We are Scout Troop 1449, for boys only, based out of Rockville, Maryland. Founded in 1974, we recently had our 94th Scout attain the rank of Eagle Scout, but we are not an "Eagle Factory" and we may be a challenging place to attain that rank. Our primary focus is on teaching honorable values, not rank advancement.
Our Troop is committed to providing unique opportunities for adventure and learning that boys will treasure for the rest of their lives. Our goal, like that of the founder of Boy Scouting, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, is that the boys will learn and develop best in an environment rooted in merit and guided by a moral code of behavior. Toward this end, Troop 1449 is a “Scout-led” Troop: Scouts are involved in planning and managing activities, with older Scouts teaching younger scouts the lessons and experiences that were taught to them.
Scouting has a powerfully good effect on boys in the modern age. In the last hundred years the effect of industrialization fundamentally removed the outdoor experience that shaped boys into men that was ubiquitous on the farm, in the woods and on the frontier. That is why Boy Scouts was formed when it was. Today, Scouting brings boys of different ages and ethnic backgrounds together to get an influence that is difficult to achieve any other way. When younger boys see older boys that they admire and respect, setting a good example, they both benefit.
Troop 1449 has a robust outdoor program. We camp-out most months during the year, including the famous two-night Klondike Derby competition each January. Each campout generally has a specific activity associated with it such as backpacking, rock climbing, rafting/canoeing, and fishing. Some campouts include Friday and Saturday nights and others just Saturday night. One favorite campout each year is the Spring Shooting Campout at Camp Sinoquipe PA. We emphasize the "Patrol Method" which requires that the boys manage their Patrol’s camping equipment, and plan and cook their meals. Each patrol invites parents to dine with them for breakfast and dinner. Boys cooking together and eating together is one of many civilizing influences that enrich our camping experience. Following dinner and clean-up, the troop builds a large campfire and many of the boys entertain the troop with songs, skits, riddles and jokes. Our best attended event each year is the week during the summer that the Troop spends at Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen, Virginia. In addition, older Scouts often undertake more challenging summer treks such as:
* Backpacking around Goshen Scout Reservation Virginia, or Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico
* Canoeing in the Boundary waters as part of BSA’s Northern Tier High Adventure program
* Scuba Diving and/or Sailing in the Florida Keys
All of our outings and activities promote the virtues of the Scout Oath and Law. Leadership and trust among the scouts are an important byproduct of teaching boys masculine virtues, self-restraint and how to behave as gentlemen. While we teach boys to “be prepared”, we also emphasize the importance of serving others in need. We believe in fostering a sense of community-service and responsibility.
Troop 1449's methods have led most of our scouts to stay active until they are forced out at the age of 18 by BSA policy. Even then, we are honored to have 18-year-old high school seniors remain active in our troop by immediately completing their Youth Protection Requirements and re-enlisting as adults.
Recruiting has been done by word of mouth from boys to their friends, and has required no extra efforts by adults. That is why we have grown so much that we had to impose a waiting list for new boys to join. We hated to do that, but we had to preserve the quality of what everyone has built into this troop over the years. The Scoutmaster and Committee Chair serve a single maximum term of three years. This insures that we are always training our replacements and ensuring that the policies and methods we employ, are sustainable in the years to come, by parents who have a day-job.
Troop 1449 meets on Wednesday nights at Cold Spring Elementary School, 9201 Falls Chapel Way, Potomac, MD, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. As space allows, we are open to new members and encourage anyone interested to come visit us at one of our weekly meetings. We encourage you to contact us before visiting in order to ensure a successful visit in accordance with our upcoming events and plans.
To contact us, please send an email to the webmaster or the scoutmaster. Thank you!