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Troop 566
Saratoga, California
40 Years of Excellence in Scouting
About Troop 566
Why do so many boys want to join Troop 566? Our Troop is energetic and schedules a variety of trips which keep the Scouts interested. The Troop size averages between 60 and 80 Scouts, which is large enough that trips are never
cancelled for lack of support or attendance. There are many other reasons:
Our Organization
We publish a 4-8 page newsletter each month which includes updates on trips, packing lists for the upcoming trip, Troop events
calendar, notes on achievements and more. We maintain a password protected member’s only website. Troop 566 has its own e-mail distribution system, voicemail hotline and reservation system for communication with parents and Scouts.
Our Boy Leadership
Troop 566 is a Scout-run Troop. Youth leaders plan and execute their own program, under the guidance of the Scoutmaster, with parent participation and support. New Scouts begin with small jobs under the guidance of more experienced Scouts. As their skills and knowledge improve, new responsibilities are given to them.
Learning leadership skills is one of the most important products of being a Boy Scout. Troop 566 has a Junior Leader Training program for the boy leaders. Each Scout will learn the skills needed to carry out his job in the Troop and will learn how to pass those skills on to other boys.
Twice a month during the school year, the Patrol Leaders council meet at a local pizzeria and hold planning meetings under the leadership of the Senior Patrol Leader. The boys pick the camping trips the Troop will be taking six to twelve months in advance so reservations can be secured.
Our New Scouts
Most new Scouts join us in March as the local Cub Scouts graduate at this time.
However, we accept new scouts and transfers during the year. In March, we prepare our new Scouts and parents with three 3-hour "Quick Start" training events.
Troop 566 youth educate the new scouts while the Scoutmaster briefs the parents on all the details. The goal of our QuickStart is to bring Scout and parents up to speed so everyone knows what to expect and how the Troop systems work.
Our Cooking Skills
We eat well in Troop 566! Many troops have hot dogs, cup-a-soup, ramen and pop tarts as regular fare. We pride ourselves on cooking more exciting meals (stuffed Cornish game hens, casseroles from scratch, chickens on a spit over an open fire, fresh stew with dumplings, grilled salmon or tri-tip, pineapple upside down cakes, cinnamon rolls, and cobblers). We adapt our cooking styles to the type of weekend trip we do. We often prepare gourmet meals for car camping trips. For backpack trips, we plan quick and easy meals so we can concentrate on the sights and hiking.
Cooking teaches many lifelong skills including planning, budgeting, shopping, repackaging,leadership (the cook teaches his patrol how to prepare the meal as a group), teamwork, and critical path analysis (all delegated tasks must result in a meal hot and ready to serve at one time for everyone in the group).
Troop 566 has no shortage of cooking gear. Each patrol has a powerful 3-burner car camping stove and full kitchen. We have separate, dedicated backpacking kitchens and break into smaller cook groups for backpacking trips. Patrols can check out additional cooking gear like Dutch ovens (we have over 20) and propane BBQs.
Our Training and Readiness
All Troop 566 Scouts are required to have current certification cards for both CPR and First Aid. The Troop arranges group training with certifying agencies to keep the costs low. Training every two years keeps their skills fresh. Our Scouts are prepared!
Our Scoutmaster
Our Scoutmaster is an Eagle Scout. He joined with his oldest son 8 years ago and his youngest son still has 6 more years. He is passionate about Scouting. He keeps an open mind and still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Our Community Service
"Service" is our middle name! Each of our scouts does twelve service hours per year in the local community (school, church, parks).
Our Quality
We have been awarded the National BSA Quality Unit Award for the past 18 years - recognition of the strength of our program, the strong advancement of our Scouts, and the commitment shown by our Troop Committee and parents.
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