Boy Scouts of America - TROOP 414

Spring, Texas

Training boys to become godly men

Troop 414 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Prospective Joiner FAQs

Prospective Joiner FAQs

How many active scouts does Troop 414 have?
50 registered (as of 1/31/2011), but two of those are on a "leave of absence" to focus a bit more on school work. We're told they will be back. The rest are all active. Back To Top

How many times a year does Troop 414 camp including Winter/Summer Camp?
Camp every month except December (families are just too busy so we do some type of day activity on a Saturday morning) Back To Top

How many of your yearly campouts are 'backpacking' vs 'car-camping' campouts?
We specifically try to backpack on trails twice a year and encourage the Scouts to bring their gear in backpacks whenever possible. The remaining campouts are trailer campouts. We have discussed doing more campouts where we drop the boys off a mile or two from the campground and let them hike in to the sites as trails/entrance roads permit; we haven't done this yet but expect we will sooner rather than later. Back To Top

Where has Troop 414 gone for Winter & Summer Camp for the last four years?
El Rancho Cima (2008), Hale SR (2009), Sid Richardson SR (2010), and going to Buffalo Trails SR this summer. Had two Scouts join another troop for Winter camp during Dec 2009 and 2010. We sent our first crew to Philmont this past summer and sent our first Scout to NYLT this past Christmas break; more will follow. We are #2 out of 1036 crews on the waiting list for Philmont 2012 and are pretty optimistic that we will be able to send another 12-man crew then. Back To Top

Do the scouts raise money for Winter/Summer Camp or do their parents pay for them?
Parents and Scouts each pay their own share. Adult fees are typically less than the youth fees. Back To Top

What fees do you charge to be a part of Troop 414?
Annual dues are currently $70, but we are currently re-evaluating that based on our expenses over the last two years to see if we need to increase or decrease this amount; we recharter in March so the 2011-2012 fee will be determined in the next 3 weeks. We try to keep the campout fee at $25 per campout, with this paying for camp site fees, food, vehicles/gasoline, and any incidental expenses associated with the campout. Adults pay their part, too, but our fee per campout varies as we don't charge adults the gasoline/travel expense but our food cost is a bit higher because we like to "eat a little better" than the boys. If a separate troop event (e.g. Indoor climbing at Stone Moves) requires a fee this is typically paid by the Scout as needed. Once a year we include a "family dinner" as part of our semi-annual Court of Honor, and families pay the nominal fee to help cover food costs. Overall, we use the annual dues and troop fundraiser money to cover Scout awards/patches/knots/pins, merit badges, troop neckerchief and numerals patch, patrol patches, "Trained" patches and leadership position patches, trailer insurance #amp& registration, new/replacement troop equipment, Scout Fair fees/expenses, web site fees, TroopMaster fees, and the like. All troop event/activity fees are basically charged/paid on a "pay as we go" basis. Back To Top

In the past four years, how many times has Troop 414 cancelled a campout, trip or outing and why?
There was one trip we came back early from due to horrible weather. When the safety and/or health of the Scouts is put at risk we will opt to leave the campout and do something else. That particular campout was designed around the First Aid merit badge so the guys came back to the the church's Multi-Purpose Building and finished the first aid skill work inside. We occasionally, but rarely, change a 2-night campout to a 1-night (Sat night) campout when there is some large youth activity going on at the church that a lot of our guys plan to attend. Back To Top

Does Troop 414 offer a 'New Parent Orientation'?
Once the crossovers have taken place, within the next couple of weeks, the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair will want to meet with the new Scouts and their parents to discuss several things unique to Boy Scouting, such as the Patrol Method, merit badges, and how rank advancement works, including the Scoutmaster Conferences and Boards of Review that mark the "end" of each rank. Back To Top

How about a 'Pre-Summer Camp Orientation' for the new scouts?
Typically right after the new year, we hold a pre-summer camp meeting for everyone in the troop so we are all on the same page when it comes to fees, travel plans, camp overview, merit badge and activity options, and what to bring and not to bring. Back To Top

Do new joiners create a new patrol or do they merge into an existing patrol?
Troop 414 uses the "mixed age" approach to patrols. Dave Byrne teaches the Patrol Method class ("The Youth-Run and Adult-Guided Troop") at University of Scouting and he mentions the pros and cons of both types of patrols. He has experienced both in his years at Troop 1333 and Troop 414. We have found the mixed age patrol style to work very well; some troops prefer the other model. One thing we haven't had trouble with is bullying or hazing within the patrols, which is really the main reason BSA adopted the New Scout Patrol model. Back To Top

How do the new joiners get added to the existing patrols?
Our goal is to let the boys decide what patrol they want to belong in. Naturally we try to keep the patrol sizes relatively even for a lot of reasons. We also ask the new Scouts privately if there is a particular Scout they really want to be in a patrol with and if there is a Scout they really DON'T want to be a patrol with. That usually helps us guide them on the patrol decision. We do get the Senior Patrol Leader and Scoutmaster involved to help insure some sense of balance and that the Scouts are all happy with the patrol they "land" in. So far it's been working pretty well. If issues come up, and they have on a couple of occasions, we allow the Scout to change patrols, though we try to keep the patrol hopping to a minimum. It's takes a few weeks for a Scout to really get to know the guys in his patrol, so we ask them to "hang in there" a while before revisiting the need to change patrols. Back To Top

How long does it take for a new scout to earn the rank of 1st Class in Troop 414?
Most Scouts achieve First Class in the first 12 months, though a few "take the more scenic route". We try hard to avoid the speed advancement process you hear about in some troops. We always try to include opportunities, and repeat opportunities, for Scouts to complete specific rank requirements. We have the Patrol Leaders poll their members on a regular basis to find out what they need so they can bring it to the monthly Patrol Leaders Council meeting to see if other patrols have similar needs; this results in those needs being addressed and included in the campout and troop meeting agendas. Back To Top

Are all Troop Committee positions currently filled?
That's the goal. We are finally getting large enough to strive for that. We always welcome the participation of all adults as either Assistant Scoutmasters (ASMs), as Committee Members, or as active and involved parents. Back To Top

What kind of fundraisers does Troop 414 do and how often?
We do three troop fundraisers per year with our famous Sirloin Burger & Hot Dog Booth. We do this two times on the grounds of Champion Forest Baptist Church (CFBC) in October and November (at the Fall Festival and at the Winter Wonderland Craft Show...both are huge events) and in March at the Saint Patrick's Day Parade staging site on FM 1960 & Champion Forest Drive. These fundraisers have been VERY successful. The latter burger booth event is usually used, at least in part, to help defray travel expenses to summer camp to bring down the cost. The Scouts also sell popcorn in the fall and Scout Fair tickets/coupon books in the spring, from which they directly receive 35% and 40% of the total earnings into their troop scout accounts, to be used to pay for any Scout activity or purchasing Scout gear or clothing; 100% of the money in a Scout's account moves with him if he changes troops for some reason. Back To Top

What kind of community service activities does Troop 414 do and how often?
We participate in REI events, help out at the church, help out with the semi-annual Gifts for Troops supply packing days, flag ceremonies for Klein ISD and CFBC and the Chamber of Commerce as requested, Scouting for Food (Souper Bowl of Caring) food drive, trail maintenance, and various other projects as they become available and we can schedule them in. A lot of our guys individually find and are involved in non-Scouting activities that naturally earn them a lot more service hours than they need. When we become aware of service project opportunities they are added to our troop calendar and are announced in our troop meetings and PLC meetings, and reminder emails are sent out. We often try to get both the Scouts and their families involved as we all agree Scouting can and should be a family program that promotes the aims of Scouting at all levels of the family, and therefore, the community. Back To Top

Does Troop 414 participate in District/Council events like Webelo Woods, Camporee, Scout Fair, etc?
We've been to Webelos Woods once and continue to discuss involvement each year. It typically falls during one of the best months of the year for backpacking which the PLC has voted to do instead the last two years. There have been discussions at the District level of moving WW to September. We participate in Camporee and Scout Fair every year. We will be hosting the cooking event station at this year's Phoenix District Camporee. We also usually participate in the District Merit Badge University. We've discussed getting active in the annual First Aid competition but it always seems to fall on a lousy weekend in January for us. Back To Top