Boy run Troop! Unlike some troops where your leaders make most of the decisions on what you do, in Troop 953 the scouts themselves set up the program and the outings.

Our meeting facility. We meet in the clean Fellowship Hall of Bethel United Church of Christ. Along with this facility we have access to several other meeting rooms. Thanks to Bethel Church we have ample storage in a two story garage on site (this eliminates the need for equipment to be stored in your home) .

Our Web Site. Do the other units in the area have a Web Site? Troop 953 is proud to have a website that is kept up to date and last minute changes can be found online. Be sure to look at our past and future Calendars, the Picture Gallery and the Eagle's Nest.

We have 28 Eagle Scouts. Troop 953 has a STRONG advancement program! Every year we have at least one scout achieve the rank of Eagle and one or more Eagle Palms. We are proud to announce that one of our recent Eagle Scouts has accepted the position serving our troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster.

Our equipment In 1999, we made almost $4000 in equipment purchases including a new trailer and tents without a major fundraising effort or increasing the annual dues for the last four years. All of our patrols are equipped with their own Coleman propane stoves and stocked patrol boxes.

Our year round program Our troop has an activity each month with about 8 to 10 overnight campouts for the first year scout. Some of our older scouts spend 36 to 48 days on scout campouts.

Where did we go all those times? Well ..... we have gone on weekend outings to: Wright Patterson Air Force Base and museum in Dayton, Ohio; S-F and High ropes course; North Star Klondike; Spring Camporee and Fall Encampment; S-F tree houses; rock climbing and rappelling; canoeing; Beaumont ropes course and climbing tower; Chicago for museum tours; Order of the Arrow Fall & Spring reunions and Sectional Conclaves; cabin stays; winter swims; cave exploration; bike hikes; wilderness camping; backpacking; community service projects; snow skiing; horseback riding.

All members of Troop 953 have the opportunities to participate in week long summer camps. We've been to S-F Scout Ranch - Camp Gamble and Camp Sakima and Roy C. Manchester in Kentucky

Older scouts who meet age, rank and other requirements can also attend other week long experiences including: high adventure rock climbing, caving, canoeing and white water rafting camp; Junior leader training camp (JLTC); JLTC youth staff; Philmont - JLTC staff development course; Ranger Camp at S-F Scout Ranch along with Horse Camp at Beaumont; High Adventure Summer Camp at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Fund Raising While not required, we do offer lucrative fund raising opportunities for scouts to earn money to pay for their activities. Each scout is setup with a personal account to store their earned money and to draw from for troop activities.

Advancement While outings are an important part of our program they alone do not make a well rounded scout. At Troop 953 we strive continuously to help the scouts advance from Tenderfoot to Eagle and beyond. Our goal for all new scouts is to be First Class within the first year. Every outing and activity is reviewed to get advancement opportunities for the scouts.

We have great adult Leadership. We average 5 adult leaders at every Thursday night meeting and several of our leaders grew up in the Scouting program and some are Eagle Scouts.

Finally, joining Troop 953 will allow you to:

• HAVE FUN !

• Make new friends for life !

• Learn valuable skills that you will need later on in life !

• Have experiences that you will remember for the rest of your life !

• Go on outings where the average public is not allowed !

• Build great memories in scouting to pass along to your children !

• Bring A Friend !