New Scouts

Welcome to Troop 729! When you first join scouting, it might feel overwhelming to learn all of the new terms and ways of doing things. Don’t worry – just follow this step-by-step checklist and you’ll be on the right track!

Print Version

Prefer paper? You can download the PDF here.

Week One: Getting Started

  • If you haven’t already attended one of our meetings, stop on by! Just let us know you’re coming and we’ll see you soon! Any girl age 11-17 is welcome to visit.

  • Troop 729 sends out a weekly email announcing what will be happening at the next meeting as well as any upcoming events and important announcements. Make sure you sign up here so you always know what's going on!

  • To officially become a part of Troop 729, ask a parent to help you register at this link. The annual membership fee is $125 your first year ($85 after that) and will be collected during the online registration process.

Week Two: Getting Equipped

  • We recommend purchasing your uniform from Outdoor Trails, right here in Lynchburg. Some uniform items can be substituted for non-official items to save money.

    • Shirt – You’ll need to get the official tan button-up shirt. Sometimes we have hand-me-downs from other scouts, so feel free to contact us if you’d like to check.

    • Pants / Shorts – Depending on the time of year you can get pants, shorts, or convertable zip-offs. If you’d like to spend less, you can buy non-BSA green shorts or pants elsewhere.

    • Belt – We recommend the official BSA belt, but you can substitute a different green belt that’s similar.

    • Neckerchief & Slide – We recommend purchasing the official BSA neckerchief. Troop 729 will supply the slide. Just ask your patrol leader at the next meeting and they will get one.

    • Hat – This is optional. From time to time our troop will get custom hats printed, so feel free to wait if you’d like.

    • Socks – You will need green socks to match your uniform, but you do not have to buy the BSA official socks.

    • Shoes – There are no official BSA shoes, but you will need brown shoes or hiking boots to wear with your uniform.

  • This is your guide to everything in scouting! You can purchase the Scout Handbook at Outdoor Trails, or order it from ScoutShop.

  • Scout is the first rank you will work toward earning. You can find the requirements in your Scout Handbook on page 441.

    Pick one or two of the requirements for the Scout rank (like memorizing the Scout Oath and Scout Law) and ask your patrol leader to help you sign off those requirements.

Week Three: Learning the Basics

  • During the summer we wear Class B uniforms:

    • Class B shirt (this can be the Troop 729 t-shirt you received in your Welcome Packet or scouting related t-shirt)

    During the rest of the year, we wear relaxed Class A uniforms:

    • Tan BSA shirt (tucked in)

    • Green pants or shorts

    • Green belt

    • Green socks

    • Brown shoes or hiking boots

    Neckerchiefs and merit badge sashes are only needed when wearing Formal Class A at special events like a Court of Honor award ceremonies.

    but during the summer we wear Class B uniforms. If you’re not sure what to wear, ask you patrol leader.

  • We recommend working on requirements like the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout sign, Scout salute, Scout handshake, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. As you memorize these from your Scout Handbook, demonstrate that you know them to your patrol leader or senior patrol leader and they can sign off those requirements in your Scout Handbook.

  • This is where the real adventure begins! Check and see what upcoming events are available and go ahead and sign up for one.

Week Four: Becoming Part of the Team

  • Challenge yourself to see if you can complete the rest of the Scout rank requirements and achieve your first rank!

  • Scouts help their community. Look for opportunities to help others (aka “Do a good turn daily”) and volunteer to help with setup or cleanup duties during a troop meeting.

  • Ask for the phone numbers of your patrol leader, senior patrol leader, and scoutmaster so you can contact them as needed.

  • You’ve come a long way in 4 weeks! Think about what you want to accomplish next in scouting. Scouting is a big adventure, and we’re glad you’re along for the journey!