TROOP 15 - NORTH PRAIRIE
BYLAWS
Table of Contents............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
1. - GENERAL TROOP POLICY.................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 THE NEED FOR TROOP BYLAWS..................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 STATEMENT
OF TROOP GOALS................................................................................................................................. 3
1.3 APPROVALS
AND REVIEWS......................................................................................................................................... 3
1.4 RESOURCES.................................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. - TROOP ORGANIZATION..................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 GENERAL
GUIDING PRINCIPLES.............................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 SCOUT
LEADERSHIP..................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3 ADULT
LEADERSHIP..................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.4 MEETINGS........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
2.5 TROOP
PLANNING......................................................................................................................................................... 6
2.6 LEADERSHIP
TRAINING............................................................................................................................................... 6
3. - TROOP COMMITTEE
ORGANIZATION........................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 GENERAL
GUIDING PRINCIPLES.............................................................................................................................. 7
3.2 ADULT
LEADERSHIP..................................................................................................................................................... 7
3.3 MEETINGS........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
3.4 LEADERSHIP
TRAINING............................................................................................................................................... 8
4. - TROOP FINANCES................................................................................................................................................................. 9
4.1 GENERAL
GUIDELINES................................................................................................................................................ 9
4.2 MANAGEMENT
OF ACCOUNTS................................................................................................................................. 9
4.3 GENERAL
SCOUT FEES............................................................................................................................................. 10
4.4 EXPENSE
POLICY........................................................................................................................................................ 11
5. -
ACTIVITIES AND OUTDOOR PROGRAM........................................................................................................................ 13
5.1 GENERAL
GUIDELINES.............................................................................................................................................. 13
5.2 FEES................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
5.3 HIGH
ADVENTURE...................................................................................................................................................... 13
6.0 -
PROJECTS.............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
6.1 SERVICE
PROJECTS................................................................................................................................................... 14
6.2 FUND
RAISING PROJECTS........................................................................................................................................ 14
6.3 PARTICIPATION
AND RECORDS............................................................................................................................. 15
7.0 - TROOP PROCEDURES..................................................................................................................................................... 16
7.1 THE
NEED FOR TROOP PROCEDURES................................................................................................................. 16
7.2 TROOP
PROCEDURES................................................................................................................................................ 16
APPENDICES................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
A - STATEMENT OF GOALS, CODE OF
CONDUCT, ENFORCEMENT POLICY........................................................ 17
B - TROOP PLANNER (EXAMPLE)....................................................................................................................................... 17
C - TROOP BUDGET (EXAMPLE)......................................................................................................................................... 17
All
organizations require a set of basic general guidelines to ensure a consistent
approach to its activities and a clear understanding of the responsibilities of
its members. These bylaws have been written with that goal in mind. The Troop
15 Bylaws are intended as an addition to those of the Boy Scouts of America
(hereafter, “BSA”), not a replacement. If any conflict is found between these
Bylaws and those of the BSA, the Bylaws of the BSA shall govern.
Troop 15 believes in and will attempt to achieve the following goals:
The Bylaws shall be in force only after approval by a 2/3 majority of the voting members of the Troop Committee. Any subsequent changes and/or additions to the Bylaws also shall be in force only after approval by a 2/3 majority of the voting members of the Troop Committee.
The Bylaws shall be reviewed by the Troop Committee at least once every calendar year and revised as necessary.
The Scouts lead the Troop. The Scout leadership shall be organized as shown on the
Troop Organization chart. The duties of each of these leadership positions can
be found in the Scout Handbook.
1. The SPL is the senior Boy Scout leader of the Troop. The SPL reports directly to the Scoutmaster.
2. Candidates for the position of SPL shall be nominated by the Scoutmaster.
3. Candidates must have completed Troop 15 Junior Leadership Training. Candidates that have completed Council Junior Leadership Training (“Pine Tree”, see section 2.6.1) shall be given preference over other Scouts in the Troop; however, at the discretion of the Scoutmaster, candidates that have not completed “Pine Tree” J.L.T. may be considered for nomination.
4. The SPL is elected by the members of the Troop from the list of nominees.
5. In special circumstances and at his/her discretion, the Scoutmaster may directly appoint the SPL.
The ASPL assists the SPL with the leadership of the Troop.
The credentials of the candidates for ASPL shall be the same as that of the SPL.
The ASPL is appointed by the SPL with strong guidance from the Scoutmaster.
In special circumstances and at his/her discretion, the Scoutmaster may directly appoint the ASPL.
The positions of Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader shall be popularly elected positions within each patrol. Any Scout in good standing is eligible for these positions.
All of the other positions shall be appointed by the SPL with guidance from the ASPL and the Scoutmaster.
In special circumstances and at his/her discretion, the Scoutmaster may directly appoint Scouts to these positions.
Elections to the Scout leadership positions shall be held every six months. In the special case of the “new” Scout Patrol, leadership elections within that patrol may be held every three months at the discretion of the Scoutmaster.
Only those Scouts present at the scheduled election meeting shall be eligible for election.
Special elections may be held and/or appointments may be made at any time as required to fill vacancies.
In special circumstances and at his/her discretion, the Scoutmaster may replace Scout leaders.
While the Scouts run the Troop, the adult leaders provide guidance to the Scouts. Responsible adults of good character are required for this most important of jobs. Additional information can be found in the “Troop Committee Guidebook”.
The Scoutmaster is the senior trained and registered adult leader of the Troop. Candidates for Scoutmaster are selected, interviewed, and nominated by the Troop Committee. The candidate nominated by the Committee becomes Scoutmaster after approval by the head of the Chartered Organization.
The Scoutmaster’s duties shall include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:
The Assistant Scoutmasters help the Scoutmaster implement the Troop 15 Scouting program. Two(2) to five(5) assistants should be selected. Candidates for Assistant Scoutmaster are interviewed and appointed by the Scoutmaster with guidance from the Troop Committee. The duties of the Assistant shall follow those of the Scoutmaster including completion of the training as shown in 2.6.2.
All regular meetings (as follows) shall be scheduled on the Troop Planner. All meetings shall have an agenda or meeting plan.
Scout Leaders, Adult Leaders, and members of the Troop are expected to attend all scheduled meetings. If members cannot attend, they are expected to call the SPL, their Patrol Leader, or the Scoutmaster prior to the meeting in order to be excused and, in the case of the Leaders, to find a replacement.
The PLC is conducted by the SPL (or ASPL) who shall also write the agenda.
The PLC shall meet at least once a month. For special requirements, it may meet as often as needed.
The patrol meeting is conducted by each of the Patrol Leaders who shall also write the agenda.
Patrol shall meet at least once a month or as often as needed. Patrols may meet on the same evening as the PLC and this may be part of that evening’s Troop Meeting agenda.
The Troop meeting is conducted by the SPL and is planned by the Patrol(s) in charge for that evening.
The Troop shall meet, as a minimum, every other week and as often as required by the schedule of activities.
Parent’s meetings shall be held twice a year and shall be on the same evening as a Troop meeting. One of the meetings shall be held shortly after the new Scouts come to the Troop from the Packs.
The Youth Protection video shall be shown to the Scouts on the evening of one of the meetings.
The Troop activities calendar shall run from September 1 to August 31 of the next year. A PLC, specifically to plan the next year’s events, shall be held no later than the August prior to the plan year. The calendar shall consist of the items as shown on the sample “Troop Planner” (attached as Appendix “B”). The “Planner” shall be issued in September of the plan year. It may be revised as required by the activities.
All Scouts, under the rank of 1st Class, shall attend the Troop Junior Leadership Training (J.L.T.) weekend. Scouts over and including the rank of 1st Class shall be responsible for planning and conducting their assigned training sessions during the J.L.T. The Troop J.L.T. shall be held once a year, preferably soon after new Scouts enter the Troop.
After each semi-annual Troop election, the newly elected Scout Leaders shall attend a “mini” leadership training seminar conducted by the Scoutmaster and Assistants.
Each year, outstanding Scouts will be nominated by the Scoutmaster and the Assistant Scoutmasters to attend the Council J.L.T. (“Pine Tree”).
The Scoutmaster and the Assistant Scoutmasters must have completed Scoutmaster Basic Leadership (“Oak Leaf”) training or will complete it within six(6) months after assuming their respective positions. While not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that the new Scoutmaster and his/her top Assistant attend Scoutmaster Advanced Leadership (“Wood Badge”) training within one(1) year after taking the position.
The Troop Committee and the parents of the Scouts provide the assistance, support, and overall guidance to the Troop and the Troop program. The responsibilities of the Troop Committee and adults shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
a) Oversee the advancement process, including Boards of review and record keeping.
b) Purchase, repair, inventory, and store the Troop equipment.
c) Recruit
boys and adults into the Troop. This includes maintaining the liaison between
the current “feeder” Packs, 15 of North Prairie and 231 of
d) Identify fund raising opportunities and oversee the fund raising.
e) Provide the liaison between the Chartered Organization, the Troop, and the Council. Ensure the timely recharter of the Troop. Furthermore, ensure that the Troop recharters as a “Quality Unit”.
f) Arrange transportation for the Troop activities.
g) Ensure that the Scouting program “happens”.
The leadership of the Committee consists of registered adults who are elected and/or appointed to the various Committee positions. The general responsibilities and requirements of each of the positions can be found in the “Troop Committee Guidebook”. Committee positions are open to all adult volunteers who are aged 21 or older.
a) Three of the Committee positions are filled through elections. The positions shown below are the minimum required to effectively run the Troop. These are as follows:
- Committee Chair
- Treasurer
- Secretary
b) The rest of the Committee positions are appointed by the Committee Chair with guidance from the rest of the elected Committee. The appointed positions are shown below. These positions may or may not be filled depending upon the number of adult volunteers available to the Troop. Some positions may be doubled and held by one person.
- Assistant Chair
- Advancements
- Activities
- Equipment
- Special Projects
- Fund Raising
c) Committee members and the Assistant Scoutmasters (unless one of the Assistants is in attendance as the Scoutmaster) shall be voting members of the troop Committee.
d) The Scoutmaster shall be a non-voting member of the Committee.
Elections for the Committee elected positions shall be held at the February Committee meeting.
The term for the elected positions shall be for one(1) year from the date of charter renewal.
In the case where an elected member cannot complete his/her full term, the Committee Chair may appoint a replacement to fill the balance of the term.
Committee meetings shall be held once a month. The dates shall be entered on the Troop Planner.
All meetings shall have an agenda which shall be mailed to the Committee members prior to the meeting.
Meetings shall start at 7:00p and end no later than 9:30p.
A quorum of greater than 50% of the voting members of the Committee must be present to vote on any issue.
The Committee Chair must have completed Scoutmaster Basic Leadership (“Oak Leaf”) training or will complete it within six(6) months after assuming the Chair.
All other Committee members and adult leaders are encouraged to take, as a minimum, “Oak Leaf” training. The Committee Chair and all other adult leader are also encouraged to take Scoutmaster Advanced Leadership (“Wood Badge”) training when it is available.
The collection and disbursement of funds within the Troop must be organized to ensure fairness and accountability, both to the Scouts and to the adult leaders.
The Troop Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper management of the Troop accounts.
The Troop shall operate according to a yearly budget. The budget year shall be the calendar year. While budget line items and categories may change from time to time, the budget shall look similar to that shown in “Appendix C”.
The Scoutmaster and the various Committee members, as required, shall have their budget requests completed and submitted to the Treasurer by, at the latest, the December Committee meeting.
The Treasurer and the Committee shall review the budget and adjust it as required.
The Committee shall approve the budget for the next year, by a simple majority vote, at the February Committee meeting.
The budget may be changed, as circumstances dictate, at any time during the year by a simple majority vote.
a) The
Troop shall maintain an interest bearing savings account at a local bank:
Receivables shall be deposited in a timely manner.
All receivables shall be recorded in a manual or
computerized ledger.
Receipts shall be given for all money received in
b) The
Troop shall maintain a checking account at a local bank:
All Troop expenditures shall be made through the checking
account. Money not required for immediate operations shall remain in the
savings account.
All expenditures shall be recorded in a manual or
computerized ledger.
All checks shall be signed by two members of the Troop. Those
authorized to sign checks shall be the Committee Chair, Treasurer, Scoutmaster,
and one other Committee member as selected.
c) The Troop shall maintain an internal
“Scout account” for each of the Scouts in the Troop:
All money earned by a Scout from fund raising activities
shall be credited to the individual Scout’s account.
Scout accounts will not pay interest.
A Scout may use the money in his account only for Troop or
BSA activities, Troop or BSA camping trips, and/or Scout equipment that
normally would be found in the BSA equipment catalog.
Upon transferring from Troop 15 to another Boy Scout Troop
or Venture crew, the Scout’s account funds will be transferred with him upon
written request to the Treasurer.
Upon leaving Boy Scouting, the Scout shall be notified of
any balance remaining in his “Scout Account”. The Scout may choose to use the
balance as noted above, transfer the balance to the account of a sibling in the
Troop, or do nothing with the balance. After three months from the notification,
any unused balance of the Scout’s
account shall be retained by the Troop and the Scout’s account will be closed.
d) Because
some of the “High Adventure” activities of the Troop may be available only to
the older Scouts, the Troop may maintain separate internal accounts for these
or any other
special activities as necessary.
a) The Treasurer shall submit a “balance
sheet” at each monthly Committee meeting. The balance sheet shall show the
following:
The assets in each Troop account at the end of the last
month and the change in each from the previous month.
Any other assets such as pre-paid deposits.
The liabilities to the Troop at the end of the last month
and the change from the previous month.
The overall financial condition of the Troop at the end of
the last month and the change from the previous month.
b) The Treasurer shall submit an “income
statement” at each monthly Committee meeting. The line items of the income
statement shall be identical to those of the budget. The statement shall show
the following:
The “cash flow”, into and out of the Troop over the last
month, in each budget category.
The actual year-to-date (YTD) “cash flow”, in each category,
as it relates to the YTD budget.
a) The
Treasurer’s books shall be audited once a year.
b) The
audit shall be conducted by the Treasurer and two other members of the Troop
Committee.
a) Dues shall be paid by each Scout for every
week during the year, whether or not there is a meeting. Weekly dues shall be
$.50.
b) Depending upon the financial condition of
the Troop, a yearly fee may be assessed as required. If required, this fee must
be approved by the Troop Committee and must be shown on the Troop budget.
c) Dues must be paid in full before a Scout
may participate in an activity or attend a camp out.
a) For a one-time fee upon entering the
Troop, a new Scout shall receive the following:
Latest edition of the Scout Handbook
BSA registration fee
Subscription to “Boys Life”
Troop 15 neckerchief
Troop 15 hat
Troop 15 numerals
Red BSA epaulettes
b) The one-time fee shall be the sum of the
actual costs of the items listed above.
a) All expenditures shall be made in the best
interests of the Troop. Any expenditure greater than $50.00 shall be a budgeted
item or else pre-approved by the Committee. The costs of Committee approved
items shall be paid by the Troop.
b) The costs of the following general expense
items also shall be paid by the Troop:
Gasoline used for Troop activities or camping
Personal postage used for Troop business
Daily fee for State Park sticker or other vehicle entrance
fees
Den Chief training
c) The costs of Council J.L.T. (“Pine Tree”)
training shall be paid by the Troop as follows:
One half of the training fee shall be paid upon the acceptance
of the Scout into training. The other half shall be paid by the Scout.
Upon the successful completion of J.L.T., as signified by
the award of the “Pine Tree” bolo to the Scout, the Scout will be reimbursed
for his half payment.
d) The
costs of Council Basic Scoutmaster Leadership (“Oak Leaf”) training shall be
paid by the Troop upon completion of the training.
e) The
costs of Council Advanced Scoutmaster Leadership (“Wood Badge”) training shall
be paid by the Troop as follows:
One half of the training fee shall be paid upon the
acceptance of the adult leader into training. The other half shall be paid by
the adult.
Upon the successful completion of the training, as signified
by the award of the “Wood Badge” beads to the adult leader, the leader will be
reimbursed for his/her half payment.
f) The
annual registration fees for the Scoutmaster, all Committee members, and all
active Trained Leaders shall be paid by the Troop.
g) The
full cost of two adult leaders, as required for all Troop activities and camp
outs, shall be paid by the Troop. This applies to “normal” activities and does
not include “special” activities such as “high adventure”, Jamborees, etc. The
level of payment for the leadership for these activities will be at the
discretion of the Committee on a case by case basis.
h) Any
item not listed above is not covered.
a) The advancement of a Scout to Eagle is a
special event in the life of the Scout, the Troop, and the Scout’s family. In
most cases, the Eagle Court of Honor is planned and the plan is implemented by
the Scout and his family. The Troop will help cover the costs of the C.O.H. as
follows:
- the cost of the “Eagle kit” shall be paid by
the Troop.
- based upon the funds available, the Troop
shall budget, and make available, a specific dollar amount to help the Scout’s
family offset the costs of the Eagle ceremony.
b) Reimbursement of money spent for the Eagle
ceremony, up to the amount budgeted, shall be done through the use of the Troop
Expense Report.
a) Any Scout or adult leader who makes an
“out-of-pocket” purchase of an approved expense for the Troop shall be
reimbursed.
b) All requests for reimbursements must be
made using the Troop expense report form.
c) All expense reports must include receipts
to show proof of expenses.
d) When making purchases for the Troop, use
the Troop sales tax exemption number (ES10925).
In accordance with the goal of using the great outdoors (1.2.3), the Troop will commit itself to go weekend camping, on the average, of once per month over the Scout year.
The Troop will sponsor at least one week long summer camping trip.
The Troop will sponsor various activities throughout the Scout year. At least one of these activities shall include the “feeder” Packs so that the future Boy Scouts from the Packs can become acquainted with the Troop.
All Scouts and adult leaders must have a current health record on file before going on any camping trip or activity. The Scoutmaster shall be responsible for keeping all health records current in accordance with BSA guidelines for the activities and ages of the participants. All health records shall be updated or renewed, as required, every April.
The Scouts shall pay the fees for the activities or camping either in cash (checks) or from their Scout accounts. “Cash advances” shall not be taken from their accounts to pay for activities.
All activities and camping trips will have payment deadlines. All payments must be made by the deadline.
The Troop will sponsor more adventurous activities for the older Scouts if desired. These will be called “High Adventure” activities.
Scouts must be 13 years of age and of 1st Class rank to participate in “High Adventure”.
As required for planning and accounting purposes, a separate “High Adventure” patrol may be formed. This patrol will not take the place of any of the existing patrols nor change the membership of any particular Scout in his existing patrol. This patrol will be in addition to those already existing. Requirements for patrol leadership, flags, yells, etc. shall also apply.
In accordance with the Scout Oath, the Troop shall commit itself to considering and selecting various service projects.
No funds are expected from completing these projects.
Examples of these types of projects are:
The Troop shall commit itself to at least one service project each year for the North Prairie Lions Club.
Ideas for suitable service projects shall be solicited from the Chartered Organization Representative.
These suggestions shall be forwarded to the P.L.C. for discussion and selection.
The Troop shall commit itself to at least one service project each year for the Village.
Ideas for suitable service projects shall be solicited from the Village Clerk or Trustees.
These suggestions shall be forwarded to the P.L.C. for discussion and selection.
The Eagle project is a very special type of service project. The Troop shall commit itself to helping Eagle Scout candidates with their Eagle projects.
The Eagle Scout candidate will determine the type of project in accordance with his Eagle project guidelines.
The Eagle Scout will present his project requirements to the P.L.C.
The fund raising projects in this category, sponsored either by the Troop or by the Potawatomi Council, are the money earning projects whose proceeds directly benefit the Troop, the Council, and/or BSA in general.
The proceeds from these projects shall be distributed as directed by the Council or the Troop Committee.
Examples of these types of projects are:
The fund raising projects in this category are sponsored by the Troop. The money earned through these projects directly benefits the Scouts and the Troop.
The proceeds from these projects shall be distributed as directed by the Troop Committee. Examples of these types of projects are:
In accordance with the advancement guidelines of showing good “Scout spirit”, all Scouts must participate in at least 75% of the service projects to which the Troop commits.
In accordance with the financial requirements of the Council, all Scouts should participate in the Council sponsored “general” fund raising projects.
In accordance with the financial requirements of the Troop and the Scout’s own goals, all Scouts should participate in at least 75% of the Troop sponsored “general” fund raising projects and the “Scout” fund raising events. In any case, Scouts must participate in at least 50% of the fund raising events.
Scout (and adult) participation at each project, as well as time duration, shall be recorded.
An Assistant Scoutmaster or other adult leader shall be assigned to store these records.
These records shall be reviewed by the Scoutmaster at the end of each charter year. Total service hours shall be recorded for Quality Unit as required.
The Troop Bylaws deal with the generalities of Troop organization and operation. The Troop Procedures deal with the specifics. The procedures take the general outlines of the Bylaws and put them into practice.
The Troop shall maintain a “Troop Procedure Manual”.
A copy of the manual shall be given to each member of the Troop Committee and the Scoutmaster. Upon leaving the Troop, the manual shall be returned.
Any member of the Troop may submit a new procedure and/or a revision of an existing procedure for consideration by the Troop Committee. The Committee shall review the new or revised procedure. New or revised procedures shall be accepted upon a simple majority vote of the Committee members present at a meeting. If accepted, the new procedure shall be made a part of the manual and copies given to all holders of the manual.