This page contains resources and general information about
Troop 497 for Scouts, Adult Leaders, and Parents.
Last Update: 2 April 2026. Click your browser's refresh button to
ensure you are looking at the most recent update to this page. Click underlined
text to follow the link to additional information.
Inclement Weather Policy
St. Joseph's follows the Baltimore County
School System (BCPS) for its Inclement Weather Policy. If Baltimore
County Schools are cancelled or close early on a weekday, all
activities on campus, including the Troop Meeting, are cancelled for the
day. Click this link for more information on St. Joseph's Inclement
Weather Policy.
There are several places to find information
about BCPS school closings or delays.
Finding a Merit Badge Counselor
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.
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.
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 Troop497announcements@gmail.com
with the updated information. This will also ensure you receive the
weekly Troop eMail Newsletter.
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.
BSA Medical Form for Scouts and Adult Leaders
NEW MEDICAL FORM FOR 2026
Updated 2 April 2026
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 and on High
Adventure Trips this summers. Scouts going to Philmont or Sea
Base will need to create a second Page A listing the Authorized Adults
for those trips.
- 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.
- This is a a link to a fillable pdf Annual
Health and Medical Record with information
specific to Troop 497
pre-filled in. We recommend using the free Acrobat Reader DC
to fill in the form or print it and fill in in with a pen. Here is a
BSA Information and
FAQs Datasheet you can read which provides
additional information.
- 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.
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.
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
2. Group Merit Badge Session Signup
3. Schedule a Counselor for a Personal Session
If you have questions email Mr. Grim at jessgrim@verizon.net
Personal Safety Awareness Sessions (formerly known as the Cyber
Chip)
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.
The Personal Safety Awareness videos can be found on the Scouting
America site here: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/scouts-bsa/.
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. Read this document, Religious Emblems Programs,
for detailed information on earning the religious emblems for your
faith. Contact Mr. Clasing at bclasing95@gmail.com
to discuss these programs.
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.
Safeguarding Youth Training (replaces Youth Protection Training) -
MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL ADULT LEADERS
Updated 28 September 2025
Safeguarding Youth Training, which replaces Youth Protection
Training, is an updated Scouts America youth protection training
available for leaders, parents, and all adults who interact with
Scouts. The training includes a Certification Test. All
Adult Leaders are required to complete this training annually (even
though it says online that the training is good for two years).
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.