FCE Plan

February/March

Orientation

Recommend all new Scouts come to the first meeting with a current Scout Handbook (boys or girls version), a three-ring notebook with lined paper and pocketed folders (for handouts) and a pen.  Plastic baseball trading-card pages serve well to keep all advancement records together.

In one of the first meetings, the Scoutmaster will give a presentation to parents (or provide an email) to new Scouts (or parents email) to discuss equipment the Scouts will need immediately and what they should look to procure over time.  The Troop Uniform/Equipment Coordinator will provide an inventory of items donated to the Troop that are available for Scouts.

March/April

Scout Rank

On January 1, 2016, the BSA made the Scout Badge a rank. In March, the Troop Guide and Instructor will review Scout rank material with Scouts and sign off on requirements in their Scout Handbooks. Within the first two meetings, Scouts should complete Scout Rank requirements 1a. to 3b. During the third meeting, Scouts will learn Scout rank knots, whipping, and fusing ropes (requirements 4a. and 4b.) and receive basic instruction on pocketknife safety (requirement 5). At the start of the fourth meeting, Scouts and parents will submit a completed pamphlet from the Scout Handbook for “How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide” and written requirements for the Cyber Chip award. During the meeting, Scouts will complete remaining Cyber Chip instruction (completing requirement 6) and take part in a Scoutmaster Conference (requirement 7). If Scouts successfully complete the seven requirements, they will earn the Scout rank at the end of the fourth meeting. Week 5 is a make-up week for Scouts to finish any incomplete requirements.

April/May

Tenderfoot Rank

By the first month in the Troop, Scouts will have the opportunity to attend an overnight camping trip. No later than the meeting prior to this trip, the Scout should present themselves to their Patrol Leader or a Troop Guide with all required items from the packing list, including a personally assembled first aid kit. At this meeting, they will complete requirement 1a and 4d. During this trip, the Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, and/or Instructor for a Scout’s patrol will instruct Tenderfoot requirements 1b through 4c.

During meeting Week 6, Scouts will complete the first Tenderfoot fitness test (requirement 6a.) and complete requirements 5a. through 5d. During this second month, each of the patrol leaders for patrols with new Scouts will either organize a service project or provide their patrol with a service project opportunity to complete requirement 7b.

During Spring Break, the Troop will not meet. During Week 8, Scouts will present an improvement plan for physical fitness activities and the shell of a daily fitness log (requirement 6b.). During this month, Scouts will keep track of physical activity before completing the second fitness test in Week 10 (requirement 6c.). Between the sixth and tenth week, new Scout patrols will complete requirements 7a. and 8. Once a Scout has completed these requirements (1a. through 8.), they can ask the Scoutmaster for a Scoutmaster Conference (SMC) (requirements 9. and 10.). Due to the requirements of the Scoutmaster during the meeting, SMCs generally occur outside of meetings, so Scouts need to be flexible when scheduling.

After the SMC, the Troop Committee will conduct a Board of Review (BOR) with the Scout (requirement 11.), and the Scout will have completed the Tenderfoot rank.

May/June/July/August/September

Second Class Rank

Starting in May, Scouts will keep a month-long record of physical activities, exercising for 30 minutes a day for five days a week to fulfill requirements 7a. and 7b. At this point, Scouts should have attended two campouts and completed the Tenderfoot service project. Annually, on Memorial Day weekend in May, Troop 1396 raises flags at Quantico National Cemetery, fulfilling the Second Class Rank service project requirement 8e, as well as flag requirements 8a and 8b. If a Scout attended the May campout, he will have completed the five Troop activities required for 1a. During the May campout, Scouts need to complete requirements 1b. and 1c., as well as earn the Firem’n Chit by fulfilling requirements 2a. through 2c. Scouts should also plan and cook one individual meal at the campout, satisfying requirement 2e. and setting up stoves to complete 2d. Additionally, Scouts will demonstrate knot skills to fulfill 2f. and 2g. During May, new patrols will plan and prepare for the campout, while the Senior Patrol Leader will lead a discussion with all new Scouts on the three R’s of personal safety and bullying defense, fulfilling requirements 9a. and 9b. After Lake Ridge community pools open in May (after Memorial Day), the Troop will conduct a BSA Swim Test in preparation for summer camp. New Scout patrols will also conduct Second Class swim requirements 5a. through 5c. and First Class swim requirements 6a. and 6e.

In June, the Troop Instructor will present a class on the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, satisfying requirement 7c. During summer camp in July, first-year Scouts will sign up for First Aid merit badge (unless already earned) to complete requirements 6a. through 6e., as well as First Class requirements 7a. through 7f. The Troop does not conduct an overnighter in June and takes a two-week break in July following summer camp. Upon conclusion of the break, Scouts will present proof of completion of budgeting requirements 8c. and 8d. During August Troop meetings, new Scouts will complete classroom instruction on compass and maps, fulfilling requirement 3a., to prepare for a five-mile hike during a Fall campout where Scouts will use a compass and map together to fulfill requirements 3b. through 3d. At this same August campout, Scouts will identify evidence of 10 wild animals (requirement 4.) and 10 native plants (First Class requirement 5a.).

If a Scout has attended all activities to this point and completed requirements as outlined, he will be able to approach the Scoutmaster for a Scoutmaster Conference (requirements 10. and 11.) followed by a Board of Review (requirement 12.). If a Scout misses an event, he has the month of September as a make-up.

October/November/December/January

First Class Rank

Starting in October, Scouts will have the Second Class requirements completed and will focus on earning the First Class Rank. With two campouts, National Public Lands Day (September), the St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church area clean-up (October), Scouting for Food (November), and Tree Stand set-up (the day after Thanksgiving), the Scouts will fulfill the required activities for requirement 1a., as well as the service project requirements for 9d.

During one of the fall campouts, Scouts need to serve as a patrol grubmaster, completing requirements 2a. through 2e. In the September campout, Scouts will go backpacking and work on explaining the potential impacts of camping on the environment and other outdoor users. They will also explain why the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace principles are essential for protecting the outdoors. This fulfills requirement 1b. and completes the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle requirement 9c.

Before the backpacking campout, new Scout patrols will cover weather requirements 5b. through 5d. during Troop meetings. As part of back-to-school activities, each Scout will tell another youth about Scouting and invite him to a Troop meeting (requirement 10).

In October, Scouts will keep a daily physical activity log (requirements 8a. and 8b.). During the October outing, Scouts will complete a one-mile orienteering course (requirement 4a.) and GPS requirement 4b. In the November campout, Scouts will complete Safety Afloat requirements 6b. through 6d.

In preparation for the Tree Stand set-up, Scouts will learn lashings during Troop meetings (requirements 3a. through 3d.). In December, Scouts will meet with a civil servant or teacher and complete requirements 9a. and 9b. If a Scout follows this plan, attending the requisite events and successfully completing/demonstrating the requirements, he will be ready to approach the Scoutmaster for a Scoutmaster Conference (SMC) no later than January and the Committee for a Board of Review (BOR).