank advancements, including merit badges, either in class or individually with older Scouts or merit badge counselor.
• Gather for the closing ceremony

It is our hope that meetings will be fun and productive. Some of this is dependent on the boy‐led nature of the meeting as well as the Scouts’ level of participation and behavior during a meeting.

Camping

Camping is an exciting time for the Scout, but it is also a time of great responsibility. The Scouts will be expected to take most of the responsibility by planning the trip, setting up their own camp, cooking their own food, washing their own dishes, and building their own fires. Scoutmasters and other adult leaders will always be available to provide guidance and assistance, but these trips are primarily the responsibility of the Scouts.

There will be minimum amounts of required equipment that a Scout will need. Please refer to the Scout Handbook for a list of equipment. The BSA Fieldbook, an extension of the Scout Handbook will provide an extensive amount of information to help you plan and prepare for a variety of outdoor adventures. It is highly recommended that it is purchased. In order to participate on a campout, the Scout is expected to attend appropriate planning meetings, which help to assure a safe and successful outing.

Service Projects / Service Hours

Service to others is a pillar of the Scouting movement. Troop 73 supports St. Timothy Episcopal Church and the community throughout the year. Service to others is required for rank advancement to the ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle. We encourage all Scouts to be active in community service whether or not they are currently working on rank requirements. 

To ensure that service hours done outside of troop activities  are appropriate to meet rank requirements, the Scoutmaster must approve service projects in advance.

Troop 73 receives funds from several sources. Annual dues do not support the troop for the entire year.  The troop raises funds through money‐earning activities approved by the troop committee. Fundraising activities have included BBQ Pork sales, pancake breakfasts, community support at local restaurants and selling Camp Cards. In addition, we are always looking for new ideas. We also have received donations from individuals.

Members of Troop 73 are divided into small groups of eight to twelve boys known as Patrols.Each patrol elects a patrol leader. The patrol leader serves for six months and then another boy is elected. In this way, every boy should have a chance to assume a leadership role and learn valuable leadership skills. Each patrol will be assigned a Troop Guide. This is an older, more experienced Scout who helps the younger Scouts.

The troop elects one of its older Scouts to the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL). The Senior Patrol Leader presides at all Troop meetings, events and activities. He chairs the Patrol Leaders Council. He also appoints a Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (ASPL), who fills in for the SPL when he is not available, as well as managing the “Staff” roles including Scribe, Quartermaster, Instructors, Chaplain’s Aide among other positions.

The Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) is composed of the Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders, Patrol Leaders and Troop Guides from each patrol. The Patrol Leaders Council meets once a month (usually the first Monday of each month) to plan troop meetings and activities.

Adult Supervision

Scoutmaster

The Scoutmaster serves as counselor and guide to the Senior Patrol Leader and other Junior Leaders. He is responsible for the training of all Junior Leaders and for the health and safety of the Troop. He is helped by his Assistant Scoutmasters and is supported by the Troop Committee.

Assistant Scoutmasters

Parents who enjoy working with and teaching boys, enjoy camping and the outdoors, and can devote some spare time to the troop are invited to serve as Assistant Scoutmasters. The ASMs are specifically trained adults who interact with scouts and assist the scoutmaster.

Troop Committee

Troop committee members are volunteers who support the work done by the Youth Leaders, the Scoutmaster and the Assistant Scoutmasters. The troop committee:

• Advise the scoutmaster
• Secure meeting facilities
• Manage budgeting and finances
• Organize fundraising drives
• Obtain permits and reserve campsites
• Serve on boards of review and assist with courts of honor
• Maintain equipment including the trailer and common camping gear

Troop Sponsor

Our chartering organization, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, sponsors our troop. The chartering organization owns our troop and is responsible for approving leadership and providing us with a place to meet. It is located at 8245 Getwell Rd, Southaven, MS 38672.

The Boy Scouts of America is a uniformed organization. Our policy is that volunteers and unit members are expected to be in as complete a uniform as financially possible during unit meetings and activities.  The uniform instills a bit of pride and ownership in the program and the members of our troop. The Class A uniform consists of the following items:

• BSA short or long‐sleeved khaki Scout shirt with appropriate patches and insignia properly sewn
• Scout shorts and/or Scout long pants
• Scout socks
• BSA green web belt with Scout buckle or Scout leather belt (unless pants are self‐belted)
• Neckerchief and slide
• Scout hat (optional)

Correct placement of uniform insignia is shown on the inside cover of the Boy Scout Handbook and in the BSA Insignia Guide. Patches must be placed on the uniform in the correct location and attached in a neat manner.

Merit badges are worn on the merit badge sash. Merit badges are not worn on the Scout shirt. Merit badges may be worn in three columns on the sash; there is no required order. 

Uniform items may be purchased at the Memphis Scout Shop located at 171 S Hollywood St, Memphis, TN 38112.

In most cases, the troop will need adults to help provide transportation to and from outings. Drivers are expected to obtain drivers’ insurance that meets at least the minimum as defined by State Law. If you ever intend to assist as a driver, you will need to be listed on the troop’s driver list.

Scouting youth under age 18 are not insured under the BSA’s commercial general liability and cannot be allowed to drive to or from Scouting activities. This includes an under 18 Scout or Venturer driving himself to a Scouting event, even if he or she is the only one in the car. This includes short trips across town or long trips across the country.

Driving to or from a standard meeting place isn’t an official Scouting activity or part of any tour planning.

For most camping trips, the Troop will meet at St. Timothy’s and travel together. On some local excursions, we will meet at that location.

A sample packing list is available here. The troop and its members may have extra gear to borrow, so please don’t hesitate to ask.

Here is a handy tutorial from the BSA on how to use ScoutBook.

Here are some of the most-asked for instructions:

• Logging in for the first time
• Set up an account for your scout to access ScoutBook