About Troop 574
The goal of Boy Scouts of America is to help boys develop into honorable men. Scouting values can be incorporated into a boy’s home, school, and religious community adding to all three.
Troop 574 is a medium sized troop of about 60 boys whose program is designed to follow the aims and goals of the Boy Scouts of America. We strive to instill qualities such as citizenship, personal fitness (emotional, mental and physical), and character. We do this by using the time-tested methods of the BSA. The adult leaders strive to make sure Troop 574 is a “boy led” troop. The Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leaders Council conduct all program planning, with adults acting only as advisors. In January 2002 we will be adding a Venturing Troop to offer young men and women 14 to 21 new opportunities for high adventure fun!
Fun is a major part of our program. A boy will not stay in Scouting if he is not having fun. We will have at least one campout every month, sometimes more. Traditionally, June is summer Camp month and July is High Adventure month. For the past several years, Troop 574 has offered two high adventure trips; one at a BSA High Adventure camp designed for Scouts 13 and older and one open to all scouts in the troop. Past high adventure trips include a sailing camp on South Padre Island, Sea Base in Florida, 50 mile canoe trip on the Current River in Missouri, week long spelunking adventure at Carlsbad Caverns, whitewater rafting and rock climbing at Packard in Colorado and an eight day canoe trip in Quetico Park, Ontario, Canada. Our program is structured to allow the Scouts to obtain knowledge and learn scouting, life, and leadership skills in a structured but easy going atmosphere.
To help the boys advance Troop 574 has put in three programs to assist them: 1) Trail to First Class – This program helps first year Scouts gain the necessary fundamental skills in camping, cooking, first aid and map and compass; 2) First to Life – Was designed to help the Scouts obtain the necessary merit badges and leadership requirements to work their way to the Life rank; 3) Road to Eagle – Designed to assist our Life Scouts with the requirements and paperwork to obtain the Eagle rank.
Because of our size we can offer any boy who joins numerous opportunities to fill leadership roles within the troop. We hold elections twice a year for all positions ensuring that any boy who wishes to hold an office has the opportunity.