Have you ever wondered what Scouting is all about?

Sure, Scouts do a lot of camping and earn merit badges, but the real work of Scouting is helping parents build strong, self-reliant young men who are good members of their families, communities, and nation. This is our goal for Boy Scout Troop 683.

Boy Scouting  is open to boys who have completed the fifth grade or who are 11 through 17 years old.  The program goals include developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness by focusing on a fun and vigorous program that includes a mix of outdoor activities and community service projects.

What does that mean? Simply put, ScOuting is Outing!

Scouts learn skills in Troop meetings and then put those skills into practice during Troop campouts.  Boys participate in monthly campouts throughout the year.  Camping trips vary.  We may go camping in the snow one month and go camping in the desert under the hot baking sun another month.  The boys also have the opportunity to go to summer camp for a week or more during the school break. As Scouts gain experience and skills, they may participate in High Adventure programs, whitewater rafting, rock and mountain climbing, historical reenactments, or whatever the boys decide is interesting and achievable.

But it's not all fun and games.  Our boys also participate in various community service projects throughout the year.  It may be a wildlife preserve clean up project or trail restoration project.   Or we may be asked to help out with food collection for needy families.  There are also GEO and JCI activities that we help out with.  We believe that it is never too early to learn how to contribute to the community that you live in.

Boy Scout Troops practice the Patrol Method, which means that the Troop is boy-led with guidance from the Scoutmaster and his Assistants. Of course, a boy-led Troop doesn't develop overnight. Little by little, year by year, the boys learn to accept greater and greater amounts of responsibility for the Troop, developing citizenship skills by participating in the small groups (or Patrols) who lead the Troop. The Patrol Method allows the boys to practice on a small scale the citizenship skills they need for their future adult roles in the community.

Boy Scout Troop 683 meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:00PM at the Gardena JCI.