What is Boy Scouting?
Boy Scouting is for boys who are 11, or are at least 10 years old and have completed the fifth grade or have earned the Cub Scout Arrow of Light Award, though not 18 years old yet. Boy Scouts will prepare your boys for life. Under the counsel of an adult Scoutmaster, they will develop character, discipline, leadership, and personal fitness by participating in our vigorous outdoor, and peer group leadership program. More importantly, your boys will have the time of their lives tackling adventure after adventure, with all the friends they make. Give your son a valuable gift by encouraging him to join Boy Scouting today. The time you invest in him today will make a difference in the person he becomes tomorrow. The best definition of Scouting is found in the three points of the Boy Scout Oath, symbolized by the three fingers of the scout sign. Each point of this oath defines one of the fundamental duties of a Scout: Duty To God, and Country, Duty To Other People, and Duty To Myself.
Our Troop
We are part of Pacifica District in the Greater Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Troop 851 is a scout-led troop based in West Torrance and has scouts from Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and other areas of the South Bay. We have a proud lineage that goes back 70 years to the founding of the troop by the Garrett Corporation (which has become Honeywell) in the Spring of 1950. Our Troop number, 851, was taken from the company’s address at the time, 9851 North Sepulveda Blvd (now LAX). Since that time, hundreds of Torrance youth have benefited from one of the finest scouting programs in the South Bay. Troop 851 meets on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 P.M. till 8:30 P.M., yet sometimes runs to 9:00 P.M. throughout the year in uniform (first week of the month) and in a Troop T-Shirt (second week of the month).
Meeting activities planned by the Scouts themselves include learning and practicing Scouting skills, planning trips and special activities, working on merit badges or other projects of interest to the Scouts, fun and games. Troop 851 has a year-round outings program, with at least one overnight outing (Saturday to Sunday, or perhaps longer) every month planned by the Scouts themselves. Check out our Events for the detailed list of campouts planned for each month. Because of our active camping program, we offer Scouts the opportunity to participate in seasonal sports without feeling left out of the Scouting program. Each year Troop 851 scouts attend summer camp where boys have the chance to earn merit badges and have lots of fun. Scouts learn to lead and to work as a team. Under the guidance of adults, Scouts are challenged to learn and grow through the Troop activities and the leading of younger Scouts. The adventures are truly endless. Troop 851 is affiliated with Cub Scout Pack 851, 996, 863, 759, and 595. Parents of boys age 7-10 or in grades 1-5 should visit the Pack 851 Web Site.
The Meaning of the Boy Scout Oath
Before you pledge yourself to any oath or promise, you must know what it means. The paragraphs that follow will help you understand the meaning of the Scout Oath.
On my honor . . .
By giving your word, you are promising to be guided by the values and ideals of the Scout Oath.
. . . I will do my best . . .
Try hard to live up to the points of the Scout Oath. Measure your achievements against your own high standards through self-improvement, and don't be influenced by peer pressure, or competition.
. . . To do my duty to God . . .
Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting, and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs.
. . . and my country . . .
Help keep, and improve the United States to continue to be a strong, and relatively fair nation by learning about our system of government, and your responsibilities as a citizen, and possible future voter. America is made up of countless families, ethnicities, and communities. When you work to improve your community and your home, you are serving your country. Natural resources are another important part of America's heritage worthy of your efforts to understand, protect, and use wisely. What you do can make a real difference.
. . . and to obey the Scout Law; . . .
The twelve points of the Scout Law are guidelines that can lead you toward wise choices. When you obey the Scout Law, other people will respect you for the way you live, and you will respect yourself.
. . . To help other people at all times; . . .
There are many people who need you. Your cheerful smile and helping hand will ease the burden of many who need assistance. By helping out whenever possible, you are doing your part to make this a better world.
. . . To keep myself physically strong, . . .
Take care of your body so that it will serve you well for an entire lifetime. That means eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly to build strength and endurance. It also means avoiding harmful drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and anything else that can harm your health.
. . . mentally awake, . . .
Develop your mind both in the classroom and outside of school. Be curious about everything around you, and work hard to make the most of your abilities. With an inquiring attitude and the willingness to ask questions, you can learn much about the exciting world around you and your role in it.
. . . and morally straight.
To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.
Note that the Boy Scout Oath has traditionally been considered to have three promises. Those three promises are delineated by the semicolons in the Oath, which divide it into three clauses. The three promises of the Scout Oath are, therefore:
Duty to God and country,
Duty to other people, and
Duty to self
DUTY TO GOD AND COUNTRY: Your FAMILY and religious leaders teach you to know and serve God. By following these teachings, you do your duty to God.
Men and women of the past worked to make America great, and many gave their lives for their country. By being a good family member and a good citizen, by working for your country's good and obeying its laws, you do your duty to your country. Obeying the Scout Law means living by its 12 points.
DUTY TO OTHER PEOPLE: Many people need help. A cheery smile and a helping hand make life easier for others. By doing a Good Turn daily and helping when you're needed, you prove yourself a Scout and do your part to make this a better world.
DUTY TO SELF: Keeping yourself physically strong means taking care of your body. Eat the right foods and build your strength. Staying mentally awake means learn all you can, be curious, and ask questions. Being morally straight means to live your life with honesty, to be clean in your speech and actions, and to be a person of strong character.
The Scout Law:
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Scout Motto:
Be Prepared.
"Be prepared for what?" someone once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting,
"Why, for any old thing." said Baden-Powell.
The training you receive in your troop will help you live up to the Scout motto. When someone has an accident, you are prepared because of your first aid instruction. Because of lifesaving practice, you might be able to save a non swimmer who has fallen into deep water.
But Baden-Powell wasn't thinking just of being ready for emergencies. His idea was that all Scouts should prepare themselves to become productive citizens and to give happiness to other people. He wanted each Scout to be ready in mind and body for any struggles, and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges might lie ahead.
Be prepared for life - to live happily and without regret, knowing that you have done your duty. That's what the Scout motto means.
Scout Slogan:
Some Good Turns are big - saving a life, helping out after floods or other disasters, recycling community trash, working with your patrol on conservation projects.
But Good Turns are often small, thoughtful acts - helping a child cross a busy street, going to the store for an elderly neighbor, cutting back brush that is blocking a sign, doing something special for a brother or sister, welcoming a new student to your school.
A Good Turn is more than simple good manners. It is a special act of kindness.
The Outdoor Code:
As an American, I will do my best to :
Be clean in my outdoor manners.
I will treat the outdoors as a heritage.
I will take care of it for myself and others
I will keep my trash and garbage out of lakes, streams, fields, woods, and roadways.
Be careful with fire.
I will prevent wildfire.
I will build my fires only where they are appropriate.
When I have finished using a fire, I will make sure it is cold out.
I will leave a clean fire ring, or remove all evidence of my fire.
Be considerate in the outdoors.
I will treat public and private property with respect.
I will use low-impact methods of hiking and camping.
and
Be conservation minded
I will learn how to practice good conservation of soil, waters, forests, minerals, grasslands, wildlife, and energy.
I will urge others to do the same.