Helping at Home
Roles for Parents & Guardians
First and foremost, the best way to support your own child is to be curious and engaged about their learning. In the early stages of their Scouting journey they’ll learn a ton of outdoor skills that they will be excited to show off to you. Have them teach you a new knot or clean and dress a minor wound on a sibling.
As they progress, things like citizenship, fitness, and personal management will become more prevalent themes and can be the basis of meaningful discussions between you and your child. There are requirements to plan and cook meals at home and budget for a purchase that can be fun activities for you to do together.
As Scouts get into their mid-teens, are confident in their skills, and are more emotionally mature, leadership becomes their focus. The increased expectations that come with serving in a leadership role can be challenging and sometimes stressful. This is a time when helping your Scout balance their time and mental health is critical.
Scouting is a Helicopter Free Zone
We put a lot of emphasis on independence and personal accountability—even for our youngest Scouts. They should be packing and cleaning their own gear, signing up for events themselves, and preparing for the upcoming meeting by reading their weekly email. They will plan their own camping trips, create their own menus, and shop for their own food. They will fail at all of these things at some point or another. They will also succeed. We want that success to be their success, which means they also need their own failures to learn from.
Volunteering
Official Roles
Troop Committee Member — Consider a formal role on our troop committee—Secretary, Treasurer, Advancement Coordinator, Equipment Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, etc.). We need lots of help to make the troop run! Committee members are appointed by the Troop Committee Chair.
Parent Committee Member — Attend monthly meetings to stay informed of troop activities, contribute ideas for activities and fundraising, etc.
Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM) — Assistant Scoutmasters serve the troop by guiding a particular patrol to which they’ve been assigned or advising certain Scouts who’ve assumed a position (e.g. the Quartermaster or Outdoor Ethics Guide). They provide two-deep leadership and fill in as necessary to assure the youth leaders have what they need to run things. Assistant Scoutmasters are appointed by the Scoutmaster. We ask that you first spend 8–12 months getting to know the troop in a committee role.
Other Ways to Be Involved
Overnight Trips
6+ times a year
Help transport Scouts and gear to/from campground
Attend overnight trip as a chaperone
Because independence, self-reliance, and patrol/troop bonding are important goals, we ask parents to limit overnight trips with the Troop to one or two per year.
Day Hikes
Monthly
Help carpool to and from the trailhead
Come hike with us!
Service Projects
Monthly
Volunteer with us at our monthly San Francisco Recreation & Parks service
2 hours (usually 10–12am on a Saturday)
Pitch in or just chaperone
Boards of Review
Quarterly
This is the final advancement step for each rank. Scouts share what they’ve learned by presenting in front of a panel of 3-4 parents/guardians
This is a great way to learn firsthand what the Scouts are learning and experiencing in Scouting
No special knowledge is necessary. We’ll even provide a list of sample questions
You don’t have to sign up for all of them
Courts of Honor
Semiannually
Attend to celebrate your Scout’s achievements
Bring a dish/dessert for the potluck
Help set up/clean up
Merit Badge Counseling
Intermittent
It’s not all knots and camping! Offer your expertise to help Scouts earn badges in a range of subjects. Learn more about the merit badge process.
Thank you!