Welcome to Trail Life Troop NC-0413!
If you are new to the troop, your most obvious first question is where to take questions. All of us were new at one point and had questions. This post should help with the basics, but you can reach us via the Contact Us form on the site. We typically respond to those forms the same day or sometimes the next day. If you plan to attend a meeting, find any of us with the name tags on lanyards around our necks. We can answer your question or get you connected with someone who can.
Let’s jump into some of the things you will need to know.
What does it cost?
Before we get into what it costs, note that each boy has a way to cover all of the below fees through our fundraisers. More about those further down the page. Many of our Trailmen have raised more than enough to cover all of the below fees without any out-of-pocket cost to their families.
National fees
The Trail Life National organization charges a registration fee of $26/year for each registered Trailman (boy). They also charge $26/year to register adult leaders. Since we expect each family to have at least one parent registered as an adult leader and volunteering in some capacity with the troop, your registration fees will be at least $52/year. Add $26 for each additional boy in Trail Life. These registration fees cover background checks for leaders, administrative support in the home office, and the infrastructure necessary to have a solid national organization. The fees are paid directly to Trail Life.
Troop dues
To run a successful troop, we must collect fees to cover things like our troop-provided camping gear (tents, stoves, pots and pans, a trailer to haul the gear to and from trips, etc). Dues are $45/quarter/trailman. Leaders do not pay dues. Boys in the Woodlands group (K-5 grades) meet for three quarters of the year, so they pay a total of $135/year. Boys in the Navigators and Adventurers (6-12 grades) meet for all four quarters of the year, so they pay a total of $180/year.
Trip fees
For each camping trip, the fees may vary, but generally, the fees are roughly $5/meal, so for a trip with four meals, the trip fee per person is $20/person. Leaders and Trailmen pay the fee. The troop usually picks up any miscellaneous site or other camping fees unless the budget isn’t sufficient to do so. For longer trips, the fee may be higher to cover additional fuel costs.
Each boy needs a uniform.
If you are new to the uniforms, you may want to start by reading their frequently asked questions.
The Class A uniform [pants, shirt, belt, socks, shoulder loops, and troop patch is used for all meetings and outings (unless otherwise specified in advance). The uniform pieces are here. The troop supplies the troop patch after you register. The troop number patch should be sewn 1/4″ below the shoulder seam on the right sleeve. Almost all of the boys lost their official socks, so dark socks are fine if you prefer to avoid the expense or find yourself in the same boat.
The shoulder loops vary by patrol, so be sure to order the loops that match your patrol or group. Ask your leader to confirm you are getting the right thing.
The troop will supply the troop number patch. Ask your leader for one.
Each Trailman also needs a Class B uniform, which is simply a special t-shirt. Our troop has its own t-shirt for a Class B. See a leader for details on how to get one of our custom troop Class B t-shirts. The boys wear this at camp, and it helps to identify them as part of a group while also making it easier to find them when mingled with other kids.
We sometimes have used uniforms, boots, and other equipment as the boys outgrow them. Check with a leader to see who can advise on what’s available if you have a need for that.
All boys need a book.
The troop provides the Trailman’s first handbook free of charge. Please speak to one of the leaders to find out who is handling the books for the troop.
Woodlands handbooks are available from Trail Life here.
Woodlands need to bring the handbook and a Bible to each meeting.
Navigator/Adventurer handbooks are available from Trail Life here.
Navigators and Adventurers need to bring the handbook, a Bible, a notebook, and a pen/pencil to each meeting.
What are the first things to learn?
To get his starting rank, each Trailman has to memorize and recite the Trailman motto, oath, and virtues. The motto and oath are in the book or here until you get your book. The virtues are a special creation of our troop to remind our Trailmen of the character they should pursue.
How does rank advancement work?
This graphic is in the book but it might help as a reference.
How do fundraisers work?
We have fundraisers twice a year, but the biggest opportunity is in our BBQ fundraiser in early Spring.
For the BBQ fundraiser, the boys will sell BBQ for about a month (In 2017, it is from 2/9-3/9) and then we will have a busy week for volunteering as we cook, prep and pack the BBQ shortly after the pre-sales are done. Look for a volunteer sign-up ahead of that week. Each boy gets to keep 40-50% of his sales in a personal Trail Life account.
There are some restrictions on how that money can be used. For example, you can’t use money raised from that for uniforms or equipment thanks to some disappointing IRS regulations, but you can use money raised to cover dues, trip fees, and Trail Life registration fees. If you want your son to cover all of those expenses, and assuming he’s going on most of the trips as a boy 6th grade or older, he’ll need to sell ~$1000 of BBQ to get roughly $400-$500 in his account.
In the Fall, the boys have an opportunity to participate in a smaller fundraiser from an approved fundraising source. In recent years, we have sold AutoBell car washes with great success during the Fall fundraiser.