Joining Crew 99
This will take you directly to the page to start registering to be a part of Crew 99.
Useful Links
One-stop shopping for all the handy links to BSA and gear sites.
Local Cradle of Liberty Council: scoutingphilly.org
www.scoutingphilly.org —Good for getting all sorts of general information, downloading forms (for trips, rank advancement, adult training, etc.), and more.
Scouting America (formerly BSA): scouting.org
www.scouting.org —Everything official about Scouting America (formerly BSA), including Venture Crew resources.
Merit Badges (official): scouting.org
Official merit badge hub (Scouting America) —A direct link to the official page on merit badges. Bonus: You can download a PDF copy of the merit badge pamphlet for many badges for free.
Merit Badges (unofficial): meritbadge.org
meritbadge.org —Private, unofficial, but darned useful site, listing all of the requirements plus plenty of supporting intel that is missing from the official site. However, make sure to check with the official site to get the actual and most up-to-date requirements.
Uniforms and such: Scout Shop
www.scoutshop.org —The official BSA retail site (older references often called it scoutstuff.org). Beyond the necessities (uniforms), the general merchandise they sell (clothes, camping gear, etc.) is not bad—way better than it used to be even five years ago—but it’s not the cheapest, either. For that, see below.
Gear: REI, EMS, L.L.Bean, and discount outlets
These places are where most of the crew and adult leaders tend to shop for outdoors clothing and specialty gear. Really, though, you can shop anywhere—so long as you be sure none of the clothes are cotton (that includes socks and underwear). Wool or any synthetic material will do.
There is a reason for this rule. Once cotton gets wet—from rain, water sports, or even just sweating—it actually begins to suck heat away from the body, which can lead to hypothermia and other life-threatening conditions. Our clothing motto is: “Cotton kills.”
Discount outlets
- Sierra (outdoor discount retailer; many still remember it as Sierra Trading Post)
- www.steepandcheap.com
Trip planning
There is a page of links devoted to helping Scouts plan our summer trips by figuring out costs, rules and permits required, and more.