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What is a Troop?

The Scout troop is a unit of Scouts that usually meet weekly. The troop is the fundamental unit, which a Scout joins and through which he or she participates in Scouting activities, such as camping, backpacking, and canoeing. The troop leadership, both youth and adult, organizes and provides support for these activities. The troop size can vary from as few as a half-dozen Scouts to several dozen. Troops work on badges and awards together, and arrange activities, events, and camping trips together.

Each troop is divided into patrols of five to ten Scouts. A patrol’s independence from the troop varies among troops and between activities. For instance, a troop typically holds ordinary meetings as a unit. Patrols’ autonomy becomes more visible at campouts, where each patrol may set up its own cooking area. However, on a high adventure trip where a smaller part of the troop might attend, divisions between patrols may disappear entirely.

Troops are usually sponsored or chartered by an organization, such as a business, service organization, school, labor group veteran’s group, or religious institution. The chartering organization is responsible for providing a meeting place and promoting a good program.

A key component of the Scout method is that troops are run by the Scouts under the advice and guidance of adult leaders. The patrol method is the most common way that scout-run troops are run, especially in BSA Scouts

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