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A
Few Pointers
1.
Summer camp is a must!
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Scouts
who go to summer camp have a load of fun!
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It
gives the adult leaders and new Scouts a chance to get to know each
other very well.
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New
Scouts who attend summer camp will come home with most of their
requirements to advance to the rank of 1st Class
completed.
2.
Be sure to get a Scout uniform with some room to grow. You
are probably growing very quickly, so try to leave enough room for at
least 1 year of growth. Two years would be great but you don't
want to wear a uniform that looks like it belongs to your older brother.
Check out the Gear section for
information on what to buy in the 1st 100 Days
3.
If you are getting a red "glory" jacket (used for
displaying patches), buy at least a large. With a jacket, too big
is OK. When you get to the end of the 2nd year and you have 50
patches to take off one coat and put on another you'll wish that you had
gotten a larger size.
4.
You will need a Boy Scout Handbook - think about buying the new
spiral-bound version. It is significantly more expensive than the
regular version (($19.95 vs $8.20) but it has a big advantage - you are
going to use the same book all throughout your scouting career, and the
pages tend to fall out of the older version when you fold the cover
back. The
spiral-bound version will save you money in the long haul and will
always look better.
5.
You will soon be looking for camping equipment. Don’t
leap into buying gear right away.
Some equipment is needed early on and some can be bought later
– or put on your birthday or Christmas list!
Talk with other Scouts and ask your parents to talk to the other
parents in your Patrol. They can give you pointers on what is the
best type of gear to buy. Remember, every Scout does not have to
have every item. Especially with the younger boys, it makes sense
to share the load whenever possible. Check out the Gear
section for information on what to buy in the 1st 100 Days - and for
more guidance on equipment quality and value-for-money, see the Troop
Outings section of the Troop web site
6.
Good hiking boots are very important. For adults, who have
finished their growing, they will want to get the best boots that you
can so they will feel comfortable and last well. As a growing
Scout, you will outgrow your boots before you can wear them out.
You can therefore get by with less expensive boots or trail walking
shoes. Keep in mind that hiking in tennis shoes can be dangerous
– they are not designed for traction of a trail.
7.
For official BSA items (uniforms and the like), then the Scout
store is pretty well your only option – they cost what they cost.
The Scout store does not charge sales tax and your purchases are
tax deductible. If
you are looking for a sleeping bag, camping equipment, hiking boots,
etc., then there are many better options. Check out the Gear
section of the Troop web site for details of stores and web sites where
many of our Scouts have successfully purchased good quality equipment
for a reasonable price.
8.
Sewing patches on uniforms is by far the best option. Patch
glue tends to let go while your son is at summer camp.
Boy Scouts should learn to sew – it’s a good skill.
An easy way to start is to glue the patch in place and then sew
around it so it does not move while you are sewing.
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