Glossary

(also see the Positions section for common acronyms used to describe scout and adult positions)

ASM MEETING – meeting held once a month, usually on the first Saturday morning, for 1-2 hours, where the Assistant Scoutmasters (ASMs) meet with the Scoutmaster (SM) to discuss Troop activities. All parents are welcome at the ASM meeting.

BOARD OF REVIEW – review of accomplishments of scout as he finishes the requirements of a rank; this is conducted by a panel of at least two adults, at least one of whom is an ASM.

BOULDER CREEK – Boulder Creek Scout Reservation is a camp owned by the Pacific Skyline Council with 300+ acres of redwoods, hiking, trails, meadows, stream, a self-lead B.S.A. national historic trail, a nature trail, and a resident ranger. It is located on Bear Creek Road, just off Highway 9.

BOY’S LIFE – The magazine for boy scouts published by BSA. It can be ordered when boys register. There is an edition for Cub Scouts and one for Boy Scouts, with different articles in each. Also available online from the BSA web site, http://boyslife.org/.

BSA – Boy Scouts of America.

CAMPOREE – a district or council campout with competition between the troops in the area.

COURT OF HONOR – ceremony for awarding advancement and merit badges; held semi-annually usually in September and March. The Troop has a family potluck dinner before each Court of Honor.

CUTTER – Cutter Scout Reservation – a campground facility owned by the Pacific Skyline Council; it is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Big Basin State Park.

FIFTH TUESDAY – when there are five Tuesdays in a month, the evening of the fifth Tuesday is set aside for a “fun” activity. These meetings are a non-uniform occasion and often are outings.

FRIENDS OF SCOUTING/FAIR SHARE – annual fundraising effort to raise money for the local council; usually held in March.

GREEN BAR – The Green Bar meeting is for the Scout leaders to meet and review plans for the upcoming troop meeting. This supplements the monthly PLC meeting. At summer camp, this meeting is for discussion of the daily plans.

IMPOUND ACCOUNT – profits from most fund raisers are shared with the scouts who participate. The portion credited to the scout is added to his scout “impound account” along with mileage allowance for drivers and minor reimbursements (if requested). It can then be used to pay for outings or dues.

HOME & HOPE [previously known as INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK (IHN)] – our sponsoring church, Hillsdale United Methodist Church, is a member of the network, hosting homeless families for a week, 4-6 times per year. The Troop helps by setting up and taking down tents, beds, furnishings, etc.

JUNIOR LEADERS – refers to all the youth who hold an office, as listed in the Scout Leadership Positions section.

KLONDIKE DERBY – a wintertime “camporee”, held in the snow, including snow-oriented competitions.

MERIT BADGE – an in-depth study of a particular field such as botany, reptiles, camping, swimming, etc. Certain merit badges are required along the trail to the rank of Eagle Scout.

NATIONAL JAMBOREE – a national camping experience held every 4 years in the U.S.

OLJATO – a campground facility owned by the Pacific Skyline Council; it is located on an island in a lake in the Sierra. T27’s summer camp is NOT at Oljato.

ORDER OF THE ARROW (OA) – an honorary scouting organization to which older troop members may be elected by their peers. OA emphasizes camping, leadership, service and Native American lore.

PACIFIC SKYLINE COUNCIL – our council, which stretches from Brisbane to Palo Alto. The Council runs the service centers and camps and provides training for adults and youth.

PATROL – the boys are divided into groups of 6-10 boys each, which are called patrols. Each patrol has a Patrol Leader and an Assistant Patrol Leader.

PLC – the Patrol Leader Council meets once a month to plan events and meetings. It is led by the Senior Patrol Leader, and attended by all Patrol Leaders and other Junior Leaders and V27 officers, along with the Scoutmaster and other ASMs.

REDWOOD DISTRICT – the Council is divided into several districts. Our district, the Redwood District, covers troops in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, San Carlos, Belmont, Woodside, Redwood City, Portola Valley, San Mateo, Millbrae, Hillsborough, Burlingame and Foster City.

ROUNDTABLE – a district-wide meeting for adults attended by troop leaders and held at the LDS Church in San Mateo on the first Thursday of every month except July and August. District and Council activities are planned at Roundtable meetings. They also provide the opportunity to share ideas with other troops.

SCOUTMASTER’S CONFERENCE – discussion of goals, achievements and plans of a scout as he finishes the requirements of a rank. This is conducted by the Scoutmaster and must be completed before the scout has a Board of Review.

SKILLS REVIEW – review of accomplishments of a scout as he finishes the requirements of a rank. This is conducted by the Scoutmaster and/or an Assistant Scoutmaster. This review reinforces learning and must be completed before the scout has a Scoutmaster’s Conference.

TREASURE HUNT – an annual outing planned by the members of V27. Scouts must decode clues in Morse Code (or other coding schemes) and determine where to find the next clue and ultimately the treasure!

VENTURING CREW 27 – a related scout group that allows boys and girls ages 14 to 21 to participate in high adventure scouting activities including climbing, rafting, canoeing, kayaking and hiking. Many of our scouts who belong to the ICs are also members of V27. The Crew meets the first and third Tuesday at the same time as the Troop. Crew members also assist the troop, teaching high adventure skills to the scouts.

WORLD JAMBOREE – a worldwide camping experience held every 4 years somewhere in the world.