Although Troop 317 is sponsored by Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Troop 317 welcomes Scouts of all faiths. Troop 317 primarily consists of Scouts from the current Neuqua Valley High School attendance area, but is open to Scouts from any location or school, not just students in District 204.

The requirements for joining Troop 317 are as follows:

• Must be 11 years old or completed fifth grade or obtained his Arrow of Light
• Complete an official Boy Scouts of America Youth Application and have approval of his parent or guardian
• Submit a Personal Health and Medical Record Form (Class 1 and 2)

Communication about Troop 317 activities is usually provided to Scouts at the regular weekly meetings or via e-mail. A distribution list (BSA-Troop317@yahoogroups.com) has been established to quickly exchange information with Scouts and Parents but Scouts are expected to share information from Scout meetings with their parents and not rely on Scoutmasters or Committee members to e-mail information to parents.

Troop 317 wants to foster a strong community service program. A strong foundation of Scouting is the service and doing for others. Each Level of rank advancement requires certain levels of Community Service. To ensure the proper tracking of these hours worked it is Scout’s responsibility to complete the attached “Service Hour Form” and have a Scout Master approve it before being turned in to the Advancement Chairperson.

A Court of Honor is a Troop event held to recognize those Scouts that have earned rank advancement, merit badges or other accomplishments. Troop 317 holds a Court of Honor in the fall and spring and has occasionally held one in winter as well. Dinner is usually served and all parents/siblings are invited and encouraged to attend.

Scout dues will be paid to the Troop Treasurer in April of each year. Current dues are $70 for the first Scout in a family and $35 for each additional Scout in that family.

Dues are allocated for the following purposes:

• Registration of the Scout with the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America
• Subscription to Boys’ Life Magazine (Troop 317 is a 100% Boys’ Life Troop)
• Three Fires Council/Indian Prairie District Liability Insurance
• Rank Advancement Patches and Merit Badges
• Troop Equipment and Gear

While Troop 317 collects dues from each Scout, these provide only a small fraction of the total funds needed to operate the Troop. As a result, the Troop conducts two major fundraising activities throughout the year.

In the fall, Troop 317 participates in the National popcorn sales drive with other Troops in the area. The Troop receives a percentage of the profit from popcorn sales. The Troop Committee sets a specific target percentage that each Scout is expected to meet. Profits from popcorn sold above this target are allocated to the individual Scout’s account. If the Scout does not meet his target, he is required to make up the difference to the Troop.

At Christmas, the Troop sells poinsettias at Holy Spirit as well as to the community. Participation in this fundraiser also generates funds towards individual Scout accounts.

Each Scout in Troop 317 has a personal “Scout account” maintained by the Troop Finance Chair. Monies earned by participation in Troop fundraisers are deposited into the Scout account and may be used for any Scout expense such as activity and outing fees or summer camp.

Scout accounts are not transferable so if a Scout leaves Troop 317, all monies in the Scout account are returned to the Troop 317 general fund. If a Scout is transferring to another Troop, Scout account funds can be used to purchase gear that might be required by the new Troop prior to the Scout leaving Troop 317. Scout account funds are not refunded when a Scout turns 18.

Through fundraisers and the generosity of our chartered organization, Troop 317 has been able to purchase much of the equipment necessary to allow us to take part in a variety of activities. The Troop provides tents, lanterns, cooking stoves, cooking equipment and other gear for campouts. This equipment is very expensive and Scouts are expected to treat this equipment with care and respect. Scouts will be responsible for replacing or repairing equipment damaged or lost due to carelessness.

All Scouts will require some degree of personal outdoors gear in order to participate in Troop activities. A sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rain gear, mess kit and hiking gear are a necessity. It is not always the case that the most expensive gear is the best, so please have your Scout talk to any older Scout or leader about the best types of gear to purchase.

Regular Troop Meetings will be held on Monday evenings from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room at Kendall Elementary School. Meetings are usually held each Monday during the regular school year (September-June) except on official Indian Prairie School District 204 holidays. (As a general rule, if school was not in session that day, then no Troop meeting will be held)

From time to time, Troop Meetings will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Community if Kendall Elementary is unavailable. These meetings will be identified on the Troop calendar and Scouts will be informed at least one week prior to the meeting if the location has changed.

Kendall Elementary School

Regular Troop Meetings will be held on Monday evenings from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room at Kendall Elementary School. Meetings are usually held each Monday during the regular school year for District 204 (September-June) except on official Indian Prairie School District 204 holidays.

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Holy Spirit Catholic Community

From time to time, Troop Meetings will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Community if Kendall Elementary is unavailable. These meetings will be identified on the Troop calendar and Scouts will be informed at least one week prior to the meeting if the location has changed. Courts of Honor are usually also held at Holy Spirit.

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If meetings need to be cancelled due to inclement weather, notification will be conducted using the Troop Call Plan.

Scouts are expected to attend all meetings. It has been seen that Scouts who miss regular meetings do not advance as quickly as other Scouts because they miss opportunities to work with older Scouts on advancements.

Troop meetings typically consist of:

• Flag Ceremony, Pledge of Allegiance and Scout Oath/Law
• Scout Announcements
• Adult Leader Announcements
• Skill Instruction, Patrol Meetings or Activity Time, depending on meeting. Scoutmaster Conferences and Boards of Review are typically held during this time
• Final Announcements
• Scoutmaster Minute
• Closing Flag Ceremony

Unlike Cub Scouts, where the adult leader or parent was “Akela” guiding and teaching the Scout, Troop 317 is a boy-led Troop where decisions are made primarily by the boys. However, that does not mean there is not a place for parents in the Scouting movement. Experience has shown that Scouts whose parents are active in the Troop are far more likely to become an Eagle Scout than those whose parents’ involvement consists of driving them to and from a Scout meeting.

Parental support can take multiple forms:

• Ensuring your son attends as many troop meetings and activities as possible
• Attend parent meetings and Courts of Honor
• Join the Troop Committee and help make decisions that support Troop 317’s activities and Scouting
• Become a Merit Badge Counselor and share your experiences with Scouts in our area
• Support fund-raising projects and encourage your Scout to participate
• Become a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster