Welcome to Troop 25!
Please complete the checklist below to get started with Scout Troop 25! If you are still trying to decide or would just like to learn more about what’s involved, please visit our Join Us page.
Troop 25 is part of the Scouts of America (formerly “Boy Scouts of America”). As such, new scout families must register with the troop and we will assist with registering your scout with the SA National organization.
Scouts are expected to wear a scout shirt to scouting events, and are required to complete SA-required medical forms to participate in overnight outings.
Lastly, we encourage all parents to join our WhatsApp Group. At least one parent is required to be in the chat, and we ask that at least one parent complete the SA’s online Youth Protection Training.
1. Dues & Financial Assistance Overview
In order to be a member of Troop 25, your scout must be registered with Scouts of America. This registration allows your scout’s advancement to be tracked for any aspiring Eagle scouts, and ensures that your scout is covered by SA’s liability insurance during any Troop 25 or other authorized scouting activities. We also ask that families register with our troop directly so we have needed contact information and troop dues, which subsidize activities and materials.
Troop dues adjust yearly due to insurance provided on the national level. Please contact us to find out this year’s dues or contact the Rio Grande Council.
Financial assistance is available through fundraising efforts throughout the year. No scout should have to miss out due to financial constraints. Please reach out in confidence to Meaghan Hurn at San.Benito.BSA.Troop25@gmail.com to request information on how to join the troop and apply for financial assistance.
2. Transfer Existing Scout to the Troop (Scouts/Cubs ALREADY REGISTERED with BSA Only)
If your scout is CURRENTLY registered with another BSA unit (including a Cub Scout pack), please follow the instructions below to transfer his existing registration from the other unit to Troop 25, please follow the instructions below or see the BSA reference if you need more information. If the instructions below fail or your screens don’t match what is described, please reach out San.Benito.BSA.Troop25@gmail.com to and ask for assistance.
- Start at the BSA Scouting.org site and find Troop 25, San Benito, Texas (Rotary of San Benito). Click on Apply Now to begin.
- If you had a scout previously registered, or you were previously registered as an adult leader, please log in with your My.scouting account (or try to reset password with the email address you would have used previously).
- Once logged in, click on the Menu in the upper-left hand corner of the screen and select My Application.
- You should see yourself and your scout(s) listed below. Click on the Transfer button next to your scout.
- In the popup window, search for Unit Type = Troop, Unit Number = 0025 and Accept Gender or Boys and click Search.
- You should see a listing of troops below. Click on the Select button next to Troop 0025 ROTARY CLUB OF SAN BENITO.
- You may see a “Loading Resources, Please Wait” indicator. If it doesn’t resolve, please log out and try again. After clicking Select, you should see Troop 0025 in the blue stripe across the top and a popup window with your scout’s info and the correct To and From units. Verify that the Transfer Registration Information is correct. Your scout should be transferring To Organization Troop 0025 ROTARY CLUB OF SAN BENITO.
- Click Submit Transfer and email San.Benito.BSA.Troop25@gmail.com when done so she can watch for your scout’s registration. It should take 24-48 hours to process.
3. Buy a Class A Uniform Shirt, with starter Insignia
Scouts are expected to wear a Class A (“dress uniform” beige shirt) en route to troop campouts, to the troop’s formal events, and to all non-troop organized Scouting activities (e.g., Council Klondike Derby, First Aid Meet, merit badge days, summer camp).
We understand that sometimes scouts come straight from afternoon activities that have run late to troop meetings, etc. and we would much rather have a scout in attendance out of uniform, than missing an activity because they don’t have time to run home and change.
Class A Shirt: A typical youth shirt will run about $35, with the insignia patches adding another $5-10. BSA recently discontinued the short-sleeved microfiber shirt that most of the troop scouts prefer, but you may be able to locate one online or used. We’ve found the best luck on eBay, with shirts ranging from $10-$20.
Insignia Patches: You can purchase patches locally at our Scout Shop located at, 6912 West Expressway 83 Harlingen, Texas 78552.
You can also purchase patches online at https://www.scoutshop.org/.
NOTE: These are not “earned” patches like rank patches, merit badges, or awards. These patches identify the scout as a member of our troop, council, and Scouts BSA.
Sewing: You may sew on the patches yourself or enlist a local seamstress or patch service. Please see our Patch Sewing resource page for more information.
4. Fill Out Your Medical Forms
All scouts attending troop or BSA overnights are required to provide a copy of BSA Medical Forms A and B each year. Form A includes an activities waiver, and Form B is a self-reported medical statement (no doctor’s signature is required).
In addition, scouts should attach copies of the front and back of their current medical insurance card.
Please send your completed medical forms and direct any medical form questions to the troop San.Benito.BSA.Troop25@gmail.com
Tip: Keep a copy of your medical form before submitting. If there are no changes, minimal changes, you can just amend as needed and attach a new Form A rather than completing from scratch.
Scouts planning to attend week-long summer camp will also need to provide a copy of BSA Medical Form C dated within 12 months of the campout date, which will require a doctor’s signature. If your scout is undecided about attending summer camp, we’d recommend having the doctor’s office fill out Form C during the annual physical, just in case, so you don’t have to go back and have it completed at a later date.
5. Engage as a Parent
Troop 25 asks at least one parent for each scout to complete Youth Protection Training (a.k.a. “YPT”) to help keep their own scouts safe and as a best practice. YPT is required for any parents who participate in troop overnights. Engaged parents help both the troop and scouts thrive, and we always welcome parents to find ways to pitch in that fit their schedule. The troop always needs at least one troop parent to attend Monday night meetings and as chaperones for outings.
Youth Protection Training: BSA takes youth protection very seriously. Consequently BSA National requires adults who participate in overnight activities to complete Youth Protection Training and to provide medical forms and a health insurance card. Troop 25 asks all parents to complete online YPT training my.scouting.org. It consists of about an hour of videos to help you recognize signs of abuse either while acting as a chaperone, or as a parent. Please send your completion certificate and direct any YPT questions to the troop Youth Protection Champion at San.Benito.BSA.Troop25@gmail.com.
When taking YPT, if you have a Scoutbook account, or you previously have had a BSA registered account, please use the same login email as you used previously. If you are not sure, please contact the Advancement Chair for more details.
Adult Medical Forms: Adults participating in overnights also need to complete Medical Forms A and B (see above for mode details) and submit the front and back of a current medical insurance card. (Keep a copy for your own reference and to facilitate renewal paperwork). Please send your completed forms and direct any medical form questions to San.Benito.BSA.Troop25@gmail.com
Adult Registration: Parents interested in serving as Assistant Scoutmasters or on the Parent Committee are asked to reach out to the troop’s Committee Chair (for Parent Committee) or Scoutmaster (for ASM) for more information and to complete a BSA Adult Application. The troop covers adult leader registration fees.
Note: Registering as an adult with the BSA requires a background check; if you are not comfortable providing your SSN in writing, you can call the local council, NEIC, for more details on how to securely provide the information by phone.
Volunteer: Both the troop and the scouts thrive when parents are engaged. Parents are encouraged to attend troop meetings or campouts as chaperones, and other current volunteer needs. Please reach out to the Troop Committee Chair or Scoutmaster if you have a skill or interest you’d like to share with the scouts.
6. Stay Up to Date
The vast majority of troop communications will be sent via WhatsApp. If you are not already in the group chat, or if you need to change your contact information or your scout’s contact information, please reach out. Scouting America adult leaders are prohibited from contacting scouts directly without also CC’ing a parent so we require at least one parent receive the troop’s WhatsApp communications, or the scout will not have visibility into important announcements and any scheduling changes.
This troop website at https://sanbenitotroop25.org/ is the repository for the troop’s public files and is home to the troop’s official calendar.
You’re also encouraged to follow our Facebook Page to ensure you get any updates that you may have missed on the WhatsApp Group.
https://www.facebook.com/ScoutTroop25
Scout Troop 25 - San Benito 