Now that you have your troop set up and a few members waiting to attend your meetings, what do you do? Here we provide some hints, tips and guides for troop meetings, activities, member recruiting, and more.
NOTE: Troop members and leaders – please help us build this page more! Send in your tips and ideas to share with other troops! Just drop an email to the webmaster, and we will post the links here, as well as mention them in the DSA Blog – Troop Info section. Thank you!
General Information
- DSA Informational Brochure
- The Dog Scout Way
- The Dog Scout Laws
- DSA Position on Punishment
- What DSA Does for Members & Leaders
- DSA Troops Explained
- Recommended Resources
Member Information
- Explanation of Dues
- Step-by-Step Storyboard for Recruiting
- Troop Activity Waiver
- Some Games for Troop Meetings
- Description of Troop Activities – sample
- Rewards Program – Reference Chart (01/2008)
- Rewards Program – Guidelines for Earning Points (11/2012)
- What to Report to Your Leader (01/2010)
Troop Leader Information
- Helpful Info for Troop Leaders
- Advice for Leaders – Avoiding Burnout
- Dealing with difficult situations
- Conflict Resolution
- Guidance for Troops Regarding Money
- DSA Grant Application
- Requesting a Copy of the DSA Insurance Policy
- Versatile Troop Leader Program
- Versatile Troop Leader Log
- Versatile Troop Leader Program (Diamond)
- Versatile Troop Leader Log (Diamond)
Bookkeeping & Reporting
- Activity Waiver Report (pdf)
- Activity Waiver Report (xlsx)
** POLICY UPDATE ** (Aug 2014)
Once an evaluator has completed a total of 5 badge evaluations (for any badge), they are eligible for $5 compensation per badge on future evaluations that are not new to that evaluator. They will also be sent an evaluator bag at the end of the year when all the totals are calculated.
The first evaluation for a badge new to that evaluator would not be eligible for the evaluator fee. But when the second evaluation for that same badge is completed (signed badge form submitted), they can start earning $5 per badge form and get the patch for that badge to add to their bag (sent at the end of the year).
Evaluators still need to be current DSA members to receive compensation and to sign badge forms.