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Where and When We Meet BSA Troop 244 holds troop meetings on the first three Tuesday evenings of the month starting at 8:00 PM. The goal is to meet for 1 hour. The troop meeting agenda is the responsibility of the Senior Patrol Leader with Patrol Leader Council and Scoutmaster input. The focus of the meetings is determined by upcoming activities. A large portion of the two meetings before a camping event is devoted to planning/organizing. At other meetings, emphasis is on learning Scout skills with related games and working on basic advancement requirements. Approximately every third month, the first meeting of the month is a Sports Night and we meet at the Rocky Point Middle School Gymnasium. The fourth Tuesday of the month is reserved for meetings of the Patrol Leaders Council, the troop' scoutmasters, and the troop committee. All meetings are held in the basement of Saint Louis De Monfort Roman Catholic Church located on New York Avenue at the corner of Syosset Road in the hamlet of Sound Beach, New York. Outings Exciting outings provide the environment Scouts need to develop their self-reliance and leadership skills. In many cases, a young Scout may have never before had to depend on himself and his peers for his food, shelter, and recreation. Troop 244 has an ambitious outing program to stimulate and challenge all Scouts. The troop tries to plan at least one overnight outing each month during the school year. Additionally, the troop is participates in a one-week summer camp, usually the third week in August, a 3-day winter camp during January, and a one-week spring camp each year. Each summer there is also an opportunity for older, more experienced Scouts to take part in high adventure camps such as Philmont. Some outings are skill or education oriented and others are just to have a good time. Equipment varies from virtually nothing on survival trips to lightweight equipment for backpacking trips to coolers, dutch ovens, and patrol boxes for camping at sites accessible by automobile. While there is a diversity in outing sites and activities, there is also consistency. There is always rank advancement opportunity and the patrol method is always used to organize the boy's activities. Each patrol of approximately eight boys camps, cooks, and works together as a unit. Parents are encouraged to attend troop outings to share in the Scouting experience and to observe and experience the 'patrol method' at work. Adults always camp as a separate patrol, and like the boys are responsible for their own cooking and equipment. The adult role is to stay close enough to observe, but far enough away not interfere with the boy's patrol functions. Chartering Organization The organization of any troop begins with a chartering organization. Troop 244 is chartered by the Sons of Italy in Rocky Point. This organization, in effect, owns the troop equipment and is responsible for seeing that Scouting Principles are fully employed in the troop's operation. The Sons of Italy organization is represented in the troop organization by the Scouting Coordinator who serves on the Troop Committee. Troop Committee The Troop Committee consists of men and women interested in the Scouting program who wish to make a contribution to the program. Theoretically, Troop Committee members are appointed by the chartering organization, but in reality is formed by parents of Scouts in the troop and non-parents with an active interest in Scouting. The Troop Committee's purpose is to administer the affairs of the troop and to assist the uniformed leaders in the operation of the troop. It is also the committee's responsibility to approve all uniformed leaders and monitor the performance of the uniformed leaders. The responsibilities of the Troop Committee include:
It is the function of the Troop Committee to support the troop program, not to operate it. The troop program and its execution is primarily the responsibility of the boy leadership of the troop. The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is the highest boy leadership position in the troop and it is his duty to:
The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters are responsible for guiding the boy leadership in the effective execution of the troop program. Troop History Troop 244 was originally chartered with fourteen boys, ages 11-14, in July 1983 by the Sons of Italy in Rocky Point, New York. The adult leadership consisted of:
In 1987, Mr. James Panger became the new Scoutmaster. Mr. Jim Powers stepped in as Scoutmaster in 1989 with Mr. Monty Naylor filling the position of Troop Committee Chairman. 1994 saw the formation of Varsity Team 244 with Mr. Powers as Coach. Mr. Pat Kelly took over as Scoutmaster in 1999 allowing Mr. Powers to concentrate on the Team and form Venture Crew 244. Mr. O'Connor took over as Scoutmaster in 2006. Troop Honors
Organizational Tree <Insert here> Uniformed Leaders The Scoutmaster is the adult leader responsible for the actions of the troop. His job is summed up in four basic activities:
The Scoutmaster is backed up by the Assistant Scoutmasters who assist in running the outdoor program. They also work with the patrols during the meetings. Sponsor The P. Vincent Landi Lodge, Sons of Italy, Rocky Point, NY Troop Committee
A hundred years from now it will not
matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car that I
drove, but the world may well be different because I was Important in the life of a
boy"
Troop Uniformed Adult Leaders
The Boy Scout organization is a program for boys and as such is governed and operated by boys with guidelines and assistance from the uniformed leaders and committee members. The Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) is charged with the responsibility of deciding what the troop wants to do, planning it, and carrying it out. Thus, every Scout, through his patrol leader, has a voice in the planning and running of the troop's activities. The PLC is composed of all patrol leaders, the ASPL, Quartermaster and the SPL who chairs the meeting. Others may be invited to sit in at the invitation of the SPL. The Scoutmaster attends all PLC meetings and has veto power, but no vote. The PLC meets monthly to plan meetings and camp outs and to discuss any discipline problems that may be interfering with the execution of the scouting program. The PLC also has an annual planning meeting in August to set the calendar of events for the next year. Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) The primary job of the SPL is to lead the troop with minimal adult supervision, but with the help of his fellow boy leaders. The SPL has specific jobs in addition to being the boy leader of all activities in the troop. First, he must conduct the monthly Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) where all troop leaders meet with the patrol leaders of each patrol to plan troop meetings and camp outs. (The PLC also searches for solutions to any problem that has been identified within the troop by the Scouts.) After the PLC planning is completed, it is the job of the SPL to properly execute the troop program through direct leadership and by delegating tasks to members of the PLC or other Patrol Leaders. All troop activities are the responsibility of the SPL even if a qualified substitute acts in his absence. (This is usually the Assistant SPL.) A SPL must, with input from patrol leaders and adult leaders, establish certain goals for the troop to achieve, then work with the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters to accomplish those goals. The primary way he accomplishes this is by organizing and conducting weekly troop meetings that are interesting, active and educational. The SPL is elected by a majority vote of all Scouts in the troop. A run-off election is held in the event that no one receives a majority. The SPL works with and reports directly to the Scoutmaster in the daily planning and operation of the troop. Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL) This job is self-explanatory. The ASPL must assist the SPL in his duties and in the leadership of the troop. He takes the place of the SPL when the SPL is unable to attend a troop activity. The ASPL is also the patrol leader of the Leadership Corps. This position is appointed by the SPL in consultation with the Uniformed Leaders. Leadership Corps In addition to the SPL and ASPL, the leadership corps is made up of the following leadership positions, each of which is appointed by the SPL with advice from the uniformed leaders:
Patrol Leaders (PL) Patrols are the basic units of a Scout troop and the patrol leaders have the responsibility for making the "patrol method" work. Patrol leaders are the backbone of all successful troops. They are elected by the Scouts in the patrol. The patrol leader appoints an Assistant Patrol Leader (APL). A patrol leader's responsibilities include:
A good patrol leader sets a good example, lives the Scout Oath and Law and generates Scout spirit in the patrol. He also delegates many of the patrol tasks to members of the patrol. Patrols Troop 244 utilizes the scouting "Patrol Method". "The patrol method is
not a way to operate a Boy Scout troop, it is the only way. A patrol is a group of Scouts who belong to a troop and who are probably similar in age, development, and interests. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in a small group outside the larger troop context, working together as a team and sharing the responsibility of making their patrol a success. A patrol takes pride in its identity, and the members strive to make their patrol the best it can be. Patrols will sometimes join with other patrols to learn skills and complete advancement requirements. At other times they will compete against those same patrols in Scout skills and athletic competitions. The members of each patrol elect one of their own to serve as patrol leader. To give more boys the opportunity to lead, Troop 244 holds patrol leader elections twice a year. Patrol size depends on the Troop's enrollment and the needs of its members, though an ideal patrol size is eight Scouts. Patrols with fewer than eight Scouts should try to recruit new members to get their patrol size up to the ideal number. Patrol Pages "A good patrol is a gang of good friends, standing together shoulder to shoulder whatever comes.'All for One & One for All' - that's the spirit of a Scout patrol." Handbook for Patrol Leaders, 1950 Dragons Order of the Arrow "The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting's national honor society. ...it recognizes thoseScout and Scouter campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, develops and maintains camping traditions and spirit, promotes Scout camping, and crystallizes the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others." Scoutmaster Handbook, 2001 Troop 244 has ____ Scouts who have been elected to membership in the Order of the Arrow. ____ have completed their Ordeal and ____ have reached Brotherhood. They are members of Seatalcot Chapter, Shinnecock Lodge 360. Click here for OA activities our troop members are involved with. BSA National fact sheet on Order of the Arrow A history of The Order of the Arrow can be found at USScouts.org Our Eagle Scouts Our troop’s first Eagle Scout received his rank in 1996. To date, 17 scouts have achieved the rank of Eagle. The following troop members have earned this recognition.
Web Site Policies It is a goal of BSA Troop 244 to provide a web site that expands our communities’ knowledge of our troop and the aims of the Boy Scouts of America while protecting the privacy of the boy members, the adult leaders and those individuals visiting our web site. To that end, the following policies guide the decisions made relating to the development of our site.
Disclaimer The information presented here is not an official document of the Suffolk County Council, Benjamin Tallmadge District, the Order of the Arrow, or the Boy Scouts of America, but is solely the opinions and responsibility of the author. |
