Scout-age boys (10-17*) are welcome to visit any of our Troop meetings, preferably with one or both parents. A leader will be happy to talk to you and answer your questions. (For the joining requirements and other items, see the Joining Worksheet.")
*Any boy 11 to 17 years old can join Boy Scouts. A 10-year-old can join if he has completed the fifth grade or has earned the Cub Scout Arrow of Light badge (even if the badge has not been formally awarded). (Note: To earn the Arrow of Light, a Cub Scout must have been active for six months after completing the fourth grade or after becoming 10 years old.)
If you would like to have someone contact you about how to join Troop 134 or if you have any questions, please click here and send us your contact information. Someone from the Troop will get back to you as soon as possible.
Before joining a troop, a Scout-age boy should visit a troop meeting or other troop activity to meet the Scouts and adult leaders, observe how the troop operates and learn about the troop’s activities. Ideally, he should visit more than one troop in his area and discuss with his parents which troop is the best fit for him and his family.
Joining
A Scout-age boy can join a troop by submitting an application and paying the required fees. The required fees are either a $1 transfer fee (if transferring from Cub Scouts or another troop) or a $15 yearly registration fee per Scout. Troop dues are $100 for 2011, which includes the registration fee, Troop dues, a subscription to Boys Life, and a tax-deductible contribution of $37 to Friends of Scouting. These amounts can be prorated by month. (Monthly amounts: $1.25 for registration, $3 for dues, $1 for Boys Life, and $3 for FOS, for a total of $8.25 a month.) Scouts and adults who join in 2010 should add these amounts for the remaining months in the year. (Dues were the same in 2010.)
After receiving the application and fees, the Scoutmaster or Assistant will sign the temporary Scout card on the application form and give the card to the Scout.
Getting Started in Scouting
The Scout badge must be earned before starting on advancement in the Boy Scout ranks: Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. To earn the Scout badge, the Scout should either read the "Introduction" chapter of the Boy Scout Handbook or a parent or guardian should discuss it with him.
One requirement of the Scout badge is for a parent or guardian to complete the exercises in the booklet, How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide, with the Scout. The Parent's Guide booklet is attached inside the front cover of the Scout Handbook and can be downloaded by clicking here.
When he is ready to pass the requirements for the Scout badge, the Scout, or a parent or guardian, should call the Scoutmaster to schedule a conference to pass the Scout on the joining requirements, confirm that the child protection exercises have been completed, and take care of the paperwork.
If several boys join at the same time, we can cover the application, fees, and Scout badge at a Cub Scout meeting or a Troop meeting, and the parents can attend a new parents' meeting, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 13, 2011, in Room K-2 at Journey Church, 450 Blue Ravine Road. As an alternative, the Scoutmaster can have a single meeting with the Scout and his parents at their home to complete the application and other paperwork, accept the fees, complete the Scout badge requirements, and give the parents an overview of Scouting and Troop activities.
A health form (Parts A and B) is required for both Scouts and adults to participate in outdoor activities. Part C of the form, which requires a medical examination, is required for high-adventure activities like strenuous backpacking treks or longer campouts such as summer camp. It must be renewed every year and should be modified whenever there is a signficant change in the person's health.
After he has submitted his application and fees, the Scout should buy a khaki Scout uniform shirt, a Golden Empire Council patch, green shoulder ribbons, the World Scouting badge, and a navy blue neckerchief with silver stitching and edging. He should also buy a Scout Handbook and may want to get an official neckerchief slide and Scout pants. Scouts must wear jeans or dark solid-color pants or shorts with a uniform shirt and neckerchief, a solid-color belt is required to be considered in uniform. (See the Scout Shop flyer or go to http://scoutstuff.org.) The Troop sells "134" numeral patches (for $1), as well as Troop 134 T-shirts and baseball caps. The Troop can order Troop 134 sweatshirts and long-sleeved T-shirts, usually in the spring. On outings, we often wear 3-color desert camo boonie hats, which we sometimes order or can be purchased from military surplus outlets. The Troop provides patches for ranks and other awards and a Scout's first patrol patch.
We request the following information for drivers in order to be insured by BSA: name and license number of registered owner and driver; vehicle make, model, and year; seating capacity with seat belts; liability insurance limits per person, per accident, and for property damage.
We hope that at least one parent will register as an adult leader, for example as a member of the Troop committee. You can register by filling out the adult leader form listed below and taking Youth Protection Training, which can be done at MyScouting.org.
Forms & Handouts
Below are the Adobe Acrobat versions of our membership forms. Please print these out if you need to complete one. Troop leaders also have printed forms.
We ask that at least one parent fill out an adult leader application and that both parents fill out a resource survey.