ARTICLE I - GENERAL
These by-laws are guidelines for all youth and adult members of BSA Venture Crew 11 Crew 11 is chartered by the Saint Michael’s Roman Catholic Church of Newark, and operates in accordance with the policies of the Lenape Trails District of the Northern New Jersey Counsel, and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Crew 11 and the Boy Scouts of America exist to provide boys an effective program designed to build desirable qualities of character and morality, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to enhance the development of physical, mental, and emotional fitness.
SCOUT SECTION
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES
SECTION 1 - ELIGIBILITY: Membership in the Crew is available to boys and girls who are about to complete the eighth grade and are thirteen years old, or are at least fourteen years old. Boys and Girls remain eligible until they turn twenty one years old. Girls and Boys do not have to be Catholic, members of Saint Michael’s Church to join Crew 11.
SECTION 2 - PRINCIPLES: All registered Crew members must abide by the Venturer’s Oath and Law, and the Scout Law.
SECTION 3 - APPLICATION: Boys and girls apply to the Crew by completing an official application with their parents, and submitting the application to the crew advisor. A prospective member becomes a member of the Crew when (s) he has paid the required fees (see Article IV) and the application is approved by the crew Advisor.
SECTION 4 - PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS: Any boys or girls, particularly boy/girls scouts, interested in joining the Crew are encouraged to attend Crew meetings or other Crew activities. The youth’s parent or should accompany the prospective member and must obtain the Scoutmaster’s permission to attend the event. Prospective members are not covered by the Crew’s insurance.
ARTICLE IV - FINANCES
SECTION 1 - FEES: Crew 11 charges fees as described below. All checks should be made payable to “BSA Venture Crew 11.” A separate sheet is available from the Crew Committee listing the dollar amounts of the various fees.
Crew Fee: This one-time fee is used principally by the Crew to pay for a new Crew packet which includes the official Venturing handbook, and t-shirt.
Registration Fee: This yearly fee includes BSA registration. This fee is passed by the Crew directly to Northern NJ Council, and is used to fund council and national BSA programs. This fee is due in full on the first meeting in December of each year for the Crew recharter in January.
Monthly Dues: A five dollar/month fee will be collected each month. This fee goes into the general Crew fund. It should be paid by the Crew secretary who turns it over to the Crew Treasurer (and then the adult leader). Dues may be paid by drawing on the youth’s Crew Fund, or by cash or check. Scouts are encouraged to personally earn the money for their dues. Crew members may at any time pay dues in advance for the remainder of the year.
Special Fees: Youth will be charged for some of the Crew’s special events such as camping and trips. These fees pay for camp facilities, food and special event patches, and will be announced prior to the event. *Food costs are normally pro-rated to the number of members participating.
SECTION 2 - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Crew 11 is committed to providing the Scouting experience to any boy or girl who wants to join, regardless of family financial situations. Any Venturer or parent may request financial assistance by contacting a crew advisor or Committee Chair. Requests will be handled discreetly by the adult staff.
SECTION 3 - SCOUT FUND: Crew members may earn money through Crew -approved fundraising events like Coupon Book sales, Christmas wreath sales, popcorn sales, etc. This money will be credited to the youth’s Crew Fund by the Crew Treasurer. The funds may be used for dues, registration fees, campout or summer camp fees, camping equipment, Crew uniforms, or other BSA-related expenses.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES
SECTION 1 - GENERAL: Meetings will be held on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. The primary year will align with the school year. Additional Crew activities may be held during the summer. The Crew leadership (scout and adult) will conduct a planning session at the beginning of September and January, and then publish a calendar with all meetings and activities. All Crew meetings are considered “open” to parents, family members, and all Scouting and Venturing leaders.
SECTION 2 - CREW MEETINGS: Crew 11 meets on the SECOND AND FOURTH Saturday of each month, and will be held in scout room located in the basement of Saint Michael’s church, or other designated meeting room/location. Exceptions to this will be announced in advance of a meeting. Meetings will start at 4 pm and run to 5:30.
SECTION 3 - COURTS OF HONOR: Approximately once each six months, the Crew will hold a Court of Honor. At this special meeting, advancement, merit badges and leadership positions are announced. Families and special guests are strongly encouraged to attend all Courts of Honor.
SECTION 4 - CAMPING TRIPS: Camping is a vital ingredient of Scouting, and Crew 11 will camp frequently.
SECTION 5 - RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE: Crew 11 will schedule activities such to allow time for worship service attendance. When a worship service is provided during the activity all Crew members will be encouraged to attend at whatever level they feel comfortable.
SECTION 6 - OTHER ACTIVITIES: Crew 11 will conduct or participate in special activities during the year. Examples of these are events for fun (baseball games, six flags outings), to perform community service (Scouting for Food, clothing drives), to raise money, or for education (DC museum trip, Aquarium trips). Generally, any Venturer can suggest, organize or assist setting up an event, and publish information to include date, time, overall plan, equipment, cost, and family participation guidelines.
ARTICLE VI - UNIFORMS
Scouts in Crew 11 can wear two uniforms as described below. The Crew advisors will announce the uniform prior to each event or activity. Meetings will generally be in the CLASS B uniform.
Dress Uniform: Consists of the official Green Venturer shirt with all badges and insignia; and gray pants.
Class B: Consists of either the Crew T-shirt or BSA T-shirt, worn with neat pants and appropriate footwear
ARTICLE VII - ADVANCEMENT
SECTION 1 - GENERAL: Scouting provides a series of surmountable hurdles through the opportunity to advance in rank. The steps in the advancement system help a boy or girl grow in self-confidence, self-reliance and the ability to help others.
SECTION 2 - ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible for any rank, the Venturer must meet the requirements specified in the official Venturing Handbook. Any registered adult leader (except a youth’s parent or sibling) in the Crew can sign off requirements.
SECTION 3 – ADVISOR CONFERENCE: After satisfying all skill, knowledge, service project, merit badge, leadership and longevity requirements for a particular rank, a Venturer will meet with the Advisor in an Advisor Conference.
SECTION 4 - BOARD OF REVIEW: The final step in earning rank advancement is to appear before a Board of Review. For all ranks, the Board of Review consists of the Advancement Coordinator (or his/her designee) and two other registered adult committee members. Boards of Review take approximately 30 minutes and will normally be held during normal Crew meetings.
ARTICLE VIII - CREW LEADERSHIP
VENTURERS will serve in leadership positions within the Crew and patrols in accordance with BSA guidelines. Venturers will be elected to leadership positions each September, and elections will be conducted under the supervision of the Advisors.
ARTICLE IX - RULES
SECTION 1 - SAFETY: No Venturer may carry a knife or ax of any kind until (s) he receives the TOTIN chip. Prior to participating in any water activity, each Venturer must demonstrate his/her ability to swim. No Venturer may operate a boat or canoe alone, and each Scout will wear a life jacket when he/she is in a boat or canoe. Venturers will wear helmets when riding bicycles. Crew 11 will employ the buddy system at all Crew activities other than normal Crew meetings. Crew 11 will follow all other safety guidelines in the Safe Scouting program.
SECTION 2 - PHYSICALS AND PERMISSION SLIPS: Prior to participating in Crew activities other than normal meetings, Venturers will have current physicals (Class 1 or 2, as appropriate) and permission slips on file with Crew adult leadership.
SECTION 3 - DUES: A Venturer who does not pay his dues may not receive awards or participate in Crew -financed activities.
SECTION 4 - ADVANCEMENT: Venturers are encouraged to advance one rank or earn three merit badges each year.
SECTION 5 - PROHIBITED EQUIPMENT: No weapons (other than pocket knives) may be brought to any Crew meeting or activity. Pocket knives will not be carried unless specifically authorized by the Advisors for a Crew activity. Venturers may not bring electronic gear (radios, games, etc.) to Crew activities; an exception may only be authorized by the Advisors.
SECTION 6 - BEHAVIOR: All Venturers will behave in accordance with the principles of the Venturer’s Oath and the Scout Law. The Advisors may expel from a meeting or activity any Scout for misbehavior or endangering the safety of others. In serious cases, the Scoutmaster may request that the Committee suspend or terminate the membership of a Venturer in accordance with the Behavior Plan.
SECTION 7 - ATTENDANCE: Venturers should attend all regular Crew meetings and Courts of Honor. Venturers are encouraged to participate in all other camping and outdoor events and trips, and special activities as time and other commitments permit. The Crew encourages girls and boys to participate in sports, music and other extracurricular activities as long as best effort is made to attend Crew activities.
SECTION 8 - SUPERVISION: Venturers must remain in the immediate vicinity of any meeting or special activity, leaving the area only with the permission or knowledge of the Scoutmaster or supervising adult.
ADULT LEADER SECTION
ARTICLE X - ADULT LEADERSHIP
SECTION 1 - ELIGIBILITY: Adult leadership is available to anyone who volunteers and meets the requirements for adult leaders by the BSA. The Crew reserves the right to set additional requirements as necessary - for example level of experience, attendance at training sessions, ability to allot time to Crew activities, etc. Term of office is one year (generally the recharter year); however, leaders may be re-appointed in the same position or in different positions the following year. All adult leaders must be approved by the Crew Committee Chair, the Chartered Organization Representative, and the District Scout Executive.
SECTION 2 - POSITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: At a minimum, the Crew will select adults to fill the positions of Senior Advisor, Advisor, Committee Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Quartermaster, and Advancements Coordinator. Other leadership positions will be announced and filled as needed. Assistant leaders (e.g., Assistant Advisor, Assistant Committee Chair, etc.) have the full authority of the primary leader in that person’s absence.
SECTION 3 - COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP: All registered leaders and all venturers’s parents/guardians are “committee members” and are encouraged to attend all committee meetings.
SECTION 4 - PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to participate in Scouting as role models, mentors, teachers and organizers.
ARTICLE XI - CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
SECTION 1 - GENERAL: The Committee will pre-approve all Crew activities and all expenditure of funds over $150. Crew adult leaders will not obligate funds, commit Crew involvement, or make requests for resources without the authority of the Crew Committee. After-the-fact requests for reimbursement of expenses may be considered by the Committee on a case-by-case basis.
SECTION 2 - QUORUM: The Committee will conduct business and vote only when at least a simple majority of registered committee members are present, including at least two of the following leaders: Advisor, Committee Chair, or Treasurer.
SECTION 3 - VOTING. All Committee members shall have one vote for any decision before the Committee. Committee members holding more than one office have only one vote. A proposal is "approved" if a simple majority of members present vote in favor of it.
SECTION 4 - PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE: The Committee will normally conduct business in an informal manner. However, the Committee Chair may invoke standard parliamentary procedure if necessary to maintain order.
SECTION 5 - EXCEPTIONS: The Committee may allow exception to any Article of these by-laws, on a case-by-case basis, except those related to safety.
ARTICLE XII - FINANCES
SECTION 1 - FISCAL YEAR: The Crew’s fiscal year is defined as January 1, through December 31 of the following year.
SECTION 2 - BUDGET: The Crew Treasurer will maintain a budget that identifies projected income and expenses for the fiscal year. The Committee will approve the budget at the beginning of the fiscal/school year. The budget provides general guidance only; it does not authorize anyone to spend money.
SECTION 3 - RECEIPTS: A receipt is needed for all Crew expenses; all receipts will be turned over to the Crew Treasurer. When requested, the Treasurer will also issue a receipt to acknowledge cash paid to the Crew in excess of $5.00.
SECTION 4 - CHECK APPROVAL: The Committee will designate those members authorized to sign checks drawn on the Crew’s checking account. In and of themselves, these ‘signature card' designations do not constitute authority to spend money; they identify those leaders who may commit funds once an expense is approved by the Committee. No person shall sign a check if he/she is the payee.
SECTION 5 - AWARDS PURCHASE: The Advancement Coordinator has blanket authority to purchase advancement awards without prior approval of the Crew Committee.
SECTION 6 - FUNDRAISERS: Members will not conduct fund raising activities without Committee approval. All fund-raisers conducted by the Crew will be done in accordance with BSA policies.
SECTION 7 - EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT: Reimbursement of expenses will be in accordance with the Reimbursement Policy.
SECTION 8 - AUDIT: The Committee Chair, or his/her appointed representative, will review the Crew financial records yearly (at the end of the fiscal year) and upon a change of Treasurer. The Chartered Organization Representative may inspect the Crew’s financial records at any time.
ARTICLE XIII - MEETINGS
SECTION 1 - COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The Crew Committee will normally meet quarterly, or as needed at a date and time convenient for as many members as possible. Typical agenda items for the Committee meeting include review of minutes from previous meeting (Secretary), membership report (Membership Coordinator), financial report (Treasurer), review of upcoming events (Scoutmaster), and general business (Committee Chair). Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the Committee meetings.
SECTION 2 - SPECIAL MEETINGS: The Crew Committee may convene special meetings to conduct business. Such meetings include the annual Crew planning conference, planning sessions for special events such as membership rallies, or subcommittee meetings to review finances or by-laws. All special meetings will be open to parents.
ARTICLE XIV - TRAINING
SECTION 1 - GENERAL: As soon as possible after registering, adult leaders are strongly encouraged to attend training appropriate for their position. Such training typically includes, but is not limited to, Crew Leader Fundamentals and Youth Protection training.
SECTION 2 - YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING: All participating adults will attend Youth Protection Training at a minimum of every two years.
SECTION 3 - ROUNDTABLE: The Crew Advisor or his/her appointed representative will make every effort to attend monthly District Roundtable training/information sessions. All other adult leaders are encouraged to attend the Roundtable to gain ideas and experience in the ways of Scouting.
ARTICLE XV - UNIFORMS
At a minimum, the following leaders should wear a correct Scout uniform, as defined in Article VI, to Crew meetings and other special events as appropriate: Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster(s), and Committee Chair. All other adult leaders are encouraged but not required to wear a correct Scout uniform.
ARTICLE XVI - YOUTH PROTECTION
Crew 11 will operate in accordance with the BSA’s Two-Deep Leadership and Youth Protection policy. No adult leader will be left alone with a Venturer (other than his/her child) at any time except in the most severe emergencies. This includes merit badge counseling, Advisor’s Conferences, or outdoor activities.
ARTICLE XVII - RIGHT TO APPEAR
Any person who has a grievance against Crew 11 or any adult leader of Crew 11 has the right to appear before the Committee to present the grievance. However, such persons are encouraged to first seek satisfaction through the Advisor and/or Committee Chair.
ARTICLE XVIII - REVIEW AND REVISION OF BY-LAWS
These by-laws will be reviewed at least annually by the youth and adult leadership and at the beginning each year. Amendments may be proposed at any time during the year, and will be reviewed by the Committee at the next regular meeting.
RECORD OF APPROVAL
These by-laws were approved by a majority vote during a Committee meeting on _________
______________________ __________________________
Committee Chairperson Advisor