The Troop 285 Way

Advancement, Fun, Adventure and Inclusion

As we begin each new year of camping, hiking, canoeing, meeting, learning and having fun, It is always a great time to look at “The Big Picture” of Troop 285's program. This troop, often considered the Best in the Great Southwest, is full of a lot of outings. All of these events are designed to give to the wide age-range of Scouts (11 to 18 years old) a set of activities that they can be successful in, can learn from, and most importantly, can have fun doing. Let's take a look at some of the important “sub-groups” within the Troop.

Basic Skills -

The first year Scouts in the troop participate in the Basic Skills program. Within a year of joining, all of these Scouts should be able to complete the requirements for the first four ranks (Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class). The program is laid out to accommodate the Scouts who attend every Monday meeting as well as those who have a lot of demands on their time outside of Scouts. By working in Training Patrols that are made up solely of Basic Skills Scouts, and led by Staff patrol members called Troop Guides, the first year scouts get a great chance to do it themselves, without having to take a back seat to older Scouts who already know how to camp, cook, hike, navigate, and cooperate in team efforts. By the time they earn First Class, they will have been able to show strong swimming skills, gone on a five mile hike, camped out several weekends (including at lakes and in the snow), taken introductory backpacking trips, learned how to render practical first aid, and will probably have grown a shoe size or two! Experienced Assistant Scoutmasters and new-to-Scouts parents alike join together to give the first year scouts a strong foundation in the skills Scouts will use their entire life, including camping, cooking, knots and lashings, basic citizenship, first aid skills exceeding those of most adults, and the ability to navigate in the outdoors.

Road To Eagle -

By the time they finish the Basic Skills program, Scouts are ready to take on the Merit Badge program, learning and earning some of the over one-hundred merit badges available. Merit badges are selected by the Scouts themselves, and are taught by the Troops large group of qualified and knowledgeable Councilors. By the time they acquire 21 merit badges, they will have progressed along the “Road to Eagle” through Star, Life and Eagle ranks. These guys are the real core of our boy-led Troop, as they must be First Class rank or higher to hold positions in the Staff patrol that leads all the other patrols in the Troop. They plan campouts and high adventure outings, organize service projects, conduct Courts of Honor and provide the other day-to-day leadership that the Troop requires. More than any other youth program we know of, Boy Scouting gives the individual Scout the opportunity to set their own goals, plan their own fun, and learn new, unusual and practical topics. When the required number of merit badges has been earned, the Scouts are ready for the final sprint to Eagle rank. They complete paperwork, plan a useful Eagle service project, and recruit Scouts to complete that project. It really is a mini-course in project management!

High Adventure -

Troop 285 has a strong High Adventure program that stretches back many years, and strides forward with exciting plans for the future. We get a chance to do one or two of these high-adventure outings each year. In the past, we've hiked in the mountains, the canyons, and the deserts. We've biked, climbed rocks, and canoed. In 2012, we are continuing the tradition with three events - a backpacking trip to the Wenimuche Wilderness near Durango CO including riding the Toltec for part of the way; Long Term at the beautiful Lagunitas wilderness and a Grand Canyon ‘Rim to Rim to Rim’ adventure of a lifetime! We get to go places that few people take the time to do. The challenges are large, but the rewards are even bigger!

Community Service -

Combined with requirements in the Road to Eagle program and Basic Skills, and often added to some of our High Adventure trips, Troop 285 provides service to the community of Albuquerque and to the National and State Parks in the southwest. We've built picnic tables for Bosque Del Apache, cleared trails in more than one National Forest, helped with Mexican gray wolf reintroduction efforts, packed food and clothing for homeless people, and decorated Veteran's graves for Memorial Day. Each Scout is expected to participate in at least four hours of community service each quarter...surprisingly, most Scouts find they've done more than that without even trying hard!

Building Great Young Men -

We've looked at some of the big picture items the Troop 285 program accomplishes each year. This would all be wasted, though, if we weren't assisting each Scout, at the pace he wants to set through the Boy Scout ranks. We've been fortunate to have worked with some of the very best boys in Albuquerque – guys who are now flying airplanes for the Air Force, starting careers in film, working as leading-edge technology engineers, or even starting their own businesses. We have a program broad enough and strong enough to accommodate the interests and abilities of almost all of our local young men. Encouragement, mentorship, and inclusion are some of the reasons we now have over 220 Eagle Scouts among our alumni but the biggest is the will and resolve of the GREAT young men we have had the pleasure to work with over the 60+ years of Troop 285's existence. Help us make that at least 60 more!