2024 Scouts

Report to Charge Conference 2024
Scout Troop 201, Cub Scout Pack 201
10/10/24
Five years ago Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) opened Scout values and programs of leadership and skill development to girls. Because there were girls at church who were interested in leadership training and outdoor activities like camping, this summer Wesley Church established a Girl Troop with five girls. Girl Troop 201 and Boy Troop 201 are called “linked” troops because both are affiliated with and meet at Wesley Church. They share camping equipment and adult leaders, and meet on the same Friday nights, an efficient use of resources. This fall, Scouting America began a pilot program for linked troops, a pilot program called “combined” also called “co-ed” troops, which combines the scout leadership structure of the linked Girl Troop and Boy Troop. Scout Troop 201 was accepted into this pilot program which will extend to February 2026.

Scout Troop 201 now has 29 scouts including 5 girls and all are participating in the planning of opportunities to develop skills, values, and confidence through outdoor activities and community service.

Troop 201 Scouts have worked at Church Clean-Up Day, with Wesley Church Mochitsuki set-up and clean-up, with canned food and used clothing collection for Compassion Ministry, and on troop meeting nights they have set up tables and chairs for numerous church programs and funeral receptions in the Fellowship Hall.
This year three Troop 201 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle. One unusual and distinctive Eagle project is the painting of a mural on the side of the church’s cargo bin in the 6th St. parking lot, representing Wesley Church welcoming all to worship together. The mural has a functional purpose also: discouraging graffiti which has plagued that surface since the cargo bin was installed.

Together with scouts from all over Santa Clara County, Troop 201 Scouts attended their annual summer camp where they hiked, camped, swam, earned merit badges including First Aid, Orienteering, and Citizenship in the Community among other outdoor and leadership activities. In addition this year, Troop 201 Scouts and adult leaders participated in a nine day backpack of more than 55 miles in the high desert of the Scouting America High Adventure Philmont Reserve in New Mexico.

Cubmaster Tina Urata has organized her Cub Scout Pack 201 families to support activities including camp cooking, knot-tying, tent set-up, carpentry, first aid, the popular Pinewood Derby, and a summer Cub and parent campout.

Scoutmaster Tom Oda spearheaded a continuing effort to invite new families to the Troop and Pack with information tables at Nikkei Matsuri and at Grant Elementary School Back to School Night.  From these information efforts, five families have joined our Cub Scout Pack this fall.

Our Cub Scout Pack 201 and Scout Troop 201 look forward to another year of growing in character, learning new skills, and service to others.