What's there to know about Troop 21?

Our Troop is only a small section of an even Larger organization. Along with other Troops, we make up a district. Multiple districts make a council and all the councils togethor make up the National Boy Scouts Organization.

Just like the National Organization our Troop is divided into smaller groups for a smoother flow of the meeting. We generally have three patrols. Two of them being regular patrols, the main groups consisting of both younger scouts and older scouts that are still on their way to the higher ranks of scouting. Then there is the Eagle/Senior Patrol. This patrol consists of the older scouts who are working towards Eagle or are already Eagle Scouts. The Eagle/Senior patrol, being the oldest scouts plan and run the meetings, learning how to be leaders and how to work well with others.

During meetings if our planning for campouts or we are completed with our designated activity (First Aid Lectures, Merit Badge Presentations, etc.) we generally break out into smaller groups to work on Rank Advancement. While going out on camping trips is the BEST way to advance your rank, we can still do many of the advancements in the meeting. The older scouts will assist the younger scouts in earning a new rank by quizing them on whatever need be (The Buddy System, First-Aid, Carries, Knots, nearly any Requirement).

If all of the younger scouts are busy and there are still older scouts whos requirements are beyond First Class (Meaning Star, Life, and Eagle) they have the opportunity to work on Merit Badges. Sometimes the merit badge councilor will already be there and the scouts can set up a day to work on the badge.

Camping is a MAJOR part of Troop 21. We have monthly campouts from September to May. One of the biggest campouts that both New and Old Scouts can enjoy is Camp Napowan. Napowan is the Summer camp that everyone enjoys going to. Napowan is a week long campout with many other Troops in Wisconsin. Many a Merit Badge can be completed there and most scouts find it easy to do so. The first Court of Honor that we have after the summer is always full of badges that were earned during the summer at Camp Napowan.

For the older scouts who have outgrown Napowan there is High Adventure. In recent years we have gone canoeing across the Boundary Waters between American and Canada. It was there where we saw many moose and rapid waters which we either traversed by going canoeing through them, portaging (Landing on an Island and carrying the canoes, the food, and our gear around the rapids to the other side) or on one occassion walking through the rapids waist-deep in water. Also Philmont the famous scout ranch where the scouts hiked for miles upon miles all the while carrying heavy packs filled with what they needed to survive in New Mexico's heated climate.

Troop 21 has done many amazing things in the past and with today's scouts there is no doubt that with their future leadership Troop 21 will continue to have amazing adventures and grand stories to be told around the campfires, during the meetings, and for years to come.