Troop 1607
A first-class Scouts BSA troop, providing adventure, community, and life skills to boys and girls in the Southbury area.
Meetings every Monday at 7 to 8:30 PM. Full-weekend camping trips every month. Summer camp and High Adventure every year.
What is Scouting?
Scouting is adventure.
In Troop 1607 you could:
Master the art of building a campfire without a match
Split wood and throw tomahawks like a frontiersman
Learn how to rock climb and rig your own ropes
Launch pumpkins from a full-size trebuchet
Trek 100 miles through the backcountry
Raft through Class IV whitewater rapids
Go scuba diving in the Florida Keys
Scouting also offers over 135 merit badges on a huge range of topics, such first aid, emergency preparedness, welding, nuclear science, engineering, aviation, archery, horsemanship, robotics, and lifesaving, to name just a few.
Scouting is community.
Scouting is more than just getting outdoors– it's a community. Joining our troop means becoming part of a group of like-minded people. Through the Scouting program, scouts have the opportunity to socialize and form lifelong friendships.
Our troop is arranged into "patrols"– pods of 6-8 scouts of mixed age and gender. These patrols work together to learn outdoor skills and compete in games. They elect their own leader, maintain their own gear, and plan their own campout menus. On the outings, they cook, eat, clean, and camp together.
Scouting is a life skill.
Scouting prepares young people with skills and values that will serve them forever.
The values of the Scout Oath and Law are the guiding principles of everything we do in Scouting.
Each scout must make a self-directed effort to learn new skills, serve others, and lead other scouts in order to advance in rank.
Scouts take on increasingly advanced leadership positions in the troop as they progress. All of our meetings and camp-outs are planned, prepared, and executed by the scouts themselves. For example, the scouts plan their own camping menus, choose a volunteer to buy the supplies, and then divide cooking and cleaning responsibilities among themselves.
The core merit badges include Personal Management, Cooking, First Aid, Citizenship, and Communication.
Scouts can choose from over 135 merit badges spanning a wide range of topics and career paths.
The Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
The Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, clean, brave, and reverent.
Scouting is service to others.
Part of the Scout Oath is to be "helpful at all times". Service and leadership are what it means to be a Scout.
There is hardly a single park, trail, cemetery, or church in Southbury that hasn't been touched by the hard work and leadership of a scout. Our scouts maintain local trails, build footbridges and fences, volunteer at food drives, and retire the American flags brought to the transfer station. We partner with groups like the Southbury Land Trust, Audubon Center, Southbury Food Bank, Sustainable Southbury, and more.
Read about some of our service projects on the In the News page.
Scouting is year-round.
Troop 1607 is year-round, rain-or-shine, and highly active.
Our weekly Monday night meetings are when the scouts learn and practice their skills, prepare for upcoming trips, and socialize.
We have overnight outings every month. September through June, there are weekend camping trips, planned and executed by the scouts, that span a wide variety of locations and activities.
In July, the troop travels to a scout summer camp for a full week of camping, merit badges, and activities. The youth leadership chooses a different camp to attend each year.
In August, the troop holds a "High Adventure" event for scouts 13+. These premier trips have included backpacking in rugged New Mexico, crewing a sailboat in the Florida Keys, whitewater canoeing on the Allagash River in Maine, and conquering peaks in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Scouting is affordable.
The annual registration cost for Scouting America is $154. Unlike many units, Troop 1607 doesn't charge any membership fees of its own. Our outings are run at-cost and you only pay for what you attend.
We have a large library of camping equipment that is available for members' personal use outside of Scouting. New members only need a few basic camping items of their own to get started.
The troop pays for all patches and awards the scouts earn. We provide each scout all the patches and their neckerchief on joining, and also run a hand-me-down uniform program.
We offer a 50% scholarship to every scout who attends advanced leadership training.
Additional financial aid is available on a per-case basis.
Scouting is for everyone.
Everyone ages 10-17 is welcome.
Scouting is safe.
Safety is a core consideration at all scouting activities.
Every adult volunteer undergoes a background check, volunteer screening check, and takes a comprehensive Youth Protection Training course every year. The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters also receive hazardous weather training, safe swim training, and a full weekend course in outdoor skills.
Every troop activity is overseen by at least 2 adult volunteers who are trained and registered. The buddy system is employed at all times, including online.
Scouting is for parents too.
Parents are encouraged to get involved! The troop is operated entirely by parents and volunteers. There are lots of ways to help out, spanning all skill-sets and levels of time commitment.
Driving scouts to/from outings
Helping run parties, award ceremonies, or open houses
Joining us on camping trips and troop meetings
Attending our monthly Committee Meetings to provide input
Being a merit badge counselor in any of 135+ topics