About Troop 16
Early Beginnings: The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was incorporated on February 8, 1916 and charted by Congress in 1916. Troop 16 was organized not long after in 1922 and remained active until falling dormant in the mid-1980s.
Renewal: In 1998, the Scouting movement was restarted at St. Andrew’s Church with Cub Scout Pack 16. Pack 16 began with just 7 boys who went on to form Boy Scout Troop 16 in 2002. Today in the “modern era”, Troop 16 has grown to the numbers proudly displayed on our Home page.
Our Council: Heart of America Council
Our District: Three Trails District
Our Sponsor: Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Our Scouts: Our program is designed for youth ages 11-18 who desire to achieve Scouting objectives through outdoor activities and peer group leadership. While our sponsor is an Episcopal church, we welcome Scouts from all backgrounds to join us. We are a troop comprised of families from both sides of the state line, public and private schools as well as a wide range of faith backgrounds. We believe in living by the Scout Oath and Scout Law. The rest takes care of itself.
Our Goal
The goal of Scouting is to provide a character building experience through achievement of outdoors skills and leadership opportunities. Scouting is intended to be a “Scout-led” experience, managed by Patrol Leaders and Senior Patrol Leaders. These older Scouts, usually ages 13-15, guide the younger Scouts through their initial ranks of Scout to First Class. By then, they are prepared to graduate to leadership positions of their own.
What makes Scouting unique?
“Scouting provides youth a safe place to fail. Scouts can learn new skills, and at the same time, they can be themselves. Not many other programs offer this.”
— Dave Banks, Troop Committee Chair
What we do
We have weekly troop meetings to learn, plan and prepare, but the heart of what we do occurs on monthly outings. These outings include campouts to local farms and parks, trips to the interesting places, District Camporees in the fall and Order of the Arrow (honor camping program) induction weekends in the spring. Most importantly, we enjoy summer camp at one of the Heart of America Council’s two camping reservations: the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation and the Theodore Naish Scout Reservation. These venues provide excellent opportunities for Scouts to earn rank advancements and merit badges, but also to benefit from shared experiences and camaraderie that does not come from an electronic device.
Troop 16 Scouts will discover the value of service. While on the trail to Eagle, Scouts learn the value of giving their time and talents in service to others at a young age. This carries forward well into adulthood and into many other forms of citizenship.