Troop 2860

Friends of Pocahontas State Park

Chesterfield, VA

You know what you need. You just want the details on what's happening now within the Troop. This page should give you all the latest and greatest in a quick and easy reference. Just scroll on down to the section below that gives you what you need and Scout On!

Troop Store

The Troop Store is where you can sign up for all our outings. If you don't see the store embedded below, you can link directly to it at https://troop2860.ecwid.com.

Calendar of Events

What's happening, when, and where!

Troop Photo Library

Wondering what kind of fun your child had at the last Troop Outing? Check out all the pictures on our SmugMug Photo Site! There are two easy ways listed below to get to the pictures, but whatever way you choose will require the group password. We can't post the password here, or it wouldn't be much of a secret! The password is included in an email to the Troop after each outing's photos are posted to the site. If you can't find a recent email with the password, email technology-chair@troop2860.org to get access.

Go directly to the Photo Library by linking to https://troop2860.smugmug.com
Download the SmugMug Smartphone App, click Find Photographers, and search for Troop 2860

Expense Reimbursements

Was your Scout the Grubmaster at the recent campout? Maybe you were the coordinator for a weekend outing? Or you just helped out the Troop with the procurement of some essential item! You should have gotten approval for the expenditure ahead of time, and now you can fill out the online Troop Reimbursement/Disbursement Request Form and submit it along with an image of the receipt(s). Don't wait too long to submit, we only accept receipts within the last 30 days! The Troop Treasurer and Committee Chair will review the request for approval. Reimbursement via PayPal is fastest and preferred. Paper checks will take longer to process and will be available for pickup at an upcoming Troop Meeting. Thanks for helping out!

Merit Badge Counselors

Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor is a great way to support Scouting and become involved in the program. Picking a subject that you are knowledgeable and passionate about will make it fun for you and the Scouts. We can always use more than one Counselor for a given Merit Badge, so don't be concerned if there is overlap, but if you want to check out where we may have holes in coverage, you can review our Troop Merit Badge Counselor List. A paper application is required (use position code 42). You must fill out the Adult Application with Background Check and the Merit Badge Counselor Information forms. Please print and sign these, and turn them in to our Committee Chair along with a copy of your current YPT Certificate. If you are not already a registered adult leader with any Unit of the BSA, there is a $25 annual fee to be a Merit Badge Counselor. Please make check payable to "Heart of Virginia Council" and include it with your paperwork to the Committee Chair.

Medical Forms

The BSA requires the Troop to have a BSA Medical Form Parts A & B on file for any youth or adult participant at a Troop event or activity, regardless of whether they stay overnight. Parts A & B do not require a doctor's signature, only the signatures and the youth and/or adult participant. You are required to attach a photocopy of the front and back of your health insurance card to the Form. If the event is 72 hours or more in length, an additional Part C is required to be on file, which does require a physical examination and signature by a medical doctor. All Medical Forms Part A, B & C are only good for 1 year from the date of signature, and new forms must be filled and and submitted at that time. The Troop cannot accept electronic copies of Medical Forms or photocopies of Medical Forms - we must have the original with inked signatures.

Individuals are highly encouraged to use the form-fillable PDF versions posted below to type in all required information, and save the file to edit and update in future submissions as new forms are required. Printing and signing a new form-filled PDF is a lot less burdensome than handwriting out all the information on a new form every year.

For Boys: Download BSA Medical Form Parts A & B pre-filled for Troop 2860-B
For Girls: Download BSA Medical Form Parts A & B pre-filled for Troop 2860-G
For Both: Download BSA Medical Form Part C for either Troop

Merit Badge Process

As we invented new ways to Scout during the COVID-19 pandemic, we revamped our Merit Badge process to be completely paperless! No more smushed Blue Cards crammed in the bottom of a backpack or handbook cover. We are now leveraging the tracking abilities of Scoutbook for electronic Blue Cards while the Scout is in the process of completing the requirements. At our next Court of Honor, the Scout will still receive a physical completed Blue Card with the Merit Badge stapled to it. This printed Blue Card needs to end up in their Scout Binder! So the new process is as follows:

The Scout (not parent) contacts the Scoutmaster at a Troop Meeting or by email to request permission to start a new Merit Badge.
The Scoutmaster gives approval, assigns the MB to the Scout in Scoutbook, and connects the Scout to a Counselor for that MB via Scoutbook.
The Scout (not parent) must contact the Merit Badge Counselor before beginning to complete requirements.
It is the responsibility of the Merit Badge Counselor to determine when a requirement has been satisfied and to mark it off in Scoutbook. Please do not mark Merit Badge requirements as complete for your Scout in Scoutbook without the prior express consent from their Merit Badge Counselor.
Once the Merit Badge Counselor agrees that all requirements have been met, they will mark the Merit Badge itself as Completed in Scoutbook. Please do not mark Merit Badges as Completed in Scoutbook ever. This needs to be done by the assigned Merit Badge Counselor.
The Scoutmaster will be notified, and will mark the Merit Badge as Approved in Scoutbook, applying his final signature to the electronic Blue Card.
The Advancement Chair will print out completed Blue Cards and attach the Merit Badge patch immediately prior to the next Court of Honor.
Once the Merit Badge has been handed out at the next Court of Honor, the Advancement Chair will mark the Merit badge as Awarded in Scoutbook.
After receiving at least 3 Merit Badges, the Scout affixes the Merit Badge patches to their sash.
The Scout adds the completed Blue Card to the next pocket in the Merit badge section of their Scout Binder.

Merit Badge Booklet Library

If your Scout is working on a Merit Badge and would like to use the printed pamphlet to aid in their learning of the skills and topic, the Troop owns a Library of Merit Badge Pamphlets normally available for purchase through the Scout Shop. These booklets are maintained by the youth position of Librarian in the Troop. You can view the inventory of the Troop Library here. If you would like to check out a Merit Badge Pamphlet from the Troop Library, please submit this request form. The Librarian will check availability and assign the booklet to your Scout, delivering it at the next Troop Meeting.

If you prefer to stay digital, there is a great electronic library of all Merit Badge Pamphlets curated by Troop 109 in New Jersey. Check out their Online Merit Badge Library.

Life to Eagle Process

This is a guide for Scouts, parents and unit leaders to help navigate the steps from Life to Eagle. You can also download a two-page Reference Guide of the steps below to review offline. Final paperwork should be submitted in a ½” three-ring binder at your Eagle Board of Review. Please keep electronic backup copies of all documents and signature pages.

Once a Scout earns their Life Rank, they will be assigned a Troop Life-to-Eagle Advisor to provide motivation and accountability through the process to Eagle. The Scout should coordinate a meeting with their new LTE Advisor and their parents within two weeks of being assigned. Review your progress towards Eagle together in Scoutbook.
The Scout should continue working on the 14 Eagle-Required Merit Badges.
Once the Scout has an Eagle Project in mind, they should download the latest version of the BSA Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, and read the instructions on pages 2 – 5, Proposal Page A, and Fundraising Application Page B, then sign the Candidate’s Promise on Proposal Page H. No work or fundraising can begin on the Project until District Approval is received.
If the Scout will be Fundraising by collecting funds from sources other than themselves, their parents or relatives, the Troop, or the Beneficiary, then the Project Fundraising Application Page A will need to be completed.
The Scout should identify a Project Beneficiary Representative who is authorized to sign on behalf of the Beneficiary and meet with them to gain approval for the Project. Provide them with a copy of “Navigating the Eagle Scout Service Project”, which appears at the end of the Project Workbook. Have them sign Proposal Page H, and if applicable, Fundraising Application Page A.
The Scout should create a time log to track all hours they and anyone else contributed to the project. This includes discussing the project with others, filling out the workbook, and the labor of performing the project. Time should be tracked in workforce-hours (time spent multiplied by individuals present). A spreadsheet works best for this log.
With an approved Project from the Beneficiary and a clear understanding of the scope of the Project, the Scout must complete the Project Proposal section of the Workbook. The Troop's Eagle Project Workbook Contacts list is helpful in filling out Proposal Page B of the Workbook.
The Scout should ask for time with the Scoutmaster to have them sign as Unit Leader on Proposal Page H.
With a completed Proposal section and Unit Leader and Beneficiary Signatures, the Scout should email committee-chair@troop2860.org and request a Troop Committee Review of their Project Proposal. This review will be scheduled to occur during an upcoming Troop Meeting. The Scout should dress in full Class A with sash and be prepared to discuss the Project in detail. Visual aids are not required but can be helpful. If the Committee agrees that the Scout is ready to present to District, the Committee Chair will sign Proposal Page H, and if applicable, Fundraising Application Page A.
The Committee Chair will start an email thread with the District Advancement Chair, the Scout, and their parents. District Approval for Eagle Projects are held at District Roundtable Meetings, which occur on the first Thursday evening of each month (with the exception of July). The Scout should be practiced in their Proposal and incorporate the suggestions from the Troop Committee Review. If successful, the District Advancement Chair will sign Proposal Page H, and if applicable, Fundraising Application Page A.
The Scout is now authorized to fundraise (if applicable), schedule work days, and create sign-ups for volunteers. Complete the Project Plan section of the Workbook. The Scout should provide leadership to accomplish the Project.
Once the Project is complete, the Scout should fill out the Project Report section of the workbook, sign the Candidate’s Promise on Project Report Page C, and meet with the Beneficiary Representative to seek their agreement the Project is completed to their satisfaction and obtain their signature on Project Report Page C. If the Scout would like pictures of the Project added to the history of the Troop Photo Site, transfer pictures of the Project to the Eagle Project Upload Folder and send an email to technology-chair@troop2860.org notifying them of the new deposit.
The Scout should ask for time with the Scoutmaster to have them sign as Unit Leader on Project Report Page C.
The Scout and their Life-to-Eagle Advisor should continue to meet regularly to review their progress toward the remaining requirements for Eagle Rank in Scoutbook. As final Eagle requirements are nearing completion or completed, the Scout should begin to prepare for their Eagle Scoutmaster Conference by completing the next steps.
The Scout should export a pre-populated copy of their Eagle Scout Application from Scoutbook, which can be found under the Reports menu option on their profile page. Review the application for accuracy. All Merit Badges and Leadership Positions should be filled out. Enter the official name of your Eagle Project and the total hours from their time log. The “Date project finished” should match the date of the Beneficiary signature on Project Report Page C.
The Scout must request 6 Letters of Recommendation from community individuals. The Scout is only required to request the Letters, they are not responsible for ensuring any are actually submitted. The references are not to share the letter with the Scout, but should be instructed to submit it directly to committee-chair@troop2860.org. It is recommended that the Scout use this email template to request the recommendations. The contact information of the 6 individuals should be entered into Requirement 2 of the Eagle Application.
The Scout is required to write a Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose, a 500-word essay that reflects on what they have learned from Scouting, their short-term goals for finishing their primary education, and what their current plans are for college and career. They should also highlight any Non-Scouting Honors and Positions of Responsibility. They should include thoughts on how they will continue to live by the Principles of the Scout Oath and Law, and how they may continue to give back to Scouting.
The Scout should download their Individual Advancement Record from Scoutbook, which can be found under the Reports menu option on their profile page. Review it for accuracy and compare it to their Scout Handbook. Ensure all requirements for all ranks have been signed off in their Scout Handbook.
The Scout should compile a ½” three-ring binder of the necessary documents in plastic sheet protectors in the following order: (1) Eagle Application, (2) Individual Advancement Record, (3) Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose, (4) Eagle Project Workbook, (5) Photographs of Eagle Project.
The Scout should ensure their Scout Achievements Binder is current, with all rank cards, award cards, and merit badge blue cards. It can include awards from Cub Scouts if applicable. Note this is a separate 1-½” three-ring binder and not the same as the ½” Eagle Binder.
Once all materials are prepared, the Scout should email the Scoutmaster (scoutmaster.boys@troop2860.org or scoutmaster.girls@troop2860.org) to request the scheduling of their Eagle Scoutmaster Conference. This conference will be scheduled to occur during an upcoming Troop Meeting. The Scout should dress in full Class A with sash and bring their Scout Handbook, Eagle Binder, and Scout Achievements Binder.
On the day of the Eagle Scoutmaster Conference, the Scout should sign and date the Eagle Application as the Applicant in preparation of the meeting. Upon successful completion of the ESMC, the Scoutmaster will sign the Eagle Application. At the same Troop Meeting, the Scout should seek out the Committee Chair and request their signature on the Eagle Application.
The Scout should email committee-chair@troop2860.org and request the scheduling of their Eagle Board of Review. The Committee Chair will start an email thread with the District Advancement Chair, the Scout, and their parents. The Scout will be expected to reply with electronic copies of their Eagle Binder documents. The EBOR will be scheduled to occur during an upcoming Troop Meeting, and will include three representatives from the Troop Committee and two representatives from District. The Scout should dress in full Class A with sash and bring their Scout Handbook, Eagle Binder, and Scout Achievements Binder.
Upon successful completion of the Eagle Board of Review, the Scout will be considered an Eagle Scout. The Committee Chair and District Advancement Chair will sign the Eagle Application. The Committee Chair will take the Eagle Binder to submit to Council Office for processing. It will take 4 to 6 weeks for BSA to ratify the application and award the Eagle Scout Credentials. The Committee Chair will be notified when they are ready and will pick them up along with the returned Eagle Binder.
The Scout will be recognized briefly as a part of the Troop’s next regular Court of Honor, where they will receive their Eagle Credentials and Eagle Binder. If the family wishes to organize an individual Eagle Court of Honor for the Scout, the Troop Leadership will be honored to participate, as it will be the family’s responsibility to plan the event.