About Troop 425
Philmont - Trail to Adventure
Meeting at Heritage United Methodist Church
12850 Quivira Rd. Overland Park, Kansas 66213
Telephone (913) 897-6446
Various Forms
- Service Project Approval
- Campout Planning
- Chili Recipes
- Revised Release and hold harmless form
- Adult Interest survey
[Introduction to Merit Badges]
DISTRICT MISSION:
To provide young men, between the ages of 11 (or completed fifth grade) and 18, the opportunity to experience the challenges and opportunities of scouting, in a safe but exciting environment.
PHILOSOPHY:
It is the goal of Troop 425 for all Scouts to have the best possible scouting experience, while permitting each the opportunity to advance along the rank trail from Scout to Life and, if they are very successful, to the rank of Eagle Scout. The scouting experience at Troop 425 emphasizes a return to basic scout skills including backpacking and hiking rather than trailer or car camping, cooking over open fires when appropriate or light-weight backpack stoves rather than camp stoves, teamwork and leadership.
True adventure is experienced by good comrades who enter the "wilderness" with only their wits and what they can carry on their backs and then return having experienced the joys of nature, leaving no trace of their passage so that others may later share the same experience.
PROGRAM: Troop 425 has a 12-month camping program. Weekend campouts are scheduled from October through May. A 7-day scout camp is scheduled for June and the annual 10-day high adventure trip occurs in July, the troop reunion campout is planned for August and the father-son campout is set for September.
Service projects include assisting the Overland Park Lions Club with posting the colors at various locations around Overland Park on national holidays and projects to assist the church, with new opportunities for service regularly presenting themselves. Merit badge classes are taught locally and are available through the Red-Tailed Hawk District and Heart of America Council.Troop 425 and its scouts participate in both local honor camping societies, The Tribe of Mic-O-Say and Order of the Arrow.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
The troop is run by the scouts for the scouts. An important aspect of Boy Scouting are the leadership opportunities presented for scouts. The Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leaders and several other leaders are selected by popular elections. Popular elections are the method by which our local, state and national leaders are selected. The use of popular elections also teaches scouts important life-lessons about competition. However, Troop 425 has also adopted a merit system to ensure elections are not purely popularity contests. Under the merit system scouts are awarded merit points for participation and the merit points are then used as a basis for qualifying candidates to stand for elections. Merit points may also be lost for misconduct.
ORGANIZATION:
A Senior Patrol Leader selected from the scouts leads the troop. The troop is scout run and organized as multiple six- to eight- scout patrols, each led by a Patrol Leader selected from within the patrol. Other leadership positions filled by scouts, include scribe, historian, quartermaster, bugler and chaplain's aide. Adult leadership is provided by the Scoutmaster and the assistant Scoutmasters in the form of advice and guidance only.
The troop is run by the scouts for the scouts. The Scoutmaster guides the scouts in preparation of their annual program. The Scoutmaster is responsible to the Troop Committee which must approve the annual program and other proposed activities of the troop. The Troop Committee is composed of various committees and all registered adult leaders are voting members of the committee.
The Troop Committee controls the budget and is responsible for reviewing and approving all activities of the troop. The Troop Committee Chairman is responsible to the Chartering Organization Representative and the Chartering Organization. The Chartering Organization owns all property of the troop including its charter and is responsible for screening and approving all adult leadership.
Troop 425 is fortunate to have Heritage United Methodist Church as its chartering organization. The church takes great interest in the activities of the troop. provides a meeting place and financial support.
Introduction to Merit Badges
There have been several questions about merit badges and what is needed to get a merit badge. The primary source for information on how to go about earning a merit badge is in the Boy Scout Handbook. Chapter seven (7) beginning on page 185 explains the process, from how to start to how to wear the badges after they are earned. Page 187 explains how the scout gets a merit badge card and begins work on the merit badge. I put together the following information from the Boy Scout Requirements 2001 book to help everyone understand the process better.
The scout can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business and future careers as he earns merit badges. There are more than 100 merit badges (119 as of January 1, 2001). Any Boy Scout may work on any merit badge at any time. However, to complete some merit badges, the Scout must complete another merit badge first (e.g., Firs Aid is required for Emergency Preparedness and Swimming is required for Lifesaving). You don’t need to have had rank advancement to be eligible.
Pick A Subject. Talk to your Scoutmaster, Advancement Chairman or another adult leader about your interests. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you. Pick one to earn. Your Scoutmaster or Advancement Chairman will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.
Scout Buddy System. You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister, a relative or a friend.
Call The Counselor. Get a signed blue merit badge card from your Scoutmaster or Advancement Chairman. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and tell him or her that you want to earn the merit badge. The counselor may ask you to come and see him so he can explain what he expects and start helping you meet the requirements.
When you know what is expected, start to learn and do the things required. Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Many troops and schools or public libraries have them.
Show Your Stuff. When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment to meet the requirements. When you go take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will ask you to do each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.
Get The Badge. When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your blue card. The Counselor may or may not keep the “Counselor” portion of the blue card. Give the signed blue card to your Advancement Chairman so that your merit badge emblem can be secured for you. Be sure to keep the “Applicant Record” portion of the card for your permanent records. If you move and join another troop, this is your permanent record and proof that you have earned a merit badge.
Requirements. You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated --- no more and no less. You are expected to do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says "show or demonstrate," that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn’t enough. The same thing holds true for such words as "make," "list," "in the field," and "collect," "identify," and "label." One word of caution -- counselors may require slight variations in how or what they require you to do. This is one reason it is wise to contact the counselor prior to beginning work on a merit badge.
Note: There is NO DEADLINE for earning Merit Badges, except the Scout's 18th Birthday. Once a Scout has started working on a Merit Badge (i.e. obtained a signed "Blue Card" Application for Merit Badge from his Scoutmaster, had an initial discussion with a merit badge Counselor, and started working on the requirements), he may continue using those requirements until he completes the badge or turns 18.
THERE IS NO ONE YEAR LIMIT ON SO-CALLED "PARTIALS".
In contrast to the rule for rank advancements, which imposes a specific deadline for using the old requirements, The rule for Merit Badges is as follows:
If the requirements change while a Scout is working on the badge, he may continue to use the OLD requirements until he completes the work, or he may use the new requirements if he wishes. It is HIS choice, and his alone.
If a Merit Badge is discontinued, Scouts working on the badge when it is removed from the Boy Scout Requirements booklet may continue to work toward completing the badge, and get credit for earning the badge, until they turn 18. However, it may not be possible to obtain an actual merit badge patch, once the local council's supply is exhausted.
If a discontinued Merit Badge is replaced with one or more other Merit Badges covering the same or similar topics (such as Rifle and Shotgun Shooting MB which was replaced by Rifle Shooting MB and Shotgun Shooting MB), a Scout that has earned the discontinued badge may also earn the new badge or badges. If the badge is simply renamed (such as Firemanship MB which was changed to Fire Safety MB), Scouts may NOT earn the badge again. If the badge number in BSA's numbering system is the same before and after the change, it is a renaming. If a new number is assigned, it is a replacement.