Welcome to Scouts BSA Troop 614
We are excited to welcome you and your family for what promises to be an amazing adventure! We are a linked (co-ed) troop in Scotts Valley, CA. We are very happy that you are considering our troop as your new scouting home. Here in Troop 614, we value family, friendship, and community. We are 100% youth-led and believe in the ideals of scouting: character, leadership, citizenship training, and personal fitness. In addition, we focus on outdoor skills, cooking, and first aid. We strive to make Troop 614 welcoming to scouts of all ages, skills, and abilities.
We know that choosing your new troop is a personal choice, and we believe you should be both comfortable and excited as you move into your new scouting family. Here are some things to factor in as you consider as making 614 your new troop:
Below are instructions for joining our troop and some information and resources for new scouts and their families.
We know that choosing your new troop is a personal choice, and we believe you should be both comfortable and excited as you move into your new scouting family. Here are some things to factor in as you consider as making 614 your new troop:
- We are the first linked troop in the area (a troop for both boys and girls).
- We live by the Patrol Method. Scouts self-organize in smaller groups to practice new skills, teach others, and plan events like campouts, hikes, and advancements.
- We regularly support our community through volunteering. Each year, we teach CPR, host a flag retirement ceremony, lead flag ceremonies, walk in the 4th of July parade, and support many other service projects.
- We value teamwork and youth leadership! We believe in giving scouts the opportunity to develop strong leadership skills throughout their time in Scouts BSA. We work together to ensure that each scout is able to have fun and achieve their goals.
Below are instructions for joining our troop and some information and resources for new scouts and their families.
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Join Our Troop!We welcome you to join us! Now boys and girls aged 11-17 can join our troop or request more information online by clicking on the links below
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If you have difficulty with the online application process
Email us at [email protected] for more info or fill out an application and send it by email and someone will get back to you ASAP.
Next steps after you join...
Annual Troop Dues and the Cost of Outings
Our troop relies on annual dues to pay for regular expenses for operations of the troop. This includes troop rechartering fees, troop equipment/supplies, entertainment expenses for Courts of Honor, flag ceremonies, Dutch over cook-offs and other events, and marketing/recruitment. Annual dues for our troop varies from year-to-year and is offset by troop fundraising activities. Recently, we have been able to successfully fundraise as a group and this has reduced or negated troop dues. All participants on campouts and other outings pay for food, registration/entrance fees, and transportation for each event before participating in that activity. These fees are not included in the annual troop dues.
Please send an email to Naiomi Dudek, our treasurer, to ask about the annual dues amount and how to make a payment.
Get your Class A Uniform, Troop Number, Neckerchief, and Scout Handbook
All scouts are required to wear a Class A scout uniform at troop meeting, community events, when traveling with the troop, and on other official scout outings. Scouts can order Class A uniforms and a scout handbook online or visit one of the local Scout Shops in San Jose or Monterey. You can pre-order your uniform and get your Scout Handbook from the San Jose Scout Shop by filling out this form. The Troop 614 Unit Number Patch and the Troop 614 Official Neckerchief can be purchased on the Troop Shop.
At a minimum, all scouts should have an official scout uniform shirt and olive drab pants/shorts/skort. You will need to purchase an American flag patch, Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council shoulder patch, two olive green shoulder tabs, and a world scouting patch and ring from the Scout Shop. We suggest calling the San Jose Scout Shop ahead of time to make sure that all the items you need are in stock. They will also sew on the patches for you for a small fee. For correct placement of all insignia, see this link to Insignia Guide for scouts BSA uniform
Class B uniforms are for work days and other more causal troop activities (when we don't want to damage our official Class As). Every new scout will receive a new Class B uniform t-shirt when they join our troop. Additional Class B T-Shirts can be purchased on the Troop Shop.
Complete the Training and Registration for at least one Adult Parent or Guardian
The State of California and BSA organization requires that all adults who serve as a volunteer, help with transportation, or go on overnight camping trips with the troop complete Scouts BSA Youth Protection Training (YPT), AB 506 California State Mandated Reporter training, and get fingerprinted. We count on your support to help the scouts enjoy all that the Scouts BSA program has to offer. In order to support our troop, we require at least one adult from each family to stay up-to-date on these trainings, get fingerprinted, and officially register as an adult.
Sign up in Scoutbook
Our troop uses Scoutbook for:
Our troop relies on annual dues to pay for regular expenses for operations of the troop. This includes troop rechartering fees, troop equipment/supplies, entertainment expenses for Courts of Honor, flag ceremonies, Dutch over cook-offs and other events, and marketing/recruitment. Annual dues for our troop varies from year-to-year and is offset by troop fundraising activities. Recently, we have been able to successfully fundraise as a group and this has reduced or negated troop dues. All participants on campouts and other outings pay for food, registration/entrance fees, and transportation for each event before participating in that activity. These fees are not included in the annual troop dues.
Please send an email to Naiomi Dudek, our treasurer, to ask about the annual dues amount and how to make a payment.
Get your Class A Uniform, Troop Number, Neckerchief, and Scout Handbook
All scouts are required to wear a Class A scout uniform at troop meeting, community events, when traveling with the troop, and on other official scout outings. Scouts can order Class A uniforms and a scout handbook online or visit one of the local Scout Shops in San Jose or Monterey. You can pre-order your uniform and get your Scout Handbook from the San Jose Scout Shop by filling out this form. The Troop 614 Unit Number Patch and the Troop 614 Official Neckerchief can be purchased on the Troop Shop.
At a minimum, all scouts should have an official scout uniform shirt and olive drab pants/shorts/skort. You will need to purchase an American flag patch, Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council shoulder patch, two olive green shoulder tabs, and a world scouting patch and ring from the Scout Shop. We suggest calling the San Jose Scout Shop ahead of time to make sure that all the items you need are in stock. They will also sew on the patches for you for a small fee. For correct placement of all insignia, see this link to Insignia Guide for scouts BSA uniform
Class B uniforms are for work days and other more causal troop activities (when we don't want to damage our official Class As). Every new scout will receive a new Class B uniform t-shirt when they join our troop. Additional Class B T-Shirts can be purchased on the Troop Shop.
Complete the Training and Registration for at least one Adult Parent or Guardian
The State of California and BSA organization requires that all adults who serve as a volunteer, help with transportation, or go on overnight camping trips with the troop complete Scouts BSA Youth Protection Training (YPT), AB 506 California State Mandated Reporter training, and get fingerprinted. We count on your support to help the scouts enjoy all that the Scouts BSA program has to offer. In order to support our troop, we require at least one adult from each family to stay up-to-date on these trainings, get fingerprinted, and officially register as an adult.
- Instructions for Youth Protection Training (includes a background check)
- Instructions for Mandated Reporter Training & Livescan Fingerprinting
- Register as an adult volunteer in Troop 614 (boys) or 2614 (girls) - click on the apply now button to register as an adult
Sign up in Scoutbook
Our troop uses Scoutbook for:
- official communications from the troop
- notification and RSVP/sign ups for all scouting activities, events, and troop meetings
- tracking scout advancements, awards, activities, and other kinds of recognitions
