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Each
scout belongs to a Patrol which is a group of 5 to
10 boys, led by a Patrol Leader (PL), one of their own
that they elect. The PL is
responsible for organizing, motivating, and managing
his Patrol. He represents the interests of his
Patrol mates when planning activities with other
Patrols and relays information to his Patrol as
needed.
The
PL appoints an Assistant Patrol Leader (APL) to
help him with the Patrol duties. The APL fills in
for the PL when needed and is second in command.
Patrols
belong to a Boy Scout Troop which is led by the
Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), a boy elected by the
Troop. The SPL has ultimate responsibility for all the
Scouts in all the Patrols in his Troop. He runs all
Troop meetings, delegates responsibilities, and
interacts with adult leadership. The SPL should be
at least a First Class rank scout and must earn the
respect and cooperation of his Troop to be
successful.
The
SPL chooses other Scouts that he can work with and
that he respects to fill the role of Assistant
Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL). There may be more than
one ASPL. The ASPL's fill in for the SPL
as needed and help with running and managing the
Troop on outings and at meetings.
The
SPL and ASPL's run the Troop meetings (Troop 323 meets 2 times per
month). In Troop meetings, Scouts learn
skills, present skits, play games, and prepare for
monthly campouts. The SPL also runs the
monthly Patrol Leaders Council - a monthly meeting
of all the PL's in the Troop - to review
activities, plan new events, and delegate tasks to
the patrols. This is the main organizational
body of the Troop.
Most
Troops have from 12 to 100 scouts, with the norm
being around 30 to 35. There are around
150,000 Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs across
the country.
Each
Troop has an adult leader, the Scoutmaster, who is a
volunteer registered with the Boy Scouts of America
and trained. The Scoutmaster is responsible
for helping the Scouts with their planning of the
year's program so the Scouts are given adequate
opportunity to advance in rank and complete merit
badges.
A
Troop will be successful if there are also Assistant
Scoutmasters to support the Scoutmaster. The
adult leaders should only do those things that the
scouts cannot do themselves - driving, for
example. The Scouts should be allowed to lead
their own Troop with only minimal guidance as
needed, depending on the maturity and abilities of
their Scout leaders.
The
Troop is supported by a Troop Committee, all
volunteers. There is a Troop Committee
Chairman and other Troop committee members.
Most Troop committees consist of family members and
members of the Troop's chartering organization.
The chartering organization is granted a charter by
the Boy Scouts of America to use the Scouting
program. This chartering organization can be a
school, service club, religious group, or other
group interested in youth. (Troop 323's
chartering organization is the All
Saints Lutheran Church). The chartering organization approves the
adult leadership of the Troop,
provides a meeting place, and operates the Troop
within the guidelines and policies of that
organization and the BSA.
Troops
are organized into a District based on
geographic boundaries. At the District level, summer camps,
day camps, leader roundtables, and other events are
planned. The District supports units through
membership, finance, and program services. The
Troop has a District Executive and who helps the Troop get help and resources it
needs. There are thousands of Districts.
Districts
are grouped into a Council. A Council is
responsible for growing a successful scouting
program in its locality. A Council owns camp
property and runs summer camps. It also offers
fundraising programs, adult training, and service
projects to support the Troops. There are over 300
Councils.
Councils are grouped into an Area of
which there are 26 in the country. Each
Area Director works with 10 to 15 Councils.
The Area Director maintains contact with the Scout
Executive in a Council and provides support as
needed.
Areas
are grouped into a Region of which there are 4 in
the country. Regional management centers are
liaisons between Councils and the Boy Scouts
National Council. A Region provides direct
support to its Councils in the areas of fund
raising, program, computers, and
administration. Regional offices provide
direct support services to Area Directors.
BSA
National Council, located in Irving, Texas, is the
governing body of the scouting program in the United
States. They set policy, offer national
awards, organize national jamborees, have 3
high-adventure camps, and define the scouting
program. On-line registration and membership
support, program and literature development,
advancement support, liability insurance, and
maintaining program consistency across the country
are all services provided by the National Council.
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