The First Meeting

At the first meeting or second at the latest, your boy should be assigned to a patrol by the scoutmaster and senior patrol leader. It may be a new patrol full of new scouts with an experienced leader or it may be a patrol with a set of boys with mixed ages and experience. There are advantages and disadvantages to both arrangements. If you believe that your boy would benefit from one of those two types of patrols (or would not thrive), please let the scoutmaster know. The first few weeks in the troop, your boy will probably be slightly overwhelmed. Many of the guys will be much larger and older. Boys will be ordering him around. Telling him to get in line, tuck in his shirt, stop squirming around. He will soon be used to the pattern and these reminders will stop. If your son is not happy in the patrol, please let the scoutmaster know. Until we get to know the boy and his moods, it is very difficult for us to interpret silence.