How Can I Join Troop 215?

You can join at any point in the year.  You have to be a boy entering grades 6th through 12th or have completed the Arrow of Light requirements in Cub Scouts to join if you are not yet in 6th grade.  Any boy can join Boy Scout Troop 215; you do not have to be associated with our Charter Organization - First Presbyterian Church. 

What Does It Cost to Join?

The membership fee for Troop 215 is as outlined below:

Boy Scout Troop 215 Yearly Dues that vary from year to year depending on the requirements reviewed by the Troop Committee in November of each year.  In 2007 the yearly dues were $50.00.  This includes full registration and a subscription to Boy's Life Magazine.  NOTE: Each boy will also be required to participate in an annual fundraiser.  If a boy chooses not to participate an additional assessment of $50.00 will be required.

Cost of a Boy Scout Uniform and Boy Scout Manual: NOTE: The Troop Maintains a Uniform Closet and can assist scouts in need with this item

What is a Troop?

A Troop is a group of Boy Scouts, adult leaders and parents who belong to the same Boy Scout unit (e.g., Boy Scout Troop 215 of the Six and Twenty District, Blue Ridge Council). A Troop generally draws its membership primarily from an middle school /  high school, church or community that is associated with the Troop's Chartered Organization and Community. 

What is a Chartered Organization?

A Chartered Organization is the sponsoring organization for a Boy Scout Troop, usually a church, PTA, homeowners' association or other community group. The primary responsibilities of the Chartered Organization are to select the leadership of the Troop and provide a meeting place. Each year, the Troop must renew its Charter with its local council. The Chartered Organization must approve the re-chartering application in order for the Charter to be renewed.

What is a Patrol?

A patrol is a small group of boys (ideally 6-8). Each patrol meets on a weekly basis to work on achievements and other activities. The patrol is led by a Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader, who are responsible for planning and conducting each patrol meeting.

When and Where are Troop Meetings Held?

Troop meetings are usually held every Tuesday from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Jack Seel Scout Hut at First Presbyterian Church, unless otherwise noted. The Calendar link provides exact dates, places and times of all Troop meetings and events.

Who Runs the Troop?

The Troop is run entirely by unpaid volunteers.

The Troop Committee, which can consists of the Committee Chairman, Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, and the Treasurer, develops budgets, approves expenses, arranges for facilities and conducts overall planning.

The Patrol Leaders and Assistant Patrol Leaders are most directly involved with the Boy Scouts. Patrols generally meet every other week or as required.

An adult member of each Boy Scout household is expected to participate in a volunteer position or serve on a committee. In addition to Troop Committee and other Leadership positions. The Committee will then create sub-committees during the year as follows: (e.g., Court of Honors and Christmas Banquet, Fund Raisers, Campouts, Advancement Workshops, and Summer Camp)

Where Can I Get More Information?

Contact one of the Troop Leaders, talk to a friend or neighbor who has a son in Boy Scouts, e-mail the Troop: dmrubin@bellsouth.net  

Why is Scouting Important?

Scouting reinforces the skills and values we want our sons to learn while they're having fun.

Education Scouting is designed to promote socially acceptable behavior while arming our young men with the skills and knowledge they need to make wise decisions. Scouts, families and communities are helped through education provided by Scouting on:

• fighting child abuse and substance abuse

• environmental stewardship

• physical and mental health

• setting and achieving goals

• citizenship

• helping others in need, such as fighting hunger through Troop-sponsored efforts

• career preparation and education

Leadership Skills

Scouting teaches our young men the skills that help prepare them for a lifetime of ethical leadership. Among Scouting alumni are:

• Almost 90% of all Senior Class and Student Council Presidents

• More than two-thirds of all Rhodes Scholars

• More than two-thirds of military academy graduates

Values

Research conducted by Louis Harris & Associates showed that when a random sample of Scouts was asked what Scouting had taught them, almost nine out of ten responded with the following:

• take better care of the environment (89%)

• get along with others (88%)

• always give your best effort (87%)

• have confidence in yourself (87%)

• set goals for yourself (87%)

• care for other people (86%)

• treat other people with respect (86%)

In addition, Scouts were found to be more likely to:

• assume leadership roles in clubs and school organizations

• put the needs of others before themselves

• make the most ethical, not necessarily easiest, decisions

• value education and the environment

Scouting is Fun!

For Tiger Boys (boys entering first grade in the fall), this means participating in activities and outings selected by the Tiger Boy and his adult partner. Boy Scouts (second through fifth grade) participate in both Troop-wide activities as well as numerous den-level activities. Typical Troop activities during the year have included Campouts, Summer Camp, marching in the Anderson Christmas Parade, Meritbadge Clinics and other great activities.

Who are some examples of persons involved in Scouting? 

Below is a listing of men who achieved the highest rank of Scouting: Eagle Scout! Maybe you will recognize some of these names. Will your name be a part of this list.....

• Bill Alexander - U.S. Representative from Arkansas

• Gary L. Ackerman - U.S. Representative from New York

• Neil Armstrong - astronaut, first man on moon, from Wapakoneta, Ohio

• Charles E. Bennett - U.S. Representative from Florida

• William Bennett - Former Secretary of Education

• Michael Bloomberg - Mayor of New York City, founder of Bloomberg News

• Bill Bradley - Pro basketball star and U.S. Senator from New Jersey

• James Brady - Former Press Secretary to President Reagan

• Milton A. Caniff - Comic strip artist "Steve Canyon"

• Barber B. Conable - President, World Bank

• John W. Creighton, Jr. - President & CEO of Weyerhaeuser Company

• William E. Dannemeyer - U.S. Representative from California

• William Devries - M.D., transplanted first artificial heart

• Michael Dukakis - Former governor of Massachusetts

• Arthur Eldred - First Eagle Scout

• David Farabee - Texas State Representative

• Gerald Ford - U.S. President (1st Eagle to be President)

• Steven Fossett - Tried several times to fly solo around the world in a hot air balloon and finally did it in 2002, won the Chicago to Mackinaw boat races, competed in the Iditarod dog race, and competed in several iron man triathlons, and among other things lives the Scouting mottos both Boy and Boy Scout by doing his best and being prepared.

• Steven W. Lindsey - Astronaut - He was the pilot for STS-95 when John Glen returned to space as a Senator. He made eagle in troop 161 in Temple City, California.

• Gary Locke, Governor of the State of Washington, the first Chinese-American Governor in the contiguous United States, and selected as a Distinguished Eagle Scout by NESA

• James Lovell - Navy pilot and astronaut, President of National Eagle Scout Association. Flew on Gemini 7, 12 & Apollo 8, 13 At one time had seen more sunrises than any other human being.

• Richard Lugar - Senator from Indiana (presidential candidate 1996)

• J. Willard Marriott, Jr. - President, Marriott Corp.

• CDR William McCool, USN - Astronaut, Pilot of U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia.

• Sam Nunn - U.S. Senator from Georgia

• Ellison Onizuka - Astronaut aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger

• H. Ross Perot - Self-made billionaire and presidential candidate

• Rick Perry - Governor, State of Texas

• J. J. Pickle - U.S. Representative from Texas, proudly displays his Eagle plaque inside his office

• Samuel R. Pierce - Former Sec. Housing & Urban Development

• Donald Rumsfeld - Secretary of Defense

• Harrison Salisbury - Pulitzer Prize winning author

• Jeff Sessions - Junior Senator from Alabama is an Eagle Scout from the troop in Camden, Alabama.

• William Sessions - Former FBI director

• Sam Skinner - Secretary of Energy during the Bush administration, CEO of Commonwealth Edison

• Steven Spielberg - Movie producer, from Scottsdale, Arizona, made a movie of his troop while getting Photography Merit Badge. Helped to design requirements for the cinematography Merit Badge.

• Wallace Stegner - Writer and college professor, won Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for "Angle of Repose"

• Percy Sutton - Attorney, Chairman of the Board of City Broadcasting Corp.

• John Tesh - TV celebrity and pianist

• Sam Walton - Founder, Wal-Mart

Eagle Facts

Only 1.2 million boys have reached Eagle in over 80 years (15,000 a year, roughly). Only 2 in 100 that join Scouts make Eagle-that's 0.512% of the male population.