WHO WE ARE
Boy Scouting is for boys who are 11 to 17 years old. Boys under age 11 may join if they have earned the Cub Scouts Arrow of Light award or completed 5th grade. You can find out more about the Boy Scout program by exploring this website and by checking out the official Boy Scouts of America website.
One of the best things about Scouting is that the troop is run by the Scouts, not the adults. A troop is made up of several groups of Scouts, called "patrols." Each patrol is led by a patrol leader elected by the patrol members. The troop also elects a Scout to be the senior patrol leader. The patrol leaders and senior patrol leader work together as a Patrol Leaders' Council to plan and run troop meetings and troop activities, with lots of input from patrol members. The troop also has adult leaders, but their job is to coach, advise, deal with issues like driving and funding, and make sure troop activities are safe and follow BSA guidelines.
When you join Troop 208, you will fit in right away. You will start out in a new Scout Patrol with boys around your age. You and the other boys in your patrol will work with each other, with older Scouts, and with adult leaders to learn basic scouting skills. While some of those skills are harder to master than others, you will usually have so much fun with them that you won't realize you are learning something. As you build new skills, you will have even more fun using them on camping trips and other troop outings. And as you master those skills, you may find yourself helping other new Scouts to learn them.
Want to find out more? You are always welcome to visit any of our troop meetings at Gloria Dei Church, Welsh Road and Huntingdon Pike in Huntingdon Valley. We meet most Mondays at 7:00 p.m.
WHAT WE DO
Adventure awaits...
Troop 208’s program plans are an adventure for scouts and planned by scouts. Twelve months a year, week in and week out we’re doing something fun. This program isn’t for those that want to sit around and be bored.
Most Monday evenings, we meet to plan and prepare for our monthly outings and service projects, practice our camping and survival skills, learn about history, first aid, orienteering and cooking, and finish requirements for rank and merit badges. We’ve worked on electronics and computer programming, shooting and archery, camping and hiking, and so much more. There's enough variety that everyone has an interest in something. Working together, we achieve incredible things.
At least one weekend a month we’re camping, hiking, fishing, canoeing, bicycling, skiing, sledding, or touring some cool place. We also take part in numerous service projects throughout the year to give back to our community.
In the summertime, we head to someplace special for a week of summer camp. Whether it's BSA camp at Resica Falls or another scouting adventure somewhere else in the country, our scouts plan an exciting week of activities. Our leaders work with the scouts and parents to make sure that any trip is feasible in both logistics and costs. Our objective is to plan activities in which the entire troop is able to participate. If you have great ideas for a new trip or adventure talk to the Senior Patrol leader and let your voice be heard.
That all may sound like a lot. It is... a lot of fun. But, don't think that a scout in Troop 208 has no other activities. Our scouts are active scholars, athletes, musicians, and members of a variety of school and community organizations. Scouting may teach you life skills, but it doesn't keep you from having a life outside of scouts. Attendance at every meeting and event isn't mandatory. The BSA program and Troop 208's goals allow a scout to set their own pace and balance their various activities.
Have questions about our program? See us every Monday night at 7:00pm at Gloria Dei Church on Welsh Road in Huntingdon Valley or contact the Scout leaders for more information.
HISTORY OF TROOP 208
Click on the stamp for more information on Troop 208's history.
TROOP 208: Eagle Scouts
Since 1912, the Eagle Scout rank has represented a milestone of accomplishment—perhaps without equal—that is recognized across the country and even the world. Those who have earned the Eagle Scout rank count it among their most treasured achievements. “Eagle Scout” is not just an award; it is a state of being. Those who earned it as youth continue to earn it every day as adults. That is why an Eagle Scout IS an Eagle Scout—not was.
Click on the image for a list of Troop 208's Eagle Scouts.