If you are interested in Boy Scouts, then Troop 581 is the place for you! Our troop is chartered by the Gainesville United Methodist Church (GUMC) located on Linton Hall Road in Gainesville, VA. We have been around for over 15 years and are one of the largest troops in the national capital region. So why should you joint Troop 581?
Our troop is committed to delivering the Promise of Scouting (that is, adventure) to its all-boy membership. We work hard to ensure that there is a constant stream of quality program offerings (but especially outdoor adventure!) for boys of every age in our fine troop. Troop 581, like all good Boy Scout troops, is boy-led and offers unparalleled opportunities for leadership development and growth in mind, body and spirit.
Currently the troop has a membership of well over 100 boys and two dozen Assistant Scoutmasters. The boys meet in patrols of about 12 boys each with an Assistant Scoutmaster or two charged with mentoring the Scouts in meeting their personal, patrol and troop goals.
So what can Troop 581 offer you? Our troop is very active. Here are just some of the fun activities that we offer.
Camping, camping and more camping. Troop 581 goes camping an average of once a month and we don’t repeat very often. That means that there is always a new adventure just around the corner. We go canoeing down the Shenandoah River for a weekend. We climb local mountains like Old Rag in the Shenandoah National Park. We visit historic sites like the Gettysburg National Battlefield. Like to fish? We got it covered. For brave at heart, we camp in the middle of winter, freezing temperatures are no obstacle. scouting skills, rifle shooting, white water rafting, backpacking, wilderness survival, the list goes on and on!
Summer Camp: Each summer, Troop 581 will invade a Boy Scout camp somewhere between New York and North Carolina for a week. It’s never the same place twice in a row but it’s always fun. Our newest Scouts get a head start in learning scout skills and accomplishing requirements for advancement. The older Scouts get to choose their program of merit badges, aquatics or other offerings made by the camp.
High Adventure: Once you reach the age of 13, you have the opportunity to join us in the many Boy Scout high adventure programs that we participate in. Interested in living like an 18th century fur trapper? Then sign up for Mountain Man, held every year at Camp Ottari in southern Virginia. Scouts learn true mountain man skills such as blacksmithing, black powder rifle shooting, knife making, and tomahawk throwing, all in an authentic period campsite. Looking for a more modern adventure. Maybe you’ll travel to the great Rocky Mountains and visit the Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base. There, you’ll camp at 8,000 feet above sea level and participate in white water rafting, climbing, mountain biking or even challenge yourself to climb a 14,000 foot mountain peak!
Troop 581 also sends crews to the one of the four National High Adventure Bases each summer.
Philmont Scout Ranch: Backpack across 50-100 miles of beautiful New Mexico wilderness in the most famous adventure scouting has to offer.
Northern Tier: Paddle in almost 6 million acres of exclusively canoe-access wilderness of Minnesota and Canada in trips that typically last 6-14 days and can cover over 100 miles! How’s that for Scouting?
Sea Base: Go sailing, fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling in the tropic waters of the Florida Keys, the U.S. Virgin Islands or the Bahamas, and make your parents extremely jealous at the same time!
The Summit: Located in West Virginia, you can plan your own high adventure and go climbing, shooting, mountain biking, white water rafting and more!
Order of the Arrow: Once a Scout earns First Class rank and shows his dedication to the ideals of scouting, he may be elected into the Order of the Arrow, or OA. Often described as the national honor society of scouting, the OA provides our Scouts the opportunity reflect deeper on the meaning of scouting and service to others while participating in a unique brotherhood.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for Troop 581. There so much we do and so little space to show it. If you are interested in joining us, or just want to learn more, stop by and visit us anytime. We meet on Monday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at GUMC in the gym. Also, take a look at the rest of our Blog to get an idea of what we have been up to lately. And if you have any questions please let us know. We hope we’ll see you soon. You won’t be disappointed!
