This page contains resources and general information about
Troop 497 for Scouts, Adult Leaders, and Parents. Last Update: 3 July 2025 Click your browser's refresh button to
ensure you are looking at the most recent update to this page. Click underlined
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Merit Badges
Changes to Merit Badges
Revised 16 June 2025
Every year requirements for rank
advancement and merit badges are examined and sometimes modified.
If you have started a rank or merit badge under the existing
requirements you may continue to use them for that rank or merit
badge. There is no time limit on how long you take to complete the
requirements. Or, you may choose to complete the rank or merit badge
under the new requirements.
Consult this list of Troop 497 Merit
Badge Counselors (last updated 6 October 2020). You may choose
any of the counselors listed for a merit badge.The Gunpowder Falls
District also has Merit Badge Counselors for most badges if no one from
Troop 497 is a counselor for a badge you want - contact our Scoutmaster.
Consult the Troop Roster, which is periodically distributed via Troop
emails, for the contact information for Troop 497 Counselors. Information on becoming a Merit Badge Counselor, including a link
to the current MB Counselor Application, links to view and update the
list of your merit badges, and information on required training
are all available on the Gunpowder Falls Merit
Badge Counselors web page.
All Merit Badge Counselors must confirm their registration annually. If
you do not respond to the District
Merit Badge Dean (meritbadgedean@gunpowderfallsbsa.org)
seeking your continued interest, your Counselor position may be dropped
and need to be to re-registered.
Creating and Managing Zoom Meetings for Troop 497
This presentation has information on creating and managing Troop 497 Zoom meetings for
increased security and efficiency. It is, in part, a response to
hackers bombing Zoom meetings. Please follow these recommendations for
all Zoom meetings associated with Troop 497 including Troop Committee,
PLC, Thursday to First Class, and Merit Badge meetings.
Scouts, Parents, and Adult Leaders
Help us keep contact information up to date
If you change your e-mail address, phone numbers, or information on the
roster – NOTIFY us of the change – just send an email to moosemen@verizon.net
with the updated information.
Instagram Account Notifications
Added 29 June 2025
We will no longer be using X “Twitter”. We will continue to communicate
with our parents through social media. If you have not already
done so, we will be asking everyone to sign up for an Instagram account
and subscribe to the Troop’s notification page. Please use
the following QR code to sign up.
This is totally free and will save much time trying to notify everyone
by phone. Notifications can be received on your email, cell phone
text message, or both. It will be our intent to send messages for
important and timely information. This is a totally free service.
Sign Up to Receive Troop Committee Updates
If you would like to receive Troop Committee email updates, please
notify Ken Krach.
BSA Medical Form for Scouts and Adult Leaders
Updated 19 May 2022
An annual physical is required for Scouts and Adult Leaders
participating in events lasting 72 continuous hours and resident
campers. That includes everyone going to summer camp.
Everyone must complete the Annual Health and Medical Record for
these events
Parents complete Parts A, B1, and B2.
The Participant must sign on Part A.
The parents must sign on Parts A and B2.
Your doctor performs the annual physical and completes and
signs Part C. YOUR DOCTOR MUST SIGN ON
THIS FORM.
Please make sure to complete the section on immunizations.
If you already used the standard medical form without the
Troop 497 specific information then open the form in the previous
bullet and copy the Troop 497 information to your existing Health
Record.
This is a link to the national BSA
Annual Health and Medical Record site. You can read additional
FAQs and other related information on the BSA site. We recommend
you download the Troop 497 version of the Annual Health and Medical
Record using the link in the earlier bullet. Use the material
in the section under "Are You Going to Camp?" if you decide to
download the Annual Health and Medical Record from this BSA web site.
See the Information/Major events page for more information about
completing medical information for summer camp 2022.
Troop 497 Handbook
Must reading for every Scout and Adult. This handbook
explains the workings of Troop 497. You will learn about Troop meetings,
camping trips, advancement and many more activities relating to our
Troop.
Troop 497 Song and Cheer
Troop 497 Song
Troop 497 Cheer
We’re the troop of 497,
You’ll know when we’re around,
Since we’ve got all the spirit,
We make the loudest SOUND!
We’re pretty hard to beat,
And you’ll soon find out why,
You’ll know it’s us,
When you see the lone star in the sky. (Shouting)
SPL: Give me a four! All: 4!
SPL: Give me a nine! All: 9!
SPL: Give me a seven! All: 7!
SPL: What does that spell? All: 4-9-7!
The best this side of heaven!
(Shouting)
Always first!
Never last!
Never Worst!
Always Best!
Down in Hell or up in Heaven,
We’re the troop of 497!
SPL: Give me a four! All: 4!
SPL: Give me a nine! All: 9!
SPL: Give me a seven! All: 7!
SPL: What does that spell?
All: 4-9-7!
The best this side of heaven!
Sign up to drive Scouts to camping trips
Each Scout Family is required to drive Scouts on one long camping trip
or two short trips each year. Sign up to drive Scouts using the link in
the events page or the announcement for each trip.
2023-2024 Parents Meeting Presentation
If you were not ale to attend the recent Parents' Meeting please review
the presentation from the meeting (click). Talk
with the Scoutmaster or other adult leaders if you have any questions
about anything you read in the presentation. Adult help is needed in
multiple areas - get more involved in Scouting by becoming a volunteer.
Sign Up for Advancement
There are now 3 ways to move forward with merit badges.
1. First Thursday to First Class
Audience: Scouts working to advance to the rank of First Class
Personal Safety Awareness Sessions (formerly known as the Cyber Chip)
* Zoom Personal Safety Awareness Sessions
Before Summer Camp*
For those scouts
that need the Personal Safety Awareness for either the Scout or
Star ranks now is the time to complete them.
There will be two Personal Safety
Awareness Sessions held over Zoom before summer camp, the first on
Monday, July 7th and one on Monday, July 14th. The sessions will
start at 7:30pm. The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82998319725
(click). It is required that you watch the videos listed on the
BSA websitebelow
before joining
the session. See details below.
Scouting replaced the Cyber Chip with the Personal Safety
Awareness videos in 2024. For the Scout rank, Scouts must view Digital
Safety, Bullying, Abuse and Youth Protection
Policies. For the Star rank, Scouts must view those four videos
again, plus Persistence for Pictures, Grooming and Sexual
Abuse, Sexual Abuse in the Family, and Friends Should
Never Look the Other Way.
Please contact Mr. Chris McClelland at a troop meeting or at mcclelland.scouts@gmail.com
to begin working on the Personal Safety Awareness.
Once the videos have been viewed you will need to discuss them with Mr.
McClelland. Those discussions can take around 45 minutes. He will be
setting up working sessions for those working on it for the rank of Scout
at the First Thursday to First Class meetings. For those working on it for
the rank of Star, you can also work with him at the First Thursday
sessions. An online Zoom meeting can also be requested if those sessions
cannot be attended. Due to the length of the discussion needed, trying to
have it during a troop meeting is not possible. Please contact Mr.
McClelland with any questions.
Monthly boards of review for Star and Life
Monthly boards of review for Star and Life are held during the first
Troop meeting of each month. A scout who would like to plan a review
must contact Mr. Robert Bando, to schedule the Board of Review at least
one week ahead of time. You will need to be in full uniform, have your
Scout Handbook, dues paid in full, and merit badges confirmed.
Religious Emblems Programs
Troop 497 supports programs for Scouts to earn religious emblems for
several different faiths. Click on this document
to read information on earning the religious emblems for your faith
and for the contact information for Troop 497's Religious Emblems
Counselor.
United Way Contributions
The Parents Club of Troop 497 directed donation number for the United
Way is #7537. Use this number is you want your donation to go the
Parents Club of Troop 497.
Adult Leaders
Troop 497 Adult Leaders Handbook
Must reading for every adult working with the Scouts or who
wants to work with Scouts. This handbook explains the dos
and don'ts for adults. It covers most of the items you will need to know
to join us on an outdoor activity from camping to a day trip.
Updated Youth Protection Training - MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL ADULT
LEADERS and recommended for any adult camping with the scouts
An updated Scouts BSA youth protection training is available for staff,
leaders and parents (Youth Protection Y01). The training includes a
three-module course and a Certification Test that all leaders are
required to complete this training annually (even though it says
online that the training is good for two years). View the instructions
for taking the new course and login to your BSA account at my.scouting.org to take the
course. The course and test will take about 90 minutes to complete but
can be completed a module at a time. Email a copy of your completed
certificate to Adam Spence.
Adult
leaders are also required to have current Youth Protection Training
provided by the Archdiocese. You
can contact Jenn Reedholm (jreedholm@gmail.com)
to check on your Virtus status Click Virtus Online for the
link to this training. Log in to the site with your account and
password or click the "First-Time Registrant" button to set up a new
account and take the training. Contact Adam Spence with any questions
and email him a copy of your completed certificate.
All Merit Badge Counselors Must Register/Re-register with National BSA
All adults who are, or want to be, Merit Badge Counselors must
register/re-register with National BSA and be entered into the BSA
database of Merit Badge Counselors. This is important because failing to
register could invalidate a Scout's Merit Badge and prevent a Scout from
having the badge accepted on an Eagle application. This is a new
requirement as of June 2019. Here is the information to guide you
through this process.
BSA Merit Badge Counselor Guide with general information for all
Merit Badge Counselors
Troop 497 specific instructions on registering as Merit Badge
Counselor
Adult Application Form showing areas you must complete on your
Application
Adult Application Form
Merit Badge Counselor Application Form
National BSA Criminal Background Checks - Responses Required by All
Adult Leaders
The BSA will now also perform periodic rechecks of criminal backgrounds
to support the continued safety of youth in our programs. Registered
adult leaders should have received an email with this information in
October 2019 but in case you have not received this information and plan
on registering this year you need to complete
this request. Once you have printed and signed the form please
give it to Adam Spence.