“Troop” is defined in the dictionary as “a group of people or animals of a particular kind.” While not in the dictionary, Troop 160 is defined as an excellent BSA (Boy Scouts of America) troop located in Fairfax.

“It’s a very fun troop,” said Surya Raj, a seventh-grade Trailblazer and Tenderfoot scout. “I’ve made a lot of friends, and everyone is really nice here.”

The Boy Scouts of America, or BSA, make up one of the world’s largest organizations for scouting, with over 1.2 million participants, who are known as Scouts. The Scout motto is, “Be Prepared,” while the Slogan is, “Do a Good Turn Daily.”

“I try to take that slogan very carefully,” said Yusuf Saeed, an eighth-grade Dolphin and Star scout. 

There are seven ranks in Boy Scouts. The lowest rank is  Scout, which is followed by Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star Scout, Life Scout, and finally, Eagle Scout. This is one of the highest honors in BSA, since only 4% of Boy Scouts get Eagle. 

“Eagle Scout gives you a huge sense of accomplishment,” said Druv A. Pabba, a seventh-grade Dream Team member and Scout. “It gives a lot of job opportunities, and it looks good on your resume.”

Fun Fact: The only U.S president to have been an Eagle Scout was Gerald Ford, and 39 Astronauts, at least 12 senators, and 1% of U.S Men have been Boy Scouts.

Troop 160 is a remarkable troop, having over 104 Eagle Scouts. They also participate in many fun activities, such as National Jamborees, summer camps such as Summit and Goshen, and Mulch Day. Once a year, Troop 160 raises money by selling bags of mulch to people and delivering them to their houses. The 2022 Mulch Day was on a day of snow, sleet, and rain, and it was cold,, but Troop 160 still participated and delivered mulch to people. 

“Honestly, I think it’s a great troop, but it could be improved leadership-wise,” said Yusuf.

Along with the fun activities, Troop 160 has many leadership opportunities, such as Patrol Leader, Webmaster, Bugler, and the Senior Patrol Leader, who is the Scout who runs the show. For adult leaders, there are the Scoutmasters-family members of the Scouts in the Troop, who supervise the boys and take them on campouts. 

“I was a webmaster in Kansas City,” said Yusuf. “When I moved here I was a historian, and then I ran for SPL, but I lost by a ‘close margin.’ But the runner-up gets Assistant-SPL, but I will not lose again.” Surya also said, “Next time we have a Patrol Election, I am going to try to become Patrol Leader.”

However, being a Boy Scout is not all about having fun and getting ranks. Boy Scouts is about helping people without an idea of reward in your mind. BSA was founded in 1910 by Robert Baden-Powell, after he was helped by a mysterious child to get to where he needed to be. After they arrived, Robert tried to pay the child, but the child said he was a scout, and couldn’t take it. This inspired Robert to create the Boy Scouts with the motto, “Do a Good Turn Daily.” There are also a lot of service hours you can earn from Boy Scouts, doing service and eagle projects. 

For more information about Boy Scouts or Troop 160, go to the Troop 160 Website, or the BSA Website. Are you an unsung Boy Scout or Girl Scout? Fill out this form: BSA/GSUSA FORM