Guest Book

Troop 60 is located in Spreckels, California. Which is   along California’s beautiful central coast between the cities of  Monterey and Salinas, the home of the famous author John Steinbeck.

A large part of Boy Scouting involves outdoor activities and service projects.   The Scouts are required to run  the Troop and its activities through boy lead leadership. This is a fundamental part of achieving the goal of developing boys into the future leaders of our country . As he grows to be a young man, the Scout receives recognition and has fun in the process.

To Join Us!

To join Troop 60, a boy must be either 11, or have finished Fifth Grade, or be 10 with the arrow of light from Webelos. Although it is preferred, he does not need to have been in Cub Scouts or Webelos.

Troop 60 is run primarily by the Scouts, with adult leader guidance.  Scouts in the Troop elect the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), who heads the Patrol Leader's Council ( Troop youth leadership group).  The SPL, Assistant SPL, Quartermaster, Historian, Librarian, Troop Guides, Scribe, OA Rep,  and other Troop Officers are elected for 6-month terms in January and July.  These officers, along with the Patrol Leaders, make up the Troop leadership.

The Troop is made up of smaller groups of  Scouts, called Patrols. Each Patrol has a Patrol Leader elected by the Patrol members. He represents the Patrol at the PLC meetings and keeps his Patrol informed on Troop activities.  He sets the tone for his patrol and has the responsibility to make his patrol function at its best.  Patrol leaders are to conduct Patrol meetings separate from the Troop meetings.   If he can't  make a PLC meeting it is his responsibility to see that his Assistant Patrol leader replaces him.

Troop 60 is part of the Salinas River District, which is in the Monterey Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.  

Troop meetings:

We have troop meetings every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 to 8:30 PM. (Scouts arrive at 6:45 to set up and after the meeting they help put everything away). We meet at the Spreckels School Gym or the Buena Vista School (see the Troop schedule for details). Full class A uniforms are expected.

We are a camping troop so we are out at least once a month through most of the year. With the exception of summer camp, campouts are conducted on weekends. Trips will be either backpacking or car camping (drive to the camp site) outings.

Troop 60 may also participate in BSA district and council organized activities such as Camporee, Scout-O-Rama and Summer Camp. We also will undertake community service projects in the local area. The Scouts participate in other non-camping outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, scout skill training programs, and trips just for fun.

Advancement

Scouts who are active in the Troop 60 program will advance in rank.  As the Scout learns each skill by doing it on the outings, he will be signed off for the requirements in his Scout Handbook.  He may also accumulate the experience needed for many of the merit badges he will need for future rank advancements.  There is a direct relationship between participation and advancement. Those who fall behind the other Scouts in rank advancement are those who do not participate in Troop meetings and outings.  Parent support is paramount when it comes to rank advancement.  The Scouts who's parents are active in the Troop advance at a quicker pace and stay interested in Scouting much longer.  

Adult Roles

Each Scout's family is expected to directly support at least 2 major activities each year. This may take the form of being a trip coordinator, adult leader on a campout, adult leader at summer camp, Troop Committee member, Assistant Scoutmaster, serving as a Board of Review member or Merit Badge Counselor, or many other activities. 

Scoutmasters: Adult guidance in day-to-day operations of the Troop is provided by the Scoutmaster (SM) and the Assistant Scoutmasters (ASM).  The SM and ASMs also act as trip and activity leaders.  The Scouts plan and coordinate the actual camping trips and Troop meetings and the adult leadership helps to make sure everything is safe and proper Scouting methods are adhered to.   Remember, Scouting is a boy run organization.

Troop Committee: Troop policy and administration are handled by the Troop Committee (TC), led by the Troop Committee Chair. Other Committee members   include Treasurer, Advancement Chair, Outdoor/Activities Coordinator, Secretary, Training Coordinator, Equipment Coordinator, and Chaplain.  All parents are welcome at TC meetings.   The SM and ASMs are not voting members of the TC, although they are called on to provide input on Troop and outing activities.

Our Troop Committee meetings are held every 1st Monday of the month at 7:00 to 8:00 PM.  See the Troop schedule for more detail.

Roundtables: The Salinas River District of the Monterey Bay Area Council holds a Roundtable each month on the third Thursday of the month, to serve as an idea exchange for adult leaders of Troops and to publicize announcements of interest concerning Council activities and policies.

Leader Training: The local Council provides a number of training programs for both adult and youth leaders. These include the video program "Fast Start", "Youth Protection" and Abuse Recognition training, BSALT (Boy Scout Adult Leadership Training), Wood Badge (advanced Scouter training). The Council Youth leadership program is called White Stag and is a week long course held in June at camp Pico Blanco.   Troop 60 provides leadership training through the Junior Leadership Training course held after officers are selected for their new term of office in January of each year.

Chartered Organization: Each Boy Scout Troop is sponsored by some organization. The Chartered Organization is responsible for ensuring that the unit has a meeting place and has sufficient adult leadership who meet BSA qualifications.  Our chartered organization is the Spreckels Volunteer Fire Department.

Paperwork, fees, uniforms

Joining Troop 60: Come to a Troop meeting, meet the Troop and its leaders, fill out the BSA form, and pay your dues - it's that simple.  After joining you need to participate and prepare to learn and have a good time.   The troop collects $30 dues twice per year (April 1 and October 1) for a total of $60 per year. The annual registration accounts for $20 of this expense, the remaining is used for the following:

• Advancement Awards

• Troop meeting program materials

• Training materials

• Camping Supplies

• Postage for mailings

• Troop equipment

• Administrative materials

• Neckerchiefs for new Scouts

• Boys Life subscription

The dues also serve as working capital that allows us to make advance payments for campsite reservations, council programs, and to make bulk purchases of items such as troop t-shirts.  The participants pay for the monthly campouts, summer camp and other outings where there is an admission fee or other charges at the time of the event. It is anticipated that the troop will purchase additional camping equipment with money earned from fund raising activities.

Trips and Outings: Before going on an outing, each Scout must have a permission form signed by his parent or guardian and all participants must have a current BSA medical information form  on file.  The will be updated  annually.  A trip fee (usually $5) is charged for most camping activities to cover the expenses incurred for that outing. Generally the fee includes transportation, and any park entrance or campground fees.  

Uniforms: All Scouts wear the appropriate Scout uniform to all Scouting functions, including outings. The purpose of the uniform is to show that the Scout is a member of the team. The Troop 60 uniform is the usual BSA class-A uniform at all functions except camping trips where a Class B Troop T-shirt may be worn.  See the uniform requirements sheet for more information.

In Summary...

The goal of Troop 60 includes building Character, Leadership and Teamwork Skills, Moral Values, and Outdoor Skills... All while learning and having fun in a safe environment!