In addition to the Scout Oath and Law, the following describes the rules of behavior for the youth and adult members, including parents, of Troop 49. Any new scout joining the Troop is expected to sign this agreement, indicating that he will conduct himself in an appropriate manner.

The goal of the Troop is to help each scout develop into an adult who will be a valuable member of our society. Making a commitment, and holding to it is a critical part of their development. Please review this form, sign it, and return it to the Scoutmaster. This form must be signed and returned prior to participation in any Troop 49 activity.

PROPER BEHAVIOR

1) All members of the troop shall address each other with respect both in title and tone. Adults shall be addressed properly as Mr. / Mrs. . Scouts shall not use inappropriate nicknames or demeaning tone when addressing one another.

2) Bullying, name calling, vulgar references, and swearing is not allowed.

3) Possession, consumption, or distribution of any form of illegal drugs, alcohol, smoking/chewing tobacco products or "e-cigarettes" is not permitted for any scout or youth members.

4)Possession, consumption, or distribution of any form of illegal drugs or alcohol is not permitted for adult leaders, guardians, or siblings at any troop function. Adults who use tobacco products are prohibited from use of those products when in the presence of any scouts.

5) Inappropriate touching, hitting, tripping, physical aggression, fighting etc. is not permitted. Physical contact between scouts must be appropriate and respectful and is only allowed during scout demonstrations, games, or other such approved activity.

6) Touching, vandalizing, or stealing another person's gear is not permitted. Scouts may not interact with any property belonging to others without the property owner's permission.

7)Entertainment - Magic, card games, board games etc. played at Troop 49 events must meet the approval of the adult leader in charge.

8) Playing with, or misuse of fire starting equipment ( lighters, matches, flints etc.) or reckless use of "fire sticks"( sticks/material taken from an active camp fire) is not allowed. Scouts are required to have their Firem'n Chit to engage in any fire starting activity.

Personal Equipment:

1) Electronic entertainment devices (music/video players, game systems, radios, etc) are prohibited on Troop 49 campouts and events without specific permission from the adult leader in charge. Unauthorized devices can be confiscated for the duration of the event, and only returned to the scout's parent/guardian after the conclusion.

Scouts are allowed cell phones for safety/emergency or photography purposes, however, misuse/abuse of cell phone apps, games, or accessories may lead to confiscation of the phone while at troop activities.

2) Making, possessing or use of weapons ( swords, spears, whips, BB guns, nun chucks, bindings etc.) is not permitted.

3) Personal knives must be of a pocket folding style, and conform to BSA guidelines; scouts are required to have their Totin' Chip to have a personal knife at Troop 49 activities. Possession or use of straight blade knives is prohibited, unless approved by the adult in charge, and they will be subject to confiscation.

General:

1) Buying food or drinks without permission is not allowed on camp outs. Only food/drinks provided by the troop or patrols is permitted at camp. Troop 49 discourages the consumption of soda and candy at troop camp outs. Any dietary restrictions, or special needs should be addressed with the adult leader in charge prior to planning meeting & shopping for the camp out/event.

2) Care of Troop 49 equipment - All Persons using Troop 49 equipment ( adult or scout) are responsible for that equipment. Any person who abuses, damages, or destroys Troop 49 equipment will be held liable for the cost to repair or replace the related equipment.

3) Only the Quartermaster, (scout or adult), or his designated assistant, may remove, issue or approve the use of Troop 49 equipment.

4) Quite time/lights out is 11 pm. "Lights out" means that all scouts are settled in their tents, lights are out, and they are being quiet. The adult leader in charge has the sole discretion to make any exceptions to the time of lights out. After lights out, scouts are expected to remain in their tents for the night with the exception of specific health or safety issues.

CONSEQUENCES OF MISBEHAVIOR

Troop 49 takes the safety of scouts very seriously. These rules of conduct were created with the comfort and safety of all scouts in mind. In the even a participant violates any of these rules of conduct the troop reserves the right to take the appropriate action. In most cases, a minimum of 2 adults will discuss the offense, and the appropriate behavior with the offender. In more extreme cases the offender(s) may be immediately sent home ( or required to be picked up) from an activity. For multiple, or ongoing behavioral issues, the troop committee may review the incident(s) and will determine if further action is necessary on a case by case basis. Ongoing behavioral issues will not be tolerated and can result in expulsion from the troop. In all cases parents/guardians will be informed of scouts with behavioral issues.

UNIFORM

CLASS “A” uniform for Troop 49 will consist of a Boy Scout shirt with all patches and emblems correctly displayed, a Boy Scout belt, a Boy Scout (or Troop) hat, and jeans, hiking shorts or scout pants in good condition. The uniform must be worn properly – shirt buttoned and tucked in, hat worn properly, etc. Chains, gym shorts, sweat pants and other inappropriate attire is not part of the Boy Scout uniform. Only appropriate long sleeved undergarments may be worn under the short-sleeve uniform shirt.

CLASS “B” uniform - Current Troop 49 Class B uniform is a Safety Orange T-shirt with the troop 49 identifiers imprinted on it. Any other official BSA t-shirt is permissible at Class B activities, however the safety orange shirt is preferred.

CLASS “A” uniform must be worn during all travel to and from Scout activities, to Troop meetings, Boards of Review, Courts of Honor, parades and other specified activities.

CLASS “B” uniform can be worn during summer Troop meetings and other specified activities.

TROOP PARTICIPATION

Scout, Tenderfoot, 2^nd Class and 1^st Class Ranks: a Scout is expected to participate in a minimum of 50% of Troop meetings, service projects, Scout Shows, parades, camp-outs, etc. Participation requirements will be used as advancement guidelines.

Star, Life and Eagle Ranks: a Scout is expected to participate in a minimum of 66% of Troop meetings, service projects, Scout Shows, parades, camp-outs, etc. Participation requirements will be used as advancement guidelines.

Troop Leadership positions: Service credit for scouts appointed troop positions (quartermaster/scribe/librarian/etc) A scout must ACTIVELY participate in that position for a minimum of 66% of troop related activities for the position. In addition, it is the scouts's responsibility to recruit and train a replacement ( approved by the scoutmaster) for their position at the end of their term of service; with the exceptions being for elected leader positions ( SPL, ASPL, Patrol Leader etc.)

There may be instances when special participation requirements are needed (High Adventure Trips, etc.). In these special cases, the requirements will be made known to Troop members, and will be monitored by the Scoutmaster, as well as members of the activity planning committee.

Scouts are expected to participate in ALL Troop fundraising efforts. Required fundraising events are the Annual Pancake Breakfast and Rainbow Council Popcorn Sale. Minimum requirements & buyout information is given at the start of each fundraising event.

No Scout will make every meeting and every campout. Family, church, and school activities often conflict with troop activities. High school sports often demand a great amount of time. Yet, attendance is important nonetheless. As the Boy Scout Handbook puts it "To gain full advantage of all that Scouting has to offer, you need to be present when things are happening. Take part in meetings, in planning activities, and in the fun of adventures. If you're there, you can do your part to make your patrol and troop a success." Scouts best achieve the aims of Scouting ( character development, citizenship training, and personal and mental fitness) when they participate in meetings, outings, and service projects, and hold positions of responsibility. In addition, the strength of the troop depends on the attendance of its members.

The troop activities fall into three primary areas: Troop Meetings, Troop Outings, and Other Activities. Being active in this troop means being active in all three of these important areas. It is not sufficient to attend only meetings.... they miss the "outing" part of Scouting and the chance to learn and apply scout skills in that environment. It is not sufficient to attend only the outings.... the meetings are used to teach important skills and allow the older scouts to teach and prepare the younger scouts for these activities. Likewise, other activities, particularly community service opportunities, are where the second point of the Scout Oath, Duty to Others, is put into practice.

General Attendance Expectations:

A minimum attendance of 50% in each of the three activity areas will be considered active participation. Scouts who involve themselves in other scout activities outside the troop, such as Order of the Arrow or Venturing Crew outings or meetings, may count those non-troop activities towards their overall participation level. Scouts who do not maintain the minimum activity level over a 3 month period may be moved to the No Show Patrol to make room in the other patrols for active scouts. To be reactivated and possibly reinstated in their previous patrol, they need to talk to the Scoutmaster. Temporary schedule conflicts with other activities/responsibilities do happen and are understood, so please communicate with the Scoutmaster in these cases. Scouts with special/extenuating circumstances should schedule a Scoutmaster Conference for discussion. We want your scout to succeed. We don't want scouts to have to choose between being in other activities and participating in Scouts. If they are interested in both and want to be active in both, we will try to be flexible.

TROOP ENROLLMENT

The Troop Committee has the responsibility to review and approve all adult and youth applicants for enrollment into Troop 49, BSA. Troop 49 reserves the right to approve, or deny, any youth or adult membership in accordance with the applicable BSA guidelines, as well as with the advise and consent of our Charter Organization.

Participation in the troop committee is open to any parent or guardian of a registered Troop 49 scout. In fact, it is encouraged for parents to be active in some capacity in support of the scouts. We are a volunteer organization whose success is dependent on the dedicated leadership to assist in the planning, preparation, and execution of our many calendar activities. Not every adult needs to wear the uniform to be an integral, and important part of the scouting experience. The Troop is always looking to pool talent, and experience, with the goal to make Troop 49 the best Troop it can be for our scouts..

Thank you for your cooperation,

Troop 49, BSA

All efforts will be made to refund fees and costs when a scout or adult cannot attend an event. However, in some instances where the Troop must pay in advance registration fees to third parties, such pre-paid registration fees cannot be refunded. In addition, if cancellation occurs after shopping is done for an outing, the food costs cannot be refunded.

Individual scout accounts are available for use by members of Troop 49. Both scouts and adult leaders may have their own, or family, accounts.

Money can be credited to individual accounts in several ways:

· Earnings from Troop 49 fundraising efforts

· Transfers from other Troops (new scouts & leaders only)

· Payments made directly by scouts/parents/leaders

Withdrawals from individual accounts may be made by the following format:

· A request must be made prior to the need for funds. This will normally be done at the monthly Troop Committee meeting (Second Monday of the month).

· The request must be for an item on the “Eligible Items List”.

· All withdrawals must be approved by the scout’s parents.

· There must be funds in the account to cover the request. It is the responsibility of the scout to verify account status. The Scoutmaster, Committee Chair, or Treasurer will have account information available at Troop meetings.

· After approval of the disbursement of funds, the purchase may be made. All receipts (a photocopy is acceptable) must be turned in to the Troop Treasurer in order to be reimbursed. A check will be issued after all receipts have been turned in.

ELIGIBLE ITEMS LIST

“A LIST”

“A List” items are either reimbursed or transferred from the individual account at full value. The Troop Committee does not need to approve the expenditure prior to the reimbursement or transfer.

· Camp out fees (a request of the Troop Committee does not need to be made).

· Troop activities (a request of the Troop Committee does not need to be made).

· Troop summer camp / high adventure fees (initial deposit for these items must be paid “out of pocket” by the scout/leader prior to becoming an eligible item).

· Official scout uniforms.

· Troop 49 items (t-shirts, hats, mugs, jackets, neckerchiefs, etc.).

· Rainbow Council high adventure fees.

“B LIST”

“B List” items are considered anything scout or camping related (i.e., see the Gear List) the purchase of which are subject to the approval of the Troop Committee and must be approved prior to the expenditure.

Troop 49 may use and publish on the Troop website or in other media, photographs/film/videotapes/electronic representations and/or sound recordings made of its scouts and adults solely for scouting and Troop purposes. Scouts and adults will not be individually identified in any such publications without their prior permission. Those who participate as leaders may have their contact details published on the Troop website or otherwise shared solely for scouting purposes. Should you have any concerns or wish to opt out of these policies, please notify the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair in writing. Troop 49's Facebook page is a Closed Private Group, all photos posted there are for the sole purpose of sharing the scouts experience.