SCOUTING:
What is Scouting all about?
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by
Congress in 1916, is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build
character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal
fitness.
The BSA Mission Statement - The mission of the Boy
Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their
lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Learn more about Scouting by visiting the official website of the Boy Scouts of America at
http://www.scouting.org.
What are the Aims of Scouting?
Scouting has three distinct aims, those are:
Character development
Citizenship training
Personal fitness
All Troop 104 activities are designed to achieve these aims and instill these character traits in
the young men.
TROOP:
Who can join Troop 104?
Any boy aged 11 - 17, or a 10 year old who has completed the fifth grade, is eligible to join Boy
Scouts and Troop 104.
When and where are the troop meetings held?
Troop 104 meets weekly throughout the year, except on national or school holidays or when away at
summer camp or high adventure trips. Troop meetings are on Monday evening from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at
the Scout Building of First Presbyterian Church 175 Lake Hollingsworth Dr. Lakeland FL 33801 .
Check our monthly calendar to make sure we are meeting
on a specific night and what our planned program includes that evening.
What does it cost to join Troop 104?
Your initial registration fee is $15.00 per year,$12.00 subscription to Boy's
Life, the monthly magazine from Boy Scouts of America. Troop dues are $40.00 per year, and
cover additional troop related program expenses like meeting supplies, outdoor equipment, and
related program expenses.
Does the Troop conduct fundraising?
To offset expenses associated with Scouting events, Troop 104 does some fundraising throughout
the year. Monies raised during fundraising is deposited into an individual Scout's account for
use later to pay monthly camping expenses or summer camp costs
Do I need a Scout uniform?
Troop 104 is committed to the ideals and concepts of Scouting, including the importance of proper
and complete uniforms. All Scouts are expected to wear the full field uniform to weekly meetings,
while traveling to and from camp, or at other special events. Activity uniforms, which consists
of a scout t-shirt, scout shorts, and scout socks are worn at events that call for heavy physical
activity.
Troop 104 runs a "Trading Post" where spare uniform parts are available for a fraction of the
cost of new uniforms. Check with a leader for more information about the Trading Post.
What kind of activities are offered by Troop 104?
There is a saying among Scout leaders that successful units "keep the outing in Scouting." This
means offering a quality program of outdoor activities that get the Scouts into the great
outdoors. Troop 104 does just that. We conduct monthly outdoor activites that coincide with our
monthly themes. From camping trips to overnight backpacking excursions, you will find Troop 104
outdoors every month.
What does Troop 104 do for Summer Camp?
The troop also plans an annual summer camp trip in July to a BSA camp somewhere in the
southeastern United States. From northeast Georgia to the mountains of North Carolina, Troop 104
offers trips to parts of our country that Scouts may not get to visit.
Our program also features high adventure activites during the summer. Our troop spent a week
visiting Alaska one summer, doing really interesting things mountain biking and salmon fishing.
Our high adventure trips have also taken us backpacking to Philmont, canoeing into Canada at
Northern Tier, and sailing/snorkeling in the Keys at Florida Seabase.
Do I need special equipment?
The program at Troop 104 involves a great deal of outdoor adventure. Participation in campouts,
day hikes, and overnight backpacking trips do require a certain amout of special equipment,
though it does not have to cost alot to provide your Scout with quality camping gear.
Troop 104 provides a wide range of troop and patrol gear, such as kitchen boxes and cooking
equipment. This leaves personal equipment as the only gear that needs to be obtained for outdoor
adventures.
RANK:
How do I advance in rank in Scouting? 
While the Eagle Badge is considered the higest rank award a Scout can earn, the trail to Eagle is
filled with many challenges and learning opportunities.
Scouts go through a series of lower ranks that include Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class which focus on learning about citizenship, outdoor skills like hiking, camping and cooking, life skills like first aid, and perform service projects.
Higher ranks of Star and Life Scout require merit badges be earned, with a certain number of Eagle-required merit badges necessary for each rank. Additional service projects and serving in leadership positions complete the requirements for these ranks.
It is estimated that only 2% of all young men who joing Scouting will earn the Eagle Badge.
Earning your Eagle Badge requires a tremendous amount of dedication and commitment, along with a
great deal of perseverance and hard work. To become an Eagle Scout, one must plan and conduct a
major community service project in addition to earning a total of 21 merit badges, 12 of which
are required. Upon completing these tasks, the Scout appears before an Eagle Review Board to answer a wide range of questions designed to ensure the Scout has truly met the requirements to become an Eagle.
Troop 104 has a rich history of young men who made the commitment and earned their Eagle Badge.
104's Eagles are the foundation of their communities and professions around the country - having
completed the difficult and challenge Trail to Eagle during their Scouting careers.
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