Troop 97 FAQ

Question #4—Doesn't T97 support the local district?

Short answer—Yes we do. Very much. But it's worth remembering that local districts (and councils) exist to serve troops, not the other way around. As a troop, we want to provide the best possible Scouting experience for our Scouts. That certainly will include a number of district and council activities.

Here are just a few of the ways we support the district (and council), and how our Scouts benefit:

Friends of Scouting (FOS) [also called 'ICL', Investment in Character & Leadership]—We hold an FOS/ICL drive every year to help raise funds for the Longs Peak Council. We have averaged over $1000/year for more than 30 years.
Camporees—We don't go to every camporee, but we typically attend one or two a year. There are just too many exciting places to go camping. Camporees are a chance to see other troops in action and to practice Scout skills.
Adult Leader Training—We expect all our uniformed adult leaders to be fully trained. This training is provided both online and by our local district. In addition, a number of our adults have served on the district training team to help train other leaders.
BSA Popcorn & Council Camp Card Sales—Many of our Scouts want to sell BSA popcorn and/or camp cards to help reduce their Scouting costs. Longstanding troop policy is that our Scouts receive 100% of their sales profits into their family's 'Scout account' (the troop doesn't take a 'cut').
Summer Camp—We attend a week of summer camp at a BSA camp every year. For variety and interest, we typically rotate among several nearby Colorado Scout camps, and a few out-of-state camps as well.
Merit Badge University (MBU)—This is an extremely popular activity offered by our district every year, drawing hundreds of Scouts, including Scouts from other districts. What most troops don't know is that Troop 97 leaders started the first MBU in 1993, and our leaders continue to run and staff MBU year after year. The MBU is officially sponsored by the Fort Collins Rotary Club, but most of the annual MBU chairs and many of the merit badge counselors continue to be drawn from present or former leaders of Troop 97.
District Leadership—Beside training staff and Merit Badge University, a number of our adults have served in other district leadership positions, including recruiting, leader roundtables, even district chairman.