Boys Scout Troop 406

 

 

 

We are Troop 406, a uniformed troop.  See the new parents page for definition of a complete uniform, as well as other useful information.  We are a scout run troop, with a strong committee and adult leadership.  

 

Troop 406 is affiliated with Cradle of Liberty Council, Lafayette District.  The troop was founded in 1953 and celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in 2013.  The troop averages about one camping trip per month, and is very active in Royersford and surrounding communities, performing hundreds of hours of community service annually.

 

The troop meets every Thursday night at Grace Lutheran Church social hall (September through June) weather and school calendars permitting.  During the Summer we meet for special reasons like community events, Eagle projects, troop picnics, and planning, and most of our scouts attend some kind of Summer Camp. 

 

Grace Lutheran Church is located on the corner of N 6th Ave. and Main St. in Royersford, PA.  Troop 406 is proud and honored to have been sponsored by GLC for the past 60 years.  Visitors are welcome.  Please use the Contact Us link if you would like to attend a meeting or join the troop.

 

About the BSA

 

Founded in 1910 by a group of like-minded American businessmen and civic leaders, the Boy Scouts of America was modeled after the English Scouts founded by Robert Baden-Powell a few years earlier.  A chance meeting on a London street between American businessman William D. Boyce and an English Boy Scout in 1909 sparked interest in the movement and led to the founding of the BSA a year later.  The BSA brought together several other scout-like organizations that also promoted outdoor skills, brotherhood, and community service.  In the last 100 years there have been over 100 million boy scouts, with just over 2 million reaching the rank of Eagle.  There are currently about 3 million active Scouts in the US.  The list of famous Eagle scouts is extensive, and includes US President Gerald Ford, Astronauts Neil Armstrong and James Lovell, Film Director Stephen Speilberg, Baseball All-Star Shane Victorino, and TV host Mike Rowe.  Of the over 300 people who have flown on American space missions, more than two-thirds have been involved in scouting, including 27 Girl Scouts.  Of the 24 men who traveled to the moon, 21 were scouts, including 11 of the 12 men who physically walked on its surface.

 

Boys can join scouting at any time from the age of 6-10 (cubs) and 11-18 (scouts).  Scouts "age out" on their 18th birthday, meaning they can no longer advance in rank or earn Merit Badges.  However they are encouraged to continue to be active in scouts as adult leaders.  Venture Scouts continue until age 21.

 

In the US a National Scout Jamboree is held every four years.  From 1980 until 2010 the Jamboree was held at Fort AP Hill Military Reservation in Virginia, but beginning in 2013 it moved to a new permanent home at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. This is also home of the fourth and newest BSA high adventure camp.

 

In the US, the Girl Scouts of the USA is a parallel organization focusing on girls in the Scouting Movement.  However, the BSA Venture Scouts are co-educational, with slightly different organization at the patrol level.

 

The BSA is a constituent member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  There are over 30 million scouts in 160 countries worldwide.  A world Jamboree is held every four years.  In 2019 it will be held at the Summit (first time in the US in over 50 years).

 

For much more on the Boy Scouts of America, visit www.scouting.org.