Welcome to Troop 174!

We appreciate your interest in Troop 174, and encourage you to become very familiar with our Troop program and leaders before your son actually joins our Troop. We understand that choosing the RIGHT Troop for you and your son, while not easy, is very important. Please feel free to watch the meeting, and in the hall or other room talk with leaders or parents. Some facts, which you might want to know about Troop 174, are:

Summary of facts about Troop 174

  • Sponsoring Organization: Paradise Hills United Methodist Men's Fellowship (Representative Richard Groff 804-0778)
  • Meeting Location: Paradise Hills United Methodist Church, 4700 Paradise Blvd.
  • Day: Monday Time: 7 to 8:30 PM
  • Leadership
    • Scoutmaster: Rick Meyerhein (898-2193 or rmeyerhein@aol.com) has been with the Troop since 1963 and has received training from Basic Training through Wood Badge. Our six Assistant Scoutmasters have from 1 to 20 years leadership with the Troop.
    • Committee Chair: Ken Hall (792-0331 or khall64@comcast.net). There are currently about 10 other adults actively serving on our Troop Committee supporting our Troop program.
    • Boy Led: To the extent of their abilities, we try to have activities Boy Led. Even though this may not produce the most organized activities, we feel that boys can only develop leadership abilities by leading.
  • Troop 174 has been in existence since 1963 (45+ years)
    • There are currently about 35+ active Scouts and 7 active adult Uniformed Leaders
    • Typically have 30+ Scouts and 4-5 leaders at Troop meetings
  • Activities
    • We have at least one Outdoor activity a month (average 30 nights a year Troop camping)
    • We have Troop meetings every Monday unless we are camping or Monday falls on a major holiday.
    • We encourage Patrol meetings (outside of Troop meetings) at least twice a month
    • Our Troop program is planned by the Scouts and approved by the leaders and parents. Our yearly plans go from September through August.
    • We typically have two to three Long Term Campouts a year:
      • Spring Break Trip: Generally a large trip but suitable for the whole family,. and we have taken siblings as young as 6 without problems. The cost will be approximately $180 per person. We have recently done things like hiking into the grand Canyon (Havasupai), gone wild caving in the Carlsbad region, and done wilderness camps in the Gila Wilderness.
      • SUMMER CAMP: For all Scouts. This is usually at a BSA Scout Camp where food is prepared in a dining hall and Scouts sleep in large 2 man tents on platforms. This year we will be going to our Council Camp Rand near Santa Fe. The cost is about $180 per Scout.
      • High Adventure Activity: For older Scouts and typically involves a 50 mile backpacking experience in a wilderness area. Unless we go to Philmont as we will in 2009 the cost is about $120 per Scout. We are still planning for this summer (we hate droughts).
  • Advancement
    • Time for advancement is dependent on individual boys but normally most boys make First Class within 18 months. Scouts are usually 16-17 before making Eagle. Over our history, the Troop has averaged about one Eagle Scout a year.
    • While advancement is an important method in Scouting, it is not Troop 174s main goal. We will make every opportunity available for Scouts to advance, but advancement is up to them.
  • Troop Organization
    • The Troop is made up of Patrols (5-8 boys) that camp, cook, play, and work together as a team. Our preference is to have Patrols composed of boys of varying ages so that the older boys can help the younger ones.
      • We currently have four Patrols.
    • Usually in the spring, we get a number of Webelos crossing over into the Troop. Depending on the wishes of the boys and parents, we will either integrate these boys into existing Patrols or start a New Scout Patrol with an older Scout acting as a Guide for that Patrol. As new Scouts become familiar with the Troop and our Scouting ways (usually about 6 months), we would like them to move into regular Patrols.
    • An Assistant Scoutmaster works with every Patrol as an advisor and the primary adult resource person.
  • Equipment
    • Troop Equipment : The Troop has 2-man tents, propane and backpacking stoves, and Patrol cooking gear available for check out to Troop members.
    • We also have a few backpacks and sleeping bags to loan out until a Scout can obtain his own.
    • The major personal equipment items a new Scout will need are a sleeping bag/pad, backpack, compass and knife. These items can usually be borrowed for a while, but probably a Scout should count on having his own within a year of joining. The cost of these items will vary greatly with quality but generally $100-$200 for the above items. Most of the other items he will need for camping are things/clothing he already has.
    • Uniform: Our Troop is considers itself to be a fully uniformed Troop. That is shirt, pants, hat, and neckerchief. We encourage all Scouts to be fully uniformed and maintain a Troop uniform bank where uniform parts may be purchased for $5 or exchanged free of charge. On joining our Troop, each new Scout will receive a Troop neckerchief, numerals, and epaulets.
  • Costs:
    • The annual fee for Troop 174 is $60 ($30 Dec. and May). This covers a years registration with the national BSA, a Troop T-Shirt, Neckerchief, and epaulets upon joining. The fee for transfer Scouts and Webelos Crossovers is $30 and then annual dues when due. There is a reduced rate for the second and subsequent Scouts in one family.
    • Campouts
      • If we have to pay for the camping spot (not usually) that cost is divided among participants.
      • Transportation: We usually charge $5-8 to help pay for the drivers gasoline.
      • Food: We collect $2.50 per meal, but all that money is returned to the Patrol so they can buy their food, fuel, etc. A typical campout usually costs about $15-25 per Scout per weekend.
    • In no case does the Troop want to deny Scouting or activities because a family is unable to pay. If money becomes the deciding factor for a boys participation, please talk with the Scoutmaster or Committee Chairman (something will be worked out).
  • Commitments: Scouting is a program that works best if the boy and his family are both involved and committed. Every Scout should be important to his Patrol and when a Scout is missing, it hurts the whole Patrol and thus the Troop. Scouting does not want to interfere with church, school, or family activities. Scouting does take time, but we feel that the benefits achieved from Scouting far outweigh the time spent.

As adults leaders we believe in and try to practice the ideal that Scouts is "boy led and adult supervised." This means that from time to time we let the boys make mistakes and as adults we work with them as mentors to learn from those mistakes. We also ascribe great importance to the principle that Scouting should be a safe place; so as adults we try to react quickly to situations that might be unsafe or insensitive, we follow closely the "Guide to Safe Scouting" and we encourage all adults to be trained in as many supervisory skills as possible.

Troop 174 has a web site and, we encourage all parents (and boys if they wish) to visit the web site often. - http://www.Troop174nm.org. The site is the Troop's working site for e-mail, photos, forms, and general Scouting and outdoor information. Be sure to check the calendar for upcoming events. Please take the opportunity to read the Troop handbook found on the web site. (Note: Troop 174's web site conforms to BSA guidelines - in particular we never publish boys full names or contact information in a publicly accessible area.)

One question that will come up almost immediately is "What equipment does my son need?" The Troop is well supplied with equipment for most outings. The boys will need a few items of personal gear - we suggest the following: a plastic bowl, a spoon made of Lexan, a modest sized plastic insulated mug, a sleeping bag or blankets and a ground pad (preferably a closed cell foam pad, not an air mattress), a flashlight (the small LED Headlamp or two AA cell sized maglite is ideal) and the boy's personal hygiene kit (toothbrush, comb, etc.). We don't recommend that the boys use down sleeping bags, as they are expensive and will fail when wet - the boys will do fine with polyester or similar fiber bags.  A mummy-style sleeping bag with hollow polyester fiber filling (Hollofill II or Polarguard for example) that is rated to 15 or 20 degrees will work most of the year round in New Mexico. Except for the sleeping bag, these items are very inexpensive and all can be obtained at REI, Sportsman's Warehouse or similar stores.* Please see any of the adult leaders if you have questions. It is a good idea to talk with leaders before buying major items as we may have specific needs or concerns.

A short note on knives: before being allowed to use a knife in Troop 174 boys will be expected to earn their "Totin' Chip" card. An adequate camping knife will have a blade no longer than three inches and be a lock-back or pocket knife. A BSA pocketknife is ideal. Sheath knives are not allowed and "technical knives" - those with mostly serrated edges are not recommended. Multi-tools are acceptable as long as the knife isn't excessively large.

About uniforms: the Troop provides a Troop neckerchief, neckerchief slide, numerals, and the red shoulder epaulettes at crossover or when the boy joins the Troop. The boy will need at least a khaki Scout uniform shirt with the Great Southwest Council shoulder patch, the purple world Scouting patch, and his Patrol emblem. Some outgrown shirts may be available in the Troop uniform exchange, ask an adult leader for the current status.

Troop 174 believes in providing opportunities and encouragement for advancement, but also expects a boy to show initiative in completing his rank requirements and earning merit badges. We will encourage him to set goals for advancement and to work toward those goals, but encouragement from parents is especially important for the first rank advancement to Tenderfoot. We also know that it is important for parents to be encouraging and active in Troop activities. You will be asked to share your time, skills and support - providing transportation and camping, serving on the Troop committee, signing up to be a merit badge counselor, working with the Troop on service projects and helping with family outings.

Call on us with questions and suggestions. As adult leaders we are always looking for ways to improve the Boy Scout experience. It is recommended that a Webelos Scout visit the Troop he is planning on joining at least three times before the actual crossover. Get involved with a Troop as early in the year as possible so that your son will feel comfortable going to Summer Camp with the Troop. You are welcome to attend any of our Troop meetings or activities before actually joining. We would be pleased to help with or participate in your sons crossover ceremony. We look forward to having your son in the Troop and working with him AND YOU during his Scouting career.

I hope that you enjoyed your visit, and will choose to join to Troop 174!

Rick Meyerhein
Scoutmaster, Troop 174
Revised 2/6/08