ABOUT US
Troop 8626 is for girls ages 11-17 looking for adventures with Scouting America. Located centrally in Bellevue, we serve girls from Bellevue, Issaquah, Newcastle, Mercer Island and surrounding areas.
Troop 8626 is one of the first troops in Bellevue just for girls
Scouting America expanded its long-standing Boy Scouts of America (BSA) program to include girls in 2019. Local Cub Scouts were the first to add girls to their elementary-aged packs, but there were very few options for girls to continue once they reached middle school. Now girls have a place in Bellevue for Scouting in Troop 8626.
Benefits of a linked troop
As a linked troop with the boys Troop 626, our girls troop 8626 has the benefits of sharing long-standing traditions and an active parent committee while still running its own meetings and outings. The boys and girls meet on the same nights, at the same location, and share our opening and closing ceremonies. But then we meet independently, have our own leadership teams and patrols, and plan our own calendars. Sometimes our events overlap and sometimes we run completely separately. This gives us more opportunities overall to participate in high adventure, summer camp, campouts, service projects, and other fun outings.
How we started
Established in February 2025, the current members of Troop 8626 are its founders. Our first meeting had 12 girls and we are quickly growing. New Scouts in our troop come with or without any previous Scouting experience, and we all contribute to how the troop is run. Leadership comes from the Scouts with oversight and support from experienced Scoutmasters and our Troop Committee of parent volunteers. Our Scouts get to make decisions about what we do and how we do it.
What we do
We focus on providing a fun and supportive environment for girls to grow, try new things, have outdoor adventures, and make a difference in our community. Scouts progress at their own pace through ranks with the opportunity to earn the Eagle rank and other higher awards. We plan at least one outing per month including camping, backpacking, hiking, and other adventures. We conduct service projects throughout the year including a Scouting for Food campaign in the spring, events with our local VFW, conservation projects in local woodland areas, and other projects supporting local non-profits. In summer, we attend a week-long summer camp as a troop and have the opportunity to participate in high-adventure trips and national/international jamborees. Our Scouts also have additional training opportunities with Troop Leader Training (ILST) and National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT).
Meetings
We meet weekly on Tuesdays 7:00-8:30pm at Tyee Middle School and at other nearby locations in summer. On the first Tuesday of the month, we meet to make plans for what is coming next. On that day, our Scouts meet as a Patrol Leadership Council (PLC) and our parents meet as a Troop Committee.
Check us out
Girls interested in learning more about our troop are welcome to come with their parents to our meetings. Email us for more information on joining or visiting. Or you can register to join here.