Glossary: Troop terms and Scouting words

Words you will hear at Troop 33, with short definitions. Places, camps, events and training courses are on Glossary: camps and events. For the official words, see Scouting America's Guide to Advancement.

The Troop

American Legion Post 558. The Troop's chartered organization since 2022. See History.

Chartered organization. The community organization that holds a Troop's charter. For Troop 33 it is Los Altos American Legion Post 558.

Chartered Organization Representative (COR). The person who represents the chartered organization to the Troop, council and district. See other volunteer roles.

Creekside. The room at Los Altos United Methodist Church where the Troop meets each week.

LAUMC. Los Altos United Methodist Church, where the Troop was founded in 1951 and still meets.

First-Year Program ("Firsties"). The Troop's program for new Scouts working on the Trail to First Class. It runs March to the following February. New Scouts are placed in patrols, taught and tested by older Scouts called Troop Guides, and guided by an Assistant Scoutmaster and Patrol Advisors. See the First-Year Program.

First-year Scout. A Scout with under a year in the Troop who is in the First-Year Program. Official Scouting America material says "new Scout."

Main Troop. Everyone who has been in the Troop for at least a year.

Patrol. A small group of Scouts who camp, cook and work together, in and out of meetings. Scouts choose their Patrol Leader.

Patrol Advisor. The adult leader or leaders assigned to a patrol. Scouts can find theirs in the roster app, on the Patrol tab.

Patrol Leaders' Council (PLC). The Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders, Patrol Leaders and the Scribe, who plan the Troop's meetings and activities. The Scribe keeps the notes. The Scoutmaster advises. The PLC is part of Green Bar.

Green Bar. Every Scout who holds a position of responsibility, including everyone on the PLC, named for the green bars on the position patch. Each planning meeting's calendar event says whether it is for the PLC or the whole Green Bar.

Class A and Class B. Class A is the full Scouts BSA uniform with the shirt and neckerchief; Class B is the Troop T-shirt. See uniform.

Patrol box. The chest of cooking gear a patrol takes on campouts. See clean a patrol box.

Court of Honor. A ceremony that recognizes Scouts for ranks, merit badges and other awards.

Adults

Scoutmaster (SM). The uniformed adult who works with the Scouts and coaches them as they plan and run the Troop. See Leaders.

Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM). A uniformed leader 18 or older who helps the Scoutmasters deliver the program. See Assistant Scoutmaster.

Committee. The group of registered adults who handle the Troop's administration, finance and support. See the committee.

Scout positions

Short definitions; every position is in the Scout positions directory.

Position of Responsibility (PoR). A leadership role a Scout holds to learn responsibility. Time in a position counts toward Star, Life and Eagle; credit starts at First Class, though any Scout may hold a position earlier.

Senior Patrol Leader (SPL). The top elected youth leader. Runs Troop meetings and the PLC, with the Scoutmaster's guidance.

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL). The SPL's deputy, appointed by the SPL with the Scoutmaster's approval, who also leads other youth leaders.

Patrol Leader (PL). The elected leader of a patrol, who represents it on the PLC.

Troop Guide (TG). An older Scout who helps first-year Scouts feel at home and reach First Class. A one-year position, March to March.

Den Chief. A Scout who helps run a Cub Scout den.

Quartermaster (QM). Keeps track of Troop equipment and sees that it stays in good working order.

Scribe, Librarian, Bugler, Instructor, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, Outdoor Ethics Guide, Historian and Webmaster, Order of the Arrow Troop Representative. Described in the directory.

Advancement

Rank. The steps of Scouts BSA advancement: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. See advancement.

Merit badge. A badge earned by completing the requirements of one subject. See merit badges.

Scoutbook. Scouting America's app for advancement records, and the Troop's only record of advancement. Parents can learn it with the Scoutbook tutorial for parents, and the Troop's how-to guides cover account setup and connections.

Scoutmaster Conference (SMC). A talk between a Scout and the Scoutmaster that is required for each rank. It is separate from the board of review. See Scoutmaster Conference.

Board of Review (BOR). The last step to a rank: a panel of adults talks with the Scout about their experience and decides whether to approve the rank. See Board of Review.

Scout Spirit. Living the Scout Oath and Law in daily life; every rank asks for it.

Eagle Scout. The highest rank in Scouts BSA. See Trail to Eagle and the Eagles' Nest.