About Troop 989
BSA Scout Troop 989 is located in the foothills of Littleton, CO, Southwest Jefferson County and is part of the Denver Area Council Alpine District.
Founded in 1990, Troop 989 is one of the largest and most active troops in the area with boys from several middle and high schools. Over 115 Eagles have come out of our troop in the last 30 years and we couldn't be prouder.
We are organized into 4 patrols and camp year-round. This includes a week at Summer Camp as well as a different High Adventure Camp each year.
Troop 989 is open to all boys age 11 - 18. As of yet, we have not had enough interest to form a girls troop but we would welcome the addition! If you know a girl who is interested in joining, please contact us.
We meet on Tuesday nights from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm at the Ken Caryl-neighborhood-based Waterstone Church, 5890 S Alkire St, Littleton, CO 80127
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The 989 Mission
Troop 989 is a community devoted to helping young people realize their potential and prepare for life. Scouts learn valuable skills, forge friendships and earn confidence in a program that has endured and improved over more than a century.
The 989 Values
Troop 989 follows the aims of Scouting which are Character Development, Citizenship Training, Personal Fitness, and Leadership Development.
Character Development
Character development is such an important part of a youth’s education. Every single activity and part of 989's mission is to create and foster personal character development. We use the 12 points of the Scout Law in everything we do. The Scout Law is basically a road map for strong character development:
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. In addition, ample opportunities for leadership help develop confidence.
Activities we are involved in that lead to character development and new life experiences include:
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Donning a bee suit and caring for 10's of thousands of bees at our troop beehive.
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Sleeping under a turbine on a wind farm in Southern Colorado
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Having the courage to enter a cage and let the wolves greet you with their tongues at Mission Wolf
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Flying a Cessna plane with our Aviation Merit Badge
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4 Night backpacking trips in the high Rockies of central Colorado
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Planning, shopping for and cooking all our own meals
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Serving others and those less fortunate at every opportunity
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Overnight stay at the Denver Aquarium
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River Rafting class 4 rapids on the Arkansas River
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Biking and hiking in the desert of Western Colorado
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Being helpful citizens and creating community at Littleton's annual Western Welcome Week
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Surviving sub zero temperatures while having fun and working as a team in the snow at our annual Klondike and Snow Sports campouts
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And, many more!
Citizenship Training
From the beginning of their scouting journey, our boys learn about their rights and duties as US citizens as part of the early rank requirements.
Troop 989 performs service projects every month to benefit organizations and individuals in the community. Our own troop beehive is an example of taking care of our community through environmental action. We also participate in Scouting for Food each year which helps collect for local food banks.
Troop 989 is proud to be the official Troop of Western Welcome Week each year in downtown Littleton, CO. For several weekends in August, our scouts contribute to the community by helping with the pancake breakfast, Games of Old, duck race and we even proudly follow the horses in the parade as official "Pooper Scoopers"!
The Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in Society and American Heritage merit badges help Scouts learn how they can be useful members of larger communities.
We take care of the environment and our scouts learn that preserving our natural resources is for everyone’s benefit.
Physical Fitness
It’s right there in the Scout Oath: “… to keep myself physically strong …”
Physical fitness requirements must be met throughout the rank advancement program. Every year Scouts learn about topics such as drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, and internet safety. The Scouts BSA program encourages its members to continuously work to improve their minds and bodies.
Troop 989 has a challenging outdoor program that provides the opportunity for lots of physical activity. Scouts who are working toward the rank of Tenderfoot learn about nutrition and basic exercises to stay in good shape. Scouts working toward 2nd Class rank must be physically active at least 30 minutes each day for five days a week for four weeks, keeping track of their activities. They must also participate in a substance abuse prevention program. In addition, one of the requirements for the 1st Class rank is for Scouts to be physically active for 30 days.
In order to achieve Eagle Rank, Scouts must complete a Physical Fitness merit badge. They learn to keep themselves healthy and explore nutrition and exercise. They develop an exercise plan and carry it out over 12 weeks. They also find out about careers related to personal fitness.
In the Cooking Merit Badge, (another Eagle-required badge) Scouts learn about food safety, nutrition, and cooking techniques. They also have to plan, prepare, and cook meals at camp, at home, and on the trail.
Leadership Development
In line with the aims and methods of Scouting, we are a boy-led Troop. This means that our youth govern themselves, deciding what to cover at meetings and where to go on campouts and gaining valuable leadership skills along the way.
At Troop 989, we highly believe in what is referred to as the patrol method. From the time your son joins, he will be part of team called a Patrol responsible for planning equipment, food, activities and fun events. As they get older, the level of planning and execution increases and if they decide to go for their Eagle Scout rank, they will learn how to be a "Project Manager" through the process. The patrol method places youth in key leadership positions for a 6 month term, several positions which require an election process.
We do pride ourselves in being a scout led Troop, but any successful troop requires dedicated adults to make it all come together. Adult roles are divided into two branches, Troop Committee and Scoutmaster / Assistant Scoutmasters. The Scoutmaster / Assistant Scoutmasters work directly with the scouts and the Troop Committee provides the infrastructure around the troop to make it all come together. Troop Committee positions include a Committee Chair, a Troop Treasurer, a Troop Webmaster, and a Troop Secretary, among others as needed.
If you are curious about our Troop, feel free to stop by a Troop meeting at Waterstone Church on Tuesdays at 7pm.
