Troops 57 and 4057 are part of a long standing Scouting tradition here in Palo Alto. Founded in 1933, Troop 57 is one of the oldest Troops in California and in the nation. Troop 4057, our “sister” Troop, was founded in 2019, as soon as girls were admitted to the program. Troop 57 is all boys and Troop 4057 is all girls.
Troop 57 is one of the larger Troops in the Palo Alto area with over 100 registered Scouts split into 6 Patrols with most Patrols having 12-14 Scouts. Troop 4057 currently has three enthusiastic Patrols. Our parents are active supporters with at least one parent from each family volunteering to either work directly with the Scouts on skills or outings or to work on our Committee supporting logistics, records, and other organizational support.
All Scout Troops have a chartering organization which is ultimately responsible for their Troop. In most cases, the chartering organizations are churches or service organizations which also provide a place for meetings and activities. In a slightly unusual arrangement, our chartering organization is a non-profit organization made up of the parents of our own Troop. As a result, we are not associated with any other religious or service organization. Happily, we are able to make use of the Scout facilities at the Lucie Stern Community Center for many of our meetings and events.
Having such a large number of Scouts and especially having active volunteers enables us to support a very active calendar of Scouting activities. Our regular Patrol and Troop meetings are held on Wednesday nights. Most weekends, we have a variety of Scout led outings and activities, including camping trips, day hikes, merit badge classes, kayaking, fishing trips, and service projects that support our community. Over the summer our Scouts can choose to attend a variety of Scout camps ranging from local camps to High Adventure Camps which offer adventures from lengthy backpacking adventures to canoe camping to ocean-based adventures.
The result of having such an active Troop is that our Scouts have a lot of opportunities to learn and practice the Scouting skills they need to advance in their ranks. Each activity is Scout led, with adult support, so lots of activities also means lots of Scout leadership opportunities. The net result is that our Scouts who are motivated to do so are well-positioned to advance through their ranks all the way to Eagle Rank if they desire.
Participating in Scouting is valuable and fun for both the Scouts and their parents. Through Scouting many of us have shared amazing experiences with our kids that we would not have had otherwise. We welcome you to join us to help make great new opportunities and experiences for our Scouts.