Troop 61 Mission Statement

Today, too many people are satisfied with mediocrity.  Too many people are casually dishonest, unethical, and immoral in their everyday conduct.  Too many people are satisfied to follow rather than lead.  In Troop 61, we want to teach our Scouts to be leaders, to set the example, to take responsibility for their actions, and to stand up for what they know is right.  We want our Scouts to be honest, to set high goals for themselves, and to be achievers.

Troop 61 Founding Principles

Boy Led Program – The boys plan and run their program through a strong and functioning Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) with guidance from our adult leadership.

Responsible Leadership – The boys learn that leadership has responsibilities, and grow as leaders by actively performing the various leadership positions in the Troop.

Service to Others - The boys learn that helping other people is a rewarding experience through service projects and other civic activities.

Effective Advancement – The New Scout Patrol method allows our new Scouts to advance to First Class together with their peers, and then advance at their own pace meeting the requirements with guidance from both boy and adult leaders.

 What is Troop 61 all about?

    Troop 61, like many other Scout Troops, is a camping Troop.  We believe that we can offer the best of the Scouting principles through activities associated with camping and the overall outdoor experience.  

    Or goal is to camp at least once a month throughout the year - we typically have 13 Camping Trips in a program year.  The Camping Trip locations are picked by the boys at their annual planning meeting in August.  We offer both traditional camping as well as backpacking trips; we attend one week of summer camp; and we round out our calendar with 3-4 Day Trips (shooting sports, orienteering, fishing trip, water activities).

    We also have two or more Service Projects a year, we participate in several parades, and we conduct multiple flag retirement ceremonies throughout our area.  We also take great pride in helping our brother Cub Scout Pack with their program.

    We place a large emphasis on the boys’ leadership abilities.  We do not have boy leaders simply because they wear a patch.  We have boy leaders that learn to become leaders by actively performing the responsibilities of their Troop positions.  They start out with positions in their Patrols, move up to Troop positions and then on to Patrol and Troop Leadership roles.

New Scout Patrol (NSP) Method

    At Troop 61 we believe that the New Scout Patrol method is an important part of our Troop Program.  We devote a large amount of our leadership resources to this program because we feel that keeping a boy in Scouting for his first year is critical to his success in Scouting.

    Statistics from BSA indicate that boys that stay in Scouting for their first year are more likely to remain in the program.  The statistics also show that boys that reach their First Class rank in approximately one year will also stay in the program longer.

    The Troop has one Assistant Scoutmaster that is responsible for guiding the NSP Program.  He works with one of our Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (ASPL) who is responsible for overseeing the NSP Program.  That ASPL supervises our Troop Guides who work directly with the New Scout Patrols.

    The New Scouts that join our Troop in February/March are placed in New Scout Patrols with boys their same age that generally come from the same Pack.  They may join members of another Pack in their new patrol, but the boys are kept together with their friends.  This provides a level of comfort as they move from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.  We try to keep the size of these patrols at 6-10 boys.

    Each NSP Patrol is assigned a Troop Guide.  The Guide is an older Scout that works with the patrol to help them with their advancements and running the patrol.  By having a Scout that is dedicated to working with the New Scouts, and having them work together with their friends on the same requirements, we find that the boys have an easier time transitioning into the Troop and with their advancements.  We strive to have all of our new Scouts earn their Tenderfoot rank by our first Court of Honor in June.

    After Summer Camp the boys have usually earned their Second Class Rank by October; and by the end of their first year many of the boys have earned their First Class Rank.  This is not a requirement, but the goal for each of our New Scouts. 

    Every three months a new Patrol Leader (PL) is elected for the NSP by the boys in the patrol.  The PL then selects his own Assistant Patrol Leader (APL).  The PL participates in the monthly Patrol Leaders Council (PLC).  By working with the other boy leaders and the Troop Guide, the New Scouts begin to learn about leadership and responsibility.

    At the end of the first year, the Scouts leave their New Scout Patrols and each Scout decides which of the existing Patrols in the Troop he would like to join.  After one year they are no longer "New Scouts"; they have shared many experiences with the older Scouts and have made new friendships.  Moving into a Mixed Age Patrol allows them to learn more by watching the older Scouts in real time rather than being directed what to do by a Troop Guide or an Adult Leader.

What Kind of Things Do We Do  -  Where Do We Go?

Manhattan, NY  (9/11 Memorial)  *  Appalachian Trail (annual backpacking trip)  *  Webelos Woods 

Cooperstown (Baseball HOF)  *  Rockville Climbing Center  *  Pocono Ski Trip  *  Klondike Derby

New Scout Weekend  *  Washington Crossing Bike Trip  *  NJ State Police Camporee  *  White Water Rafting Trip

Knoebels Amusement Park, PA  *  Gettysburg National Park  *  Mystic Seaport, CT  *  Wharton State Bike  Trip

Inner Harbor - Baltimore, MD  *  Canoe Trip (Wading River & Delaware River)  *   Washington, DC

Geocaching at Swartswood State Forest  *  Williamsburg, VA  *  Ringing Rocks Park, PA  

Antietam Battlefield, MD  *  Valley Forge, PA