About Troop 1   If you think Boy Scouting is about guys sitting around in dumb meetings wearing dorky uniforms, think again. The stuff we do, besides the meetings and the uniforms, is totally cool. Check it out. We're an outdoor adventure club . . . We camp year-round, regardless of the weather. We believe that "outing" is the best part of "Scouting". In addition to our regular monthly camping trips and summer camp at Marin Sierra, these are just some of the outings we've gone on in the past year or two: Rock climbing on Mt. Tam A 50-mile afloat trip. Philmont. Hiking to the summit of each of the six peaks that surround San Francisco Bay. Bicycling through Napa Valley. Winter camp. Summer camp. And about 5 campouts at Tamarancho   We learn things you just don't learn anyplace else . . . Some of it is hard, like learning how to survive in the wilderness, but all of it is good stuff to know, like how to plan and cook your own meals over a campfire. In fact, each Thanksgiving, we invite our families to a huge Thanksgiving feast prepared over campfires, including turkey, stuffing, and even pumpkin pies that we cook in Dutch ovens. One year we even cooked a suckling pig, in addition to the turkeys. Besides learning how to marinate a pig, Scouting has taught us about . . . First aid, CPR, and how to treat wilderness injuries. Snowcamping, everything from how to build a snow cave to how to light a fire in the snow. Camping skills. Cooking over a campfire or on a backpacker's stove. Respect for the environment. Archery, rifle, and shotgun shooting. Canoeing, small boat sailing, and rowing. Leadership skills. Another great campfire meal  We're a service organization . . . We're not just about outings and having fun. We also give back to our community by performing regular community service projects. Some of these are projects that our Eagle Scout candidates put together for their Eagle service projects, and some of them we do just because it seems like a good idea. These are the kinds of things we do . . . Cleaning up the highway Building benches in the dugouts at one of Mill Valley's Little League playing fields. Rebuilding pathways and clearing vegetation at a local church. We took in a camp site of our very own called Shady Bend, it's now Troop 1's camp site. Repairing more miles of trails on Mt. Tamalpais than anyone could possibly count. Starting a recycling program at Tam High School. Working on Mill Valley School District's disaster preparedness project, including installing an emergency water tank for the middle school. Picking up litter along the highway. And, of course, we pick up and pack out other people's trash on every backpacking trip we make.   The best part is . . . As a Scout, you know you always have your posse behind you. Our weekly meetings and our outings are all great ways for a bunch of really good guys to be together, making friendships, learning things, doing things, developing leadership skills. We are part of a proud, world-wide network of fellow Scouts, past and present. If you look at all the civic, government, and industry leaders who have been Scouts, you know that, truly, "Character Counts", and you can be proud that you are a part of it! Come join us. You won't be sorry! E-mail us at troop1marin@troop1marin.org to learn more. The posse at Philmont Leadership We are a Scout-run Troop, but that doesn't mean we don't have a great group of adult leaders. Click here to meet our fearless, slightly loony Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters. A little history We are one of the oldest Troops in California. We were established in 1910, just six months after Boy Scouts of America was incorporated in Washington, D.C. The names of many of the Troop's charter members are familiar to everyone in Mill Valley: Our town square (Lytton Square) was named in honor of Lytton Barber, and Boyle Park is named after the two Boyle brothers, all three of whom were charter members of Troop 1. Scout Hall after we remodeled it Scout Hall was donated to the Scouts in 1919, and the building has at least as noisy and colorful a history as the Troop itself. Before being donated to the Scouts, the building had been used as a laundry, and may also once have been used as a livery stable. It also was the home of McInnes' Tavern. Because Mill Valley was "dry" in those days, the tavern was located outside of city limits in what was called "Jagtown." Now, though, the town has grown up around Scout Hall. There was no electricity and no heat when the building was given to the Scouts. A word about our sponsor Our sponsoring organization is Post 284 of the American Legion, an organization that has helped us immeasurably thoughout the years.    Be sure to read the disclaimer.   Home | Campfire | About Us | Calendar | Outings | Equipment | Contact Us Be Prepared | Useful Links | Virtual Library | Members | Index