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COVID Policy

We Avoid COVID!

Our Troop has a parent who serves as our Troop Physician and three additional physician-parents also assist to encourage that Troop activities are conducted in as safe a manner as possible. The City, BSA and The Episcopal Church have issued anti-COVID rules we follow. Nothing is perfect, so our Troop procedures cannot guarantee you will not somehow become infected with the COVID virus in your daily life or by participating with our Troop. However, we believe our Troop practices make it unlikely you will become infected with the virus at a Troop activity or pass the virus to another Scout. However, you have to do your part to stay healthy. And as a Scout you need to encourage everyone else to comply. Any person who does not strictly comply with our practices is removed from participating in our program activities. The Scoutmasters are not authorized to make exception to this policy and should not be asked to do so.

Troop Meetings

  • Transportation to Meetings. Be careful when you travel to and from meetings. If you travel in your vehicle with others not in your immediate family, wear a mask. Observe social distancing and wear a mask on the Metro or Metrobus.
  • We Meet Outside. Our Saturday morning Troop meetings are always outside. We use the front lawn and the rear patio of the Church and have plenty of hand sensitizer. Everyone should take their temperatures for the 5 days before a meeting (or other event). Their temperature will also be checked prior to being admitted to an area where other Scouts are present. We will erect a huge tarp over the back patio if inclement weather is expected. Only one person at a time can go inside the Church to use the bathroom.
  • Less Than 50 People. We never have more than 50 people in the same area. If necessary, some of us will be in the front yard and some of us will be on the patio in the back yard.
  • Distancing and Masks. We observe social distancing and every youth and adult participant wears a mask. We have extra disposable masks if you forget to bring one.
  • Take Your Temperature. Everyone who wants to attend a Troop meeting must take his or her temperature for the five days immediately before the Troop meeting. We also take your temperature when you arrive. Since we meet on Saturday mornings, this means that in order to attend a Troop meeting, you must take your temperature on Monday through Friday.
  • Announce Your Guests. We do not allow any parents, guests, or others to enter the area of our meeting. If someone drives or walks you to our meeting, they must stay behind the yellow tape. If you want to bring a friend and her parent to learn about our Troop, tell this to the Scoutmasters when you arrive. We will ask them a few COVID questions, make sure they have a mask and take their temperatures before letting them into the meeting area. All guests will have to obey our social distancing rules.

Campouts and Hikes

We follow the same basic procedures during our monthly weekend campouts and any other activities, such as a day hike in the City.

Here are the details:

Take Your Temperature. Everyone who wants to attend a campout or hike must take her temperature Monday through Friday immediately before the event. Your temperature will also be taken before you are allowed to join with the other Scouts during the event.

Distancing and Masks. Everyone must socially distance and wear a mask when attending an event. When driving to the event, everyone in your car must wear a mask and there should be no singing (unless everyone in your car is an immediate family member).

Separate Tents. Everyone sleeps in their own tent, except that immediate family members can share tents.

Participate by Patrol. We normally group our tents and cook with our small subgroups called “Patrols”. This program year, our Patrols will sometimes camp in the same general location, but not directly interact with each other during the weekend. In these cases, the Troop will continue to follow our Youth Protection guidelines. This means that at least two registered adult leaders (at least one of which must be female) would camp with each Patrol.

Your Family and School Life

  • Get Tested. We encourage you and the members of your family to get a COVID test if you have not had one, if you have recently traveled to an area where COVID is prevalent or if you have been exposed to someone who has COVID. These tests are often free of charge. The City will give any DC resident a test at no charge. When the Troop goes to summer camp in June, everyone attending gets a COVID test in advance.
  • Quarantine when Necessary. After you return from travel to an area where COVID is prevalent, you should quarantine yourself for 14 days and monitor your temperature and other potential symptoms for COVID. Do not attend Troop meetings or activities until after you have successfully quarantined for 14 days.