Why Be a Scout? Why Troop 36?

What Do Boy Scouts Do?

Did you know that to qualify as an Eagle Scout, a boy must earn merit badges in:

• Finance. The “Personal Management” merit badge requires a knowledge of mortgages and loans, the stock market and investing.
• Communication. Presenting himself before an audience, MC'ing an event, preparing agendas and brochures.
  
• Cooking. He has to cook three meals at home, and three meals on a backpacking trip (without the cutting board and grater). And wash up without a sink.
  
• First Aid, camping, emergency preparedness and lifesaving ... no surprise here
  
• Citizenship. How government works at the community level, nation and world. Attending town halls and getting involved.
  

and a dozen others.

But to answer the question: What do Boy Scouts do?

1. We go on outings, usually in the wilds. Day hikes, bike rides, car camping and backpacking, summer camps and High Adventure trips for older boys. Each event takes planning and preparation to ensure safety, and to have adequate food and the right survival gear. The boys make choices, draw up TBD lists and execute the tasks. We learn to conduct ourselves responsibly in the outdoors.
   
2. We run service projects in the community. Often the projects involve construction, and we learn to use tools safely and effectively. Like outings, service projects require careful planning.
   
3. We get instructed and qualified in our areas of interest. See the list of Merit Badges at the bottom of this page. We may earn 20-30 Merit Badges each during our time in Scouting.
   

The Scouting Advantage

Compared with other extra-curricular activities, Scouting develops a broad range of abilities.

Make new friends of all ages

For Boys Thinking About Scouting:  4  Reasons to Be a Boy Scout

1. Have fun with other boys your age. Make friends with older boys who will teach you stuff. In a few years when you’re a big guy, you will make friends with younger boys and teach them stuff.
2. Go on outings. Nearby in Los Padres National Forest and the Sierras. Also to the Bahamas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Hawaii. Climb Mount Whitney. Go skiing and snow camping. Kayaking and snorkeling.
3. Learn about the outdoors. How to hike and camp safely. How to find your way in the wilderness. Knots and lashings. The right way to use a knife and ax. First aid and life saving.
4. Do things for your community. Earn a lot of community service hours.

For Parents Thinking About Scouting:  5  Reasons for Your Son to Be a Boy Scout

A partnership between parent and son. You will both treasure the times he spent accomplishing all manner of skills under your guidance

1. Scouting is pooled parenting. Your son will grow up knowing not just the skills you know, but also the skills that other parents know, all organized methodically and thoroughly. You're a computer expert but have never been skiing? Junior will have both those doors and more open to him.
   
2. Scouting is a partnership between parents and their boys. When Junior goes off to college (which will happen before you know it), you will both treasure the times he spent accomplishing all manner of skills under your guidance.
3. Scouting teaches values. “Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” It teaches parents values too. Some parents come back, 5, 10, 20 years after their sons have completed the program, to help out at meetings and outings. It makes you wonder why.
4. The Scouting program is designed to teach independence, attainment of goals, organization, teamwork and leadership. Advancing to Eagle Scout is a significant achievement for a boy. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, President Gerald Ford, aviator Steven Fossett, movie producer Steven Spielberg, and Walmart founder Sam Walton were Eagles. Other famous Scouts (but not Eagles) include our last three Presidents (Obama, Bush, Clinton), as well as President Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Walter Cronkite and Bill Gates. Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates was an Eagle Scout, and recently served as President of the BSA. The Boy Scouts is one of a handful of youth organizations chartered by the U.S. Congress.
   

Troop 36 is supported by experienced adults. Scott Schreiner, a retired forest ranger, takes a moment during a hike up Figueroa Mountain to run a short lesson on the Ponderosa pine.

5. A gentleman stopped by our booth at the Lemon Festival. His eyes misted over as he looked at the displays of memorabilia. “I would never have made it out of Vietnam if it weren't for the skills I learned as a Boy Scout,” he said.

 6  Reasons to Choose Troop 36

1. Troop 36 has 50+ years of history in the Santa Barbara and Goleta community. We're supported by experienced parents (whose sons graduated up to 20 years ago) with depth in outdoor skills as well as Merit Badge counseling. We have the highest rate of parent training in the South Coast District.
   
2. Some Troops focus almost exclusively on service projects, others on outdoor survival. Troop 36 is middle of the road; we have a varied program of challenging outings and service projects in roughly equal parts. We turn out well-rounded men.
3. Troop 36 is relaxed but focused, with a high success rate in advancement and attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout. The national average is 2%. We're at 20-30%. In the Journey to Excellence, which is a raft of measures of success, the Troop has won Gold or Silver the past 5 years.
   
4. Troop 36 has a long-standing annual Christmas tree sales fundraiser. It teaches boys business and operational skills (planning, physical setup, advertising, book keeping), and provides generous subsidies to enable trips to far-flung destinations. Not many Troops from middle-class California communities make it to Minnesota and the Bahamas.
   
5. Troop 36 has a close-knit family vibe, a transparent administration and frank interactions. Nothing is too sensitive to discuss. Particularly youth protection.
6. Troop 36 is relatively small compared with some other Troops. A boy is more likely to be noticed and his progress followed, and his preferences (choice of activities and destinations, challenge level) are more likely to count.
   

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