About Troop 97

Why choose Scouting?

If you're looking for a fun activity for your son when there is nothing more important to do, or if you're looking for an entertaining place to leave your son while you do other things, you need to sign him up for daycare.

If you're looking for a fun activity for your son that will change his life and make him a better adult, where your involvement is vital, then get him involved in Scouting.

A well-rounded boy should have involvements with his family, church, school, Scouting, music, sports. Our program makes time for these other important commitments, and we hope that you as parents encourage your son to take full advantage of a variety of life experiences while he is growing up, and not be too narrowly focused.

Scouting is GAME with a PURPOSE—to develop future leaders of:

• strong character
• good citizenship
• all-round fitness

The eight methods used by all good troops make Scouting unique:

• Scouting Ideals (Promise, Law, Motto, Slogan)
• Patrol System
• Advancement
• Outdoor Program
• Adult Role Models
• Leadership Development
• Personal Growth
• Scout Uniform

You can't get what Scouting offers anywhere but in Scouting!
It's more than fun—it's an Adventure!

On the Trail to Adventure


T97 Scouts Build a Bridge in Fort Collins

Why choose Troop 97?

The Troop 97 Program of Adventure

• Centers on adventure for all ages
• Special adventures for senior scouts
• Active, ambitious outdoor program for all Scouts
• Boys learn leadership by leading, not by watching
• Outdoor program and advancement are tools to teach Scouting
• Duty to God is part of Scouting, as interpreted by a boy's family

2009 Summer Camp Summary
Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch, Camp Cris Dobbins, Elbert, Colorado

• 7 days of swimming, boating, hiking, exploring, mountain boarding, mountain biking, rock climbing & rappelling, nature, Scoutcraft, advancement, ....
• 37 Scouts attended
• 14 adults spent the full week with the troop

2009 Annual "Trek" Summary

• 25 Scouts & adults in 3 'crews' backpacked betweeen 30 and 90 miles in Wyoming's spectacular Wind River Range.

Value of Parent Involvement

Why do we insist on parental involvement? Because our experience tells us boys with involved parents are more likely to be successful in Scouting and in life.

Do we kick out boys whose parents cannot or will not meet our involvement standards? No, of course not (they need Scouting more than most). And we rejoice when Scouting helps such a boy along. But it is also disheartening to see unrealized potential that only a parent's loving involvement can bring out.

Our experiences with over 500 Troop 97 Scouts since 1978 shows a Scout will accomplish the following on average:

If one parent is a uniformed leader or active committee member, the Scout will:

• camp 57 nights
• stay in 4.5 years
• go to 3.5 week-long summer camps
• go on 1.5 challenging one- or two-week High Adventures
• 41% of such boys will earn the Eagle Scout award
• 11% will earn their church's God and Country award

If his parents are less involved, the Scout will:

• camp 28 nights
• stay in 3.0 years
• go to 2.1 week-long summer camps
• go on 0.4 High Adventures
• 14% of such boys will earn the Eagle Scout award
• 4% will earn their church's God and Country award

Sailing in the British Virgin Islands


In the Axe Yard

Troop 97 Facts

• Troop 97 began in March, 1952.
• The troop failed in 1956, due to lack of adult leadership.
• The troop began anew in June, 1959, and has been in continuous existence for the 50 years since then.
• Our chartering organization (sponsor) is St Luke's Episcopal Church, 2000 S. Stover St, Fort Collins, CO.

Troop 97 Scoutmaster
Jeff Snowden is the troop's 16th Scoutmaster. He has:

• been in Scouting continuously since 1959 (50+ years)
• been a Scoutmaster since 1967 (42+ years)
• been with Troop 97 since 1978 (31+ years)
• been involved in Scout and adult leadership training for the district, Council, and Region since 1968, including serving as course director for Scouting's week-long Wood Badge advanced adult training course
• been awarded the Silver Beaver for service to youth

Troop 97 Membership Data (as of September 2009)

• 48 Scouts
• 15 current active uniformed adult leaders
• more than 50 adults cover numerous support and troop committee roles, including providing merit badge counselors for almost every one of Scouting's 120 merit badges

Schools

• 8 elementary & middle schools (46% of Scouts/grades 5-8)
• 7 high schools (54% of Scouts/grades 9-12)

Churches

• 71% of our Scouts belong to a church (representing 20 local churches)
• 29% of our Scouts do not attend a church

Former Cub Scouts/Webelos

• 81% of our Scouts earned the Arrow of Light as Cub Scouts
• 69% of our Scouts joined directly from a Cub Scout pack (from 11 different packs)

Younger Scouts

• You've got 20 fellow Scouts aged 10-13, who attend 9 different schools.
• There's a good chance you'll know some guys a grade or two above you at your school, from Troop 97.
• You've got senior Scouts to help you advance, and can teach you the skills based on their experience when they were younger.

Senior Scouts

Troop 97 has more senior Scouts than most troops, Varsity teams, or Venturing crews.

• You've got 28 fellow Scouts aged 14-17, who attend 7 different high schools.
• You work with and teach the younger Scouts, but you've also got plenty of older Scouts to do things with, too.
• As you advance toward Eagle, it helps to have other guys working on the same things.

Eagle Scouts

• 24% of all Troop 97 Scouts since 1979 have earned Scouting's highest rank
• 152 Troop 97 Scouts have earned Eagle, 114 since 1979

Parents

• 21% of our Scouts come from single-parent/step-parent families
• 51% of our Scouts have at least one parent actively involved

Archery at Summer Camp


A younger Scoutmaster Jeff Snowden
with William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt (1983)


Mountain Boarding at Summer Camp

How to Visit / How to Join

How/When to Visit

Scouts get to camp, hike, canoe, bike, and generally enjoy challenging adventures in the outdoors.

Boy Scouting is totally different from Cub Scouts and Webelos.

We hope your son is interested in becoming a Scout. If so, you and he should visit several troops to see which one most appeals to you.

Troop 97 meets Mondays, year round, typically:

• 2 "regular" Monday meetings per month (7 to 8:15 pm)
• 1 planning meeting for elected boy leaders
• certain other special meetings and outings
• 1 overnight campout per month
• 1 week at a BSA summer camp each year (sometimes in another state)
• 1 to 2 weeks on a challenging Adventure Trek each year for experienced Scouts

You are welcome to visit any meeting and most campouts.

Contact the Scoutmaster to verify our schedule and come on by.

The Scoutmaster will give you a copy of our Troop Information Booklet when you visit.

Who Can Join/When to Join/How to Join

To join, a boy must be minimum age 10 and either have finished Fifth Grade, OR have earned the Arrow of Light Award, OR be age 11 (whichever occurs first). He does not need to have been in Cub Scouts or Webelos.

The Boy Scouts of America requires Scouts to be boys who meet these age requirements. Troop 97 expects its members to be active, to wear full uniform, and to advance regularly. We expect parents to be active with their son.

Troop 97 is open to any boy who meets these requirements, and who subscribes to the principles of Scouting contained in the Scout Promise and Scout Law. Membership in our sponsoring church is NOT a requirement (actually, most of our Scouts do not belong to our sponsor).

Although Scouts can join anytime during the year, most join between January and May. It is very important for new Scouts to attend summer camp their first year (which is why our Scoutmaster and a dozen or more of our Assistant Scoutmasters and parents will spend the full week at camp with the Scouts).

For more information, or to make a reservation, write, phone, or come to a meeting as soon as you have decided.

Portaging in Canada


Panning for Gold near the Arctic Circle