Join

You’ve decided to join our Troop? Wonderful! And, welcome! We would like to explain the first small steps you need to take on your path to Eagle.

• A boy can become a Boy Scout if he has completed the fifth grade, or is 11 years old, or has earned the Arrow of Light Award in Cub Scouts, and is younger than 18 years of age.
• Obtain an Application to Join Boy Scouting. (Applications are available from the Scoutmaster, or from any Council office.) The prospective Scout and his parent should read it thoroughly, and the parents would fill it out and sign it. (Don’t forget to fill out the Personal Health History on the back.) The application should be returned to the Scoutmaster along with the initial joining fee.
• Once the application has been turned in, the new Scout will be given:
  • A copy of the Boy Scout Handbook
  • A “Troop 805” patch
  • A set of green shoulder loops
  • A temporary green neckerchief
  • A “Turk’s Head” knot or “Woggle” neckerchief slide (Handmade by our Scoutmaster…)
• These items may be given out as part of a cross-over ceremony from Cub Scouts. The Scout should then read and understand the first chapter of the Handbook prior to their first Scoutmaster Conference. Parents need to read the insert at the front of the Handbook: “How to Protect your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide”, and complete the exercises in it with their son.
• The Scout will need to obtain a complete uniform as described below.
• When the Scout has read and understands the joining requirements, he should present himself in full uniform for a Scoutmaster Conference. The Scoutmaster will welcome the Scout to the Troop, explain how it is run, and answer any questions the Scout may have about the Troop or Scouting. The Scoutmaster will also review the joining requirements, and the Scout must be prepared to:
  • Repeat the Pledge of Allegiance
  • Demonstrate the Scout Sign, Salute, and Handshake
  • Demonstrate tying a square knot
  • Understand and agree to live by the Scout:
    • Oath (or Promise) The Scout Law
    • Law
    • Motto (Be Prepared)
    • Slogan (Do a Good Turn Daily)
    • Outdoor Code
  • Describe the Scout Badge

After the Scoutmaster Conference, the boy has officially become a Boy Scout. At the next closing ceremony of a Troop Meeting, the new Scout will be given the official Troop 805 neckerchief (shown at the bottom of this page). A Scout Rank patch will be given at the next Court of Honor.