Outdoor Program
Troop 11 is an active outdoor unit, operating on the philosophy of “Keep the Outing in Scouting.” The troop annually attends the Penn’s Woods Council Summer Resident Camp at Camp Seph Mack. Additionally, Troop 11 schedules camping activities in at least seven other months of the year. These outings provide the scouts with the opportunity for approximately twenty camping days each year. The troop has camped on the battlefields of Gettyburg, biked the C&O canal, and canoed the Allegheny, Clarion, and Youghiogheny Rivers.
Troop 11 also participates in “High Adventure” trips every other year. These adventures have taken troop members, both youth and adult, to the BSA National Bases at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, the Florida Sea Base at Islamorada in the Florida Keys, and the Halliburton Scout Reservation at Halliburton, Ontario, Canada.
The camping and outdoor program gives the scouts the opportunity to stretch their vision of themselves and the world around them. The scouts are encouraged to participate in as many camping opportunities as possible. These activities help to build self-confidence, friendship, and SCOUT SPIRIT.
High Adventure Guidelines
Scouts or scouters who participate in High Adventure trips must meet the age, rank, and health requirements established by the Boy Scouts of America, the troop, and the host location. All participating scouts and scouters must demonstrate their maturity, cooperation, responsibility, and adherence to the ideals of scouting to the satisfaction of the scoutmaster and the activity leader.
Participation in High Adventures is a privilege, subject to the approval of the scoutmaster and the Troop Committee. Scouts participating in the High Adventure trips must be active troop members.
Occasionally, scouts from other units may join with Troop 11 to participate in the High Adventure activities. These scouts must meet the same high standards required of Troop 11 members. These scouts must also have written approval of their scoutmaster, which must include, but not be limited to, reference to the character, advancement, and disciplinary record for the past two years.
Troop Outings
All Scouts are expected to attend troop meetings and activities. This is particularly important for the last two meetings preceding any troop outing or camping trip. The scouts must attend to be involved in the planning process, the work assignment, and transportation planning.
Fees for outings must be paid prior to departure. Fees may be paid by cash, by check, or by authorized withdrawal from the scout’s account. Refunds can only be made before funds are spent (i.e. food is purchased, registration paid, etc.).
Sign-up and payment implies parental approval of a scout’s participation in the outing. The troop leadership is not responsible for confirming parental consent. If the parents are planning to be away from home while the troop is on an outing, the parents must provide the outing leaders with an alternative telephone number or contact for emergencies.
If a scout intends to travel to or from an outing by means other then that planned by the troop, or if a scout intends to arrive or depart from an outing or activity at other than the scheduled time, the scout must notify the scoutmaster or outing leadership in writing, signed by the the parent(s), prior to the beginning of the outing or activity.
Meetings
Troop 11 meets every Monday evening from early September to mid-July in the cafeteria of the Robertshaw building on the Campus of IUP, along South 13th Street Extension. Entry to the building is through the vehicle dispatch door. The cafeteria is up the steps, through the double doors, and is on the right side of the hallway.
Meetings begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and end at approximately 8:30 p.m. Supervision of the scouts ends at the conclusion of the meeting. Timely pick-up of the scouts is required.
No meetings are held on those Mondays that are scheduled as holidays by the Indiana Area School District, unless otherwise notified by the scoutmaster or patrol leaders.
In the event that Indiana schools are cancelled or dismissed early due to inclement weather, the troop meeting is also cancelled. No meetings are regularly scheduled between the end of Summer Camp and Labor Day. Check the calendar for summer meetings. Meetings begin again on a regular schedule the first Monday after Labor Day.
Courts of Honor
A Court of Honor is held quarterly—March, June, September, and December—to recognize scouts for their advancements and accomplishments during the preceding three months. The Court of Honor is a family event that may be a covered dish dinner or a “punch and cookies” reception.
Patrols are assigned the responsibility to plan and host the Court of Honor on a rotating basis. Each family will be notified by the host patrol of the type of event planned for each Court of Honor and whether to bring a covered dish or cookies to the event. For covered dish dinners, each family should plan a dish that will feed fifteen to twenty people. The troop will proved the main course and breads for each covered dish dinner.
Each family should provide their own table service (i.e. plates, cups and flatware) for covered dish dinners.
The troop may collect a nominal fee from each person in attendance to defray expenses.
