Meetings
Troop 850 meets on a regular basis every Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm in the St. Ignatius school cafeteria. The meetings last 1½ hours and parents are welcome to attend. Scouts should bring their Scout handbook and wear their Scout Class A uniform including Class A shirt, neckerchief and slide, and official pants and socks. The neckerchief, slide, and socks will be supplied by the Troop and the shirt and pants can be purchased at the new Scout Achievement Center on Reading Road. In the summer months, instead of the Class A shirt, Scouts wear a tee shirt provided by the Troop, referred to as a Class B uniform.
Beginning in 2011, a Scout will earn a “Strike” if he does not adhere to the uniform requirements, is considered disruptive at a Troop meeting or other Scouting event, or fails to pack essential gear for a campout. If a Scout accumulates a certain total of “Strikes” (most likely 4), he will forfeit a Troop privilege such as attending a future campout. If a Scout has any special behavioral, social, medical issues, a parent should inform the Scoutmaster upon joining the Troop.
A Scout’s attentive participation in troop meetings is essential for a Scout to advance in rank and to get to know other Scouts and adult leaders. The meetings are run by the Scouts themselves and open with a flag ceremony, the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer, and a uniform inspection. The format for the rest of the meeting will vary from week to week but may include a demonstration of a Scout skill, a game that teaches a Scout skill, or completion of a rank advancement in the Scout handbook. If a troop campout is scheduled for the weekend, those Scouts attending will focus on campout preparation. The meeting may conclude with a game (if time allows), followed by the closing ceremony and the ‘Scoutmasters Minute’.
Once a month, the Troop meeting is preceded at 5:45 by a Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) meeting. This meeting is attended by the Scoutmaster and Scouts who are in a leadership role with the purpose of planning the troop meetings for the next month.
Committee Meetings
Once a month, instead of a Troop meeting, a Troop Committee meeting is held, also Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. The Troop Committee is made up of all interested parents and its purpose is to discuss and act on issues involving finances, equipment, fundraising, and other concerns of a general nature. The meeting lasts approximately 1 hour and all parents are encouraged to attend. The Scouts do not attend Committee meetings.
Court of Honor
A ‘Court of Honor’ is a special troop meeting held 3 times a year to recognize individual Boy Scout achievements such as rank advancement and merit badges. Families may be asked to provide a snack or drinks. All families are strongly encouraged to attend. The December Court of Honor includes an entertaining Powerpoint presentation of Troop photos taken throughout the year.
Elections
Twice a year during regular troop meetings, elections are held for Boy Scout leader positions (Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Historian,). These meetings are often some of the most fun meetings, when boys decide what position to run for and then make creative speeches to try and sway their peers. A Scout must be at least the rank of 1st Class to run for a position.