Resources

SCOUTING RESOURCES

Here you will find useful Scouting resources to aid in your Scouting career and Troop planning.

Medical Forms

• BSA Medical Forms Parts A, B, and C (requires Doctor's signature)

• BSA Routine Drug Administration Record

Planning

• Troop Campout Packing List

• Troop Planning Document - This document includes the Troop 18-month long-term plan, with activity, meeting, and campout dates and themes, links to meeting and campout plans, and registration links.

• Print a Calendar

• Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities - Age- and rank-appropriate guidelines have been developed based on many factors. When planning activities outside of program materials or handbooks, ask this question: Is the activity appropriate for the age and Scouting?

• BSA Tips for Troop Meetings

• Troop Meeting Planning - It’s been said that the weekly troop meeting is the glue that holds a Scout troop together. From beginning to end, something should always be happening creating a focus, capturing and maintaining the Scouts’ attention, and providing the grounds for rewarding experiences. There should be a period set aside to learn new things that are useful and relevant, amusing and entertaining moments, and opportunities to put skills into action in challenging and fun ways. Troop members should leave the meeting feeling invigorated, good about Scouting, and good about themselves.

• Troop Planning Conference - Long-term planning happens at the Troop Planning Conference and results in an annual calendar and a set of unit goals for the year.  The Troop should choose themes for Troop meetings, activities, and campouts and plan for at least one service project every 3 months (quarterly).

• Program Features - Program Features consists of 48 themed modules to help make program planning easier for Troop leaders. The mix of topics - outdoor, sports, health and safety, citizenship and personal development, STEM, and arts and hobbies - provide the kind of variety, adventure, and increasing challenge every unit needs to keep members coming back and facilitating advancement.

• Service Projects - Community service can be defined as voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area.  The work is done for free without expectation of reward.  Performing community service contributes to the development of citizenship and good character.  Community service may support our Chartered Organization, our Community, and the Simon Kenton Council.

Advancement

• Scout Rank

  • Current Scout Rank Requirements

  • Personal Safety Awareness Videos

• Tenderfoot Rank

  • Current Tenderfoot Rank Requirements

• Second Class Rank

  • Current Second Class Rank Requirements

• First Class Rank

  • Current First Class Rank Requirements

• Star Rank

  • Current Star Rank Requirements

  • Personal Safety Awareness Videos

• Life Rank

  • Current Life Rank Requirements

• Eagle

  • Current Eagle Rank Requirements

  • Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook

  • Eagle Scout Letter of Reference

  • District Eagle Project Approval and Board of Review Process

Merit Badges

Follow these useful steps as you begin your merit badge journey:

1. Pick a Subject - Talk to the Scoutmaster about your interests. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you, and pick one to earn. Your leader will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These individuals have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.

2. Scout Buddy System - You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be your parent or legal guardian, or another registered adult.

3. Contact the Merit Badge Counselor - Get a signed Blue Card from your Scoutmaster. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and explain that you want to earn the badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected and to start helping you meet the requirements. You should also discuss work you have already started or possibly completed.
   
   At the first meeting, you and your merit badge counselor will review and start working on the requirements. In some cases, you may share the work you have already started or completed.  Unless otherwise specified, work on a requirement can be started at any time.
   
   Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject.

4. Show Your Stuff - When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment. When you go, take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will test you on each requirement to make sure you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.

5. Get the Badge - When the counselor is satisfied you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your Blue Card. Give the signed Blue Card to the Scoutmaster so your merit badge emblem can awarded to you at the next Troop Court of Honor.

• Merit Badge Hub - This is your source for the most up-to-date merit badge requirements and resources.

• Merit Badge Pamphlets - You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject.  Pamphlets are available for sale online or can be checked out from the Troop library.

• Merit Badge Workbooks - Workbooks are unofficial and optional; you will still need the merit badge pamphlet and requirements.  Workbooks can help you organize your thoughts as you prepare to meet with your merit badge counselor.  If a requirement states "show", "demonstrate", or "discuss", then every Scout must do that with their counselor; just filling out the workbook is not sufficient!

Knots and Lashings

• Animated Knots by Grog - The website is free but the mobile app costs a few dollars.

  • Seven Scouts BSA knots:

    • Scout Rank req. 4a:  square knot, two half-hitches, and the taut-line hitch (Note: Animated Knots by Grog does not list the taut-line hitch.  The midshipman's hitch is a variation different from the taut-line hitch and is not acceptable for Scout Rank req. 4a.)

    • Second Class Rank req. 2f and 2g: sheet bend and bowline

    • First Class Rank req. 3b: timber hitch and clove hitch

  • Three Scouts BSA lashings:

    • First Class Rank req. 3c: square, shear, and diagonal lashings