About Us

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The Troop

Troop 500 has been active in Mason, Ohio for over 20 years.  We meet at the Meyer Center of St Susanna Catholic Church, which is located behind the gradeschool.  Our meetings are Tuesdays at 7pm.  

We have scouts across all ages ranging from 11 years old to 18 years old.  Our troop is diverse with scouts having multiple different religious and cultural backgrounds.  We encourage boys to join scouts who are also involved in other activities and our program can accommodate scouts who have priorities beyond scouting.  We have boys in the Mason Marching Band, on high school football teams, and who play competitive soccer.  In fact, having a troop of well-rounded scouts benefits everyone!

Our Philosopy

Our philosophy is very consistent with the Scouting America and the Dan Beard Council.  We are a Scout-led organization where adults support and guide the scouts through their journey.  We encourage scouts to build skills in leadership, service, the outdoors, and community.  The scout leaders in our group plan meetings, plan campouts, and work with the younger scouts through advancement.  Scout leaders are elected by their peers and change every 6 months.  

Importantly, our leadership encourages scouts to advance through the ranks of Scouting.  While not all of our scouts achieve the rank of Eagle, many do.  Our troop provides the opportunity for building the skills and experiences necessary to achieve Eagle and then encourage the scouts to take advantage of those opportunities.  

Camping and Activities

Our troop camps nearly every month.  Not all scouts participate in every experience but the opportunity exists.  Some popular campouts include:  Zip Lining in Hocking Hills, Rock Climbing at the Red River Gorge, Shooting campouts, Horseback Riding, Summer Camp at Camp Friedlander, the Klondike Campout, and Peterloon.  Our troop participates in a High Adventure experience every two years.  Recently we've alternated between Florida Seabase and Philmont.  

Costs

The costs of scouting are nominal.  The fees for the National organization vary each year, but are around $150/scout annually and our troop also requires a fee of around $150/scout to help maintain our equipment and support operations.  Importantly, we strive to be Thrifty and only charge what is absolutely required.  We also have a fund to support any interested scouts that cannot afford the program.  

Safety

Our troop does not use social media.  This is ensure the protection/ anonymity of our youth.  As such, you won't see a presence on public Facebook or elsewhere.  However, we love sharing photos of the boys in their experiences directly with their parents and family!  The photos of the scouts on this website are from our troop but without any other Personally Identifiable Information.  All of our adult leaders have background checks, are trained in Youth Protection via Scouting, and are also must be approved to work with children through our charter organization (St. Susanna).  We rigorously apply the '2 deep' leadership principle to ensure at least two adults are always present with the scouts.  

We have a lot of activities to beyond campouts, advancement and service!  We love that our scouts love to have all kinds of fun!

Many boys had their first ever experience skiing!  They wouldn't have done this if not for scouts and this applies to many of our events and activities!