Updates for 2021-2022
From the Sep 2 2021 email sent by Committee Chair Danny Kim:
Dear parents, I hope this email finds you well despite the challenging circumstances we are all facing (and now on top of Covid, we've had to deal with tropical storms/hurricanes). We had an exciting summer with summer camp at Nobe and the high adventure trips to Philmont and Summit. But we are still in times of unprecedented uncertainty but with hopefully fewer unknowns ahead of us. In the spirit of Scouting, our Troop leadership is trying its best to hope for the best and be prepared to help our youth experience the most they can during these times. Like last year, we wanted to take additional opportunities to communicate some of our plans for the year. The following is Troop 201’s current plan and thinking in a Q&A format. Our next Troop Parent meeting is on September 14th - all parents are invited to attend and provide input. Please feel free to reach out to me or any of the other registered leaders with any questions in the meantime.
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Will the Troop resume in person Monday Troop meetings?
Herricks School district has not confirmed that Searingtown Elementary school will be available for us to meet. However, we are currently exploring whether the Herricks School District will allow us to meet outside Searingtown school for meeting purposes, provided of course that we meet the state guidelines for capacity, social distancing, wearing of masks, etc. If that is not possible, then our fallback is to explore the American Legion or continue on-line troop meetings. -
Will the Troop resume monthly camping trips?
What we are planning for is to organize outdoor trips as they become available and adhere to safety protocols. Lastly, we expect to implement specific pre-trip checks (e.g., temperature) in order to clear youths and adults who participate. -
Will the cost to register change?
Yes. The national BSA organization and the local council have raised their collective fees by $6 from $108 to $114. This includes the local council fees which have not been finalized yet but we can expect a modest increase so the final cost may be even higher. Again for this year, we have decided to not participate in the Council popcorn fundraiser. We raised the membership fee to $175 last year and we expect to keep the fee at $175 this year. Note that if Council raises their fee substantially higher than expected, we may need to raise the fee accordingly. As usual, we offer a $15 discount towards the fee for a second/third child in the family. Lastly, BSA national retained its $25 registration surcharge for new youths who join the scouts for the first time remains. Returning scouts, scouts moving up from cub scouts, or scouts transferring from another Troop will not be required to pay the $25 surcharge. Please plan to bring the appropriate amount (check only) to the first Troop meeting (currently scheduled for Sep 13).
Click here for more information about the program fee increase. -
What is the Troop’s plan to ensure the safety of any in-person activity?
The Troop intends to follow all the applicable safety guidelines as provided by the Council and pursuant to the relevant authorities. These guidelines may include requiring each scout to use their own tent, reducing trips to day trips, and taking temperature checks before leaving for a trip, etc.
Thank you and YIS,
Danny Kim
Troop 201 Committee Chairperson