Visitors are always welcome
The best way to choose a troop is to visit one. Come to any Monday meeting — no need to call ahead, register, or commit to anything.
Mondays, 7:00–8:15 pm
Fellowship Presbyterian Church
3158 Shamrock Street South, Tallahassee, FL 32309
We meet on Monday school days, so we skip school holidays and the occasional weather closing. Check the calendar before you set out.
Webelos and Arrow of Light Scouts are welcome to come as a den or patrol — it is easier than arriving alone. You are also welcome to join us on a campout before you decide, which tells you far more about a troop than a meeting does.
Your first visit
A few practical things, because nobody ever tells you:
- Wear ordinary clothes. You do not need a uniform to visit.
- Bring nothing. No forms, no fee, no gear.
- Arrive a few minutes early and ask for the Scoutmaster, Daniel Grosh. He will introduce you and your Scout to some of the others.
- Parents are welcome to stay. Most do on a first visit. Your Scout will spend the evening with a patrol rather than with you.
- Park in the church lot and come in through the fellowship hall.
Who can join
A young person can join Scouts BSA if they are:
- at least 10 years old and have finished the fifth grade, or
- at least 10 years old and have earned the Arrow of Light, or
- aged 11 up to their 18th birthday.
No Cub Scout experience is needed. Plenty of our Scouts joined without ever having been in a Pack. If your child is eleven and has never camped in their life, they are exactly who this programme is for.
From 20 September 2026, Troops 44 and 45 become a single family troop, so girls and boys register with the same unit and camp with the same troop.
How to join, in three steps
1. Visit a Monday meeting
Come and see us first. There is no obligation, and it is much easier to decide once your Scout has met the troop.
2. Register online
When you are ready, register through Scouting America. This link goes straight to Troop 44’s application, so there is no unit search to get wrong:
You will create a my.scouting account, complete the application and pay the registration fee at checkout. If your Scout is currently in a Cub Scout pack, choose Transfer rather than a new application — your Scout can stay registered with the pack until they finish crossing over.
3. Come camping
New Scouts join the New Scout Patrol, where trained older Scouts teach the skills for the first ranks. We camp every month of the school year, and the sooner a new Scout gets on a trip, the sooner they feel part of the troop.
What it costs
Figures as of September 2026.
| Registration, youth (annual) | $165 — $85 national + $80 council |
|---|---|
| Registration, adult volunteer (annual) | $95 — $65 national + $30 council |
| Troop 44 dues (annual) | $35 |
| Campout | $20–$25 each |
| Summer camp (one week) | $450–$525 |
| Scout Life magazine (optional) | $15 a year |
There is no joining fee. Scouting America removed it in April 2024.
In practice a first year comes to about $200 — registration and troop dues — plus whatever camping your Scout does at $20 to $25 a trip.
Summer camp is the biggest number on that list, and the one Scouts most often earn themselves — most cover the full week through troop fundraising.
Registration is paid to Scouting America at checkout. Troop dues cover advancement patches, meeting supplies and the upkeep of troop camping gear.
The troop owns tents and patrol cooking equipment, so please do not go shopping before your Scout’s first campout — a sleeping bag and a duffel bag are enough to start. Scouts who take part in our fundraisers can often cover most of their own costs, and financial assistance is available — just ask the Scoutmaster or the Treasurer. The conversation stays private.
Uniform and gear
Nothing is needed for a first visit. Once your Scout has joined, they will want the tan Class A shirt, a troop Class B t-shirt and a Scouts BSA handbook, all available from the Scout Shop. Camping gear can wait — borrow ours until you know what your Scout actually uses.
Forms
- Medical Form Parts A and B are needed for meetings and campouts. Neither needs a doctor’s signature — you fill them in yourself.
- Part C needs a physical examination within the past twelve months, and is only required for summer camp and other events longer than 72 hours.
- Youth Protection Training is for parents, not Scouts. It takes about an hour online and is renewed every two years. Any adult who camps with us or drives Scouts needs it, and we ask at least one parent from every family to complete it.
Questions
Ask the Scoutmaster, Daniel Grosh, at a Monday meeting, or send us a message. If your Scout has already joined, the New Parent Guide covers the first year in detail.
