Joining Scouts

Welcome!

Boys are welcome to join Boy Scouts between the ages of 11 and 18 or if they have completed 5th grade,  and they can join at any time during the year.  Cub Scouts who earn their Arrow of Light are invited to join when they are 10 or older.  While many boys join Boy Scouts from Cub Scouts, many others join with no previous scouting experience. Within a short period of time new boys are integrated into a patrol with other boys, are starting to work on advancement and are ready to join us for their first camping trip.

Scouts progress at their own pace and at any age level there are likely to be scouts at several ranks.  Because older scouts are more mature, with a concentrated effort and the support of their fellow scouts, they tend to advance much more quickly.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

You will need a few things to get started in Troop 127. You can find the items at a Scout Shop.   The closest Scout Shop is located in Woburn at 400 West Cummings Park on Washington Street.

Uniform

Each adult leader and scout needs to wear a Class A Uniform to troop meetings. The Class A uniform includes the buttoned tan shirt with the patches, neckerchief and slide, tucked into the scout’s pants. Tan or olive-green trousers or shorts are preferred, but any subdued color is acceptable. Scouts are known to show up without a uniform, claiming they could not find it. This is a good opportunity for the scout to learn the time-saving lesson, that an article put away in a designated place, will be easy to find. We suggest a hanger, or designated drawer. If a scout is coming from a sports activity, etc., he should bring his uniform in a bag or on a hanger, and change in the restroom at the Mason’s hall.

A scout should write his name on the shirt tails of his shirt so it can be returned if lost. Neckerchiefs should also have name on the long edge as this is rolled in for wear and doesn’t normally show. We have a collection of these, left behind at meetings and trips, most without names.

Accessories

Small backpack or bag for scout items – Handbook, knife, rope for knots that they prepared, small notebook with pens and pencils other items as needed. NOTE: knives cannot go to school so don’t mix this with school bag!!!

Required:

  • BSA Boy Scout Class A Uniform Shirt (short sleeves recommended)  If you had a tan shirt in cub scouts, you can use that.
  • BSA Boston Minuteman Council shoulder patch
  • Troop 127 numeral strip
  • Badge of office/responsibility (Patrol Leader, Scribe, Librarian, Historian, Quartermaster, Instructor, SPL, APL, etc.)
  • Patrol Patch
  • BSA World Crest patch (purple background with white trefoil centered over right pocket
  • Badge of Rank (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle)
  • Arrow of Light (worn only by Scouts who earned the award as Webelos)
  • BSA Boy Scout Neckerchief slide
  • BSA Boy Scout Handbook
  • BSA red or green shoulder loops
  • Troop Neckerchief (Troop 127 uses green with red embroidery)

Troop 127 provides all of these except the Class A Uniform shirt. Ask the Quartermaster for what you need. See the inside covers of the Scout Handbook for proper placement of these patches, or see the online Guide to Insignia Placement.

Highly Recommended:

  • BSA Boy Scout Uniform Shorts or Pants
  • Sturdy pair of hiking boots with good ankle support