Why two troops?

Troop 168 is the Boy troop

Troop 1680 is the Girl troop

Do the troops meet and do activities together?

Yes, both troops have meetings and activities together.  The Scouts share leading and planning meetings and activities.

How long have the Troops been around?

Troop 168 was established in 1956 and is one of the oldest troops in McHenry County

Troop 1680 was established in 2020 as one of the first girl troops in McHenry County

Who is the Troop's Charter Organization?

First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake

How many scouts are registered in the troops?

Troop 168 has over 30 registered scouts and Troop 1680 currently has 5 registered scouts

What are the Troop dues?

Youth = $97  ( $75 for National & Council & $10 for Troop dues)

Youth + Scout’s Life Magazine = $112  ( $12 for Scout’s Life magazine, $75 for National & Council & $10 for Troop dues)

Adult = $67  ($45 for Mational & Council, $10 for Troop dues)

What is the Troops official uniform?

The Troop's official uniform is the BSA Scout uniform shirt, green scout pants, scout socks, belt, Troop boonie hat.

The Troop also issues each Scout a Class B t-shirt, which scouts design and vote on.

What are some of the fundraisers that the Troops do?

The Troops have a variety of fundraisers during the year including fall popcorn sales, annual bake sale, holiday wreaths, etc.

Where does fundraiser money go?

Fall popcorn – commissions (35%) on 1st $250 goes to the troop, 100% of commissions on all additional sales go directly to the scouts account. If Scout decides not to sell popcorn, there is a $50 buy out that needs to be paid if no popcorn sales are done.

Other fundraisers – depends on the fundraiser and if the fundraiser is for a specific purpose

Who leads the Troops?

The Troops are youth lead, meaning the Scouts plan and lead meetings and activities. Adult leaders are there to mentor and guide the scouts and youth leaders and maintain safety.

Do Adults/Parents participate?

Scouts who have a parent participate stay in scouting longer and are far more likely to become an Eagle scout.  Adult participation is a key part to success and also necessary for activities.  There are many ways for adults to participate, leadership and committee positions.  Training is available and current adults will help.  One of the goals is to make scouts self reliant, but it is possible for them to learn that, even with a parent involved.

How are the patrols organized?

The new scouts will be put in a new scout patrol for the first 6 months after they join the troop.  This will help them learn the scouting essentials.  They then can choose to stay together or go to another Patrol.

Patrol Leaders (PL) are elected every 6 months at a Court of Honor and other youth leaders are appointed after.  The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is elected every 12 months and Patrol Leaders report to the SPL.  The SPL reports to the Scoutmaster.

How does the Troop communicate with the Scouts and families?

Patrol leaders personally contact scouts on a weekly basis with important information.

Emails and event invites are sent out via TroopTrack (http://www.troop168.org)

Announcements are made at the end of Troop meetings.  Sign-up sheets are out during Troop meetings with information on upcoming activities.  A full year activity list is provided periodically.

Where do the Troops go to summer camp?

Each year the Troop goes for a week of summer camp.  The camp we attend is chosen by the scouts the year before and is no more than a 4-6 hour drive from home.

Do the troops participate in service hours?

Service to the community is a key principal of Scouting. There are organized service projects and hours of participation planned throughout the year.  Scouts are encouraged to participate not just for rank requirements, but also for service to our community.

What are High Adventure trips?

High adventure trips are for scouts 14 years and older.  They are usually at one of the BSA high adventure locations (Philmont, Sea Base, Northern Tier, Summit).  They are about a week or more in length and are usually in the wilderness and scouts carry all their gear. Cost of these trips vary depending on location.

The troops do a high adventure trip every year.  We try to rotate between locations.

What does my scout need for troop meetings?

Scout Uniform, Troop Boonie Hat, Scout Handbook, Close Toed Shoes, Scout Spirit

What equipment is my scout going to need for campouts?

Scout Uniform shirt, Troop Boonie Hat, Close Toed Shoes, Water Bottle, Mess kit, Sleeping Bag, Rain gear, daypack, clothes, shoes, other personal gear and items.

Packing lists will be provided for the different campouts, with required and optional equipment.

The Troop provides a tent and ground tarp, two scouts share a tent. One takes the tent and the other takes the tarp home to clean and dry and return within 2 weeks after the campout.

Each Patrol has a Patrol box that contains all the necessary cooking equipment.

Scoutmasters

Troop 168 B- Eric Dewitt, dewitt.eric87@gmail.com

Troop 1680 G - Angela Evertsen, awojtanek@hotmail.com

Committee Chair