So we don’t have a 100 years of scouting experience with Virtual Meetings, but that doesn’t mean you can still have an excellent scouting program without being physically together.  You will need to be creative and you should talk to others and share and learn about novel ideas that work.  

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started. 

 

Troop Meeting Format

A virtual meeting can have a very similar format as that of a regular in-person meeting.

1. Preopening
   
   • Allow scouts time to show up
   • Maybe run a quick online quiz or other game
2. Opening Ceremony 
   
   • Pledge of Allegiance
   • Scout Oath
   • Scout Law
   • Outdoor Code
3. Announcements (can also be done at end of meeting)
   
   • Updates
4. Meeting Plan
   
   • Guest Speaker
   • Instruction Time
   • Event
5. Patrol Break-outs
6. Game
7. Scoutmaster Minute
8. Closing Ceremony

Don’t forget to plan in jokes, skits and run-ons

 

Troop Meeting Ideas

Need ideas?  Here are a few:

• BSA Program Features
  
  • With some creativity, many can be adapted into virtual meetings
• Troop Meeting Activities
  
  • With some creativity, many can be adapted into virtual meetings
• Digital Escape Rooms
  
  • Digital Escape Rooms & Activities
  • Free-digital-escape-rooms
• Virtual LAN (video games) Party
• Virtual Experiences
  
  • Meet a Real Life Shark Scientist in South Africa
• Guest speaker
  
  • Find an inspirational Speaker 
• Community Leader Visit
  
  • Council Member
  • Law enforcement
  • Fire and Rescue
  • Non-profit leaders
  • Veterans
• Virtual Merit Badges – use sparingly 
• Drive in Movie Theater with social distancing in cars
• Discussion on Diversity
• Outdoor Ethics Awareness award
  
  • Need Training? 
  • Need Resources?
• Plan out an outing for a future date
  
  • Have the members of the troop plan out a route
  • Discuss elevation gain and distances
  • Where will you have lunch or camp
  • Activities at camp and things to see and do?
• Court of Honor
  
  • Do it Virtually
  • or do a Drive-By with leadership staying a few special words of recognition the people in each car
• Virtual sign off session – scouts take turns showing off their skills one after another.  It’s like a talent show but for advancement. 
• Troop Cooking session
  
  • Work on the Cooking Merit Badge Requirements 
  • CHOP competition – Contestants get 3 known ingredients and one surprise one and the competitions begins live!  You can throw in other challenges too, such as knot tying or exercises. 
• Virtual Campout
  
  • Have an actual fire
  • Skits
  • Stunts
  • Jokes
  • Demos
  • Ghost Stories
  • Sharing of legends 
• Fieldcraft Demos
  
  • Show troop how to start a fire without matches
  • Ideally, do this live if possible
• Community service?
  
  • Give a class on how to make masks
  • Have the troop come up with a plan
• Have a pet show – why not and tie it into a Pet Merit Badge
• Scavenger Hunt
  
  • 10 Essentials
  • First Aid items
  • Scouting items
  • Random stuff from outside