About the Troop

Boy Scout Troop 1717 is chartered by Hartwood Presbyterian Church.  We are part of Aquia District of the National Capital Area Council.  The Troop is lead by our Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) under the advisement of the Scoutmaster.

Our Troop meets on Mondays from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Church's Educational Conference Center (ECC) located at 50 Hartwood Church, Hartwood, VA 22406.

The Troop is organized into patrols.  The New Scout Patrols, Scout Patrols, and the High Adventure Patrols.  Each Patrol has am Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM) that guides the Patrol.  The Patrols are organized into age/skill appropriate groups of 8-12 Scouts. 

The Troop holds two additional "Senior" positions for ASMs.  Our "Eagle Elder" guides LIFE rank scouts towards the path to Eagle to include the remaining Eagle Merit Badges, Service Project and Leadership.  The Eagle Elder is an advisor, it is up to the Scout to step up and earn the rank.  Our "ASM at Large" is a Senior ASM that is focused on helping guide Patrol ASMs as well as Scouts from all patrols.

The New Scout Patols are formed by first year scouts typically 10-11 years of age.  Their focus is on basic scout skills, outdoor fundamentals, and the first steps towards rank advancement.  The Scout Patrols are formed by more experienced scouts ages 11-14 while the High Adventure Patols consists of the older scouts ages 14-17.  The Troop has a leader patrol (Green Moose Patrol - The Troop's very first patrol), where the SPL, ASPL, more experienced Scouts and Eagle Scouts reside in order to support the entire Troop and not a particular Patrol.

Service is as much a part of our Troop as is our outdoor program.  Scouts earn service hours not only for rank advancement, but to help others with their Eagle Projects as well as to support our Chartered Organization during Spring/Fall clean-up, Hartwood Days and special events (Luminary, Flag Retirement, etc.).  Service to our community is  very important and is an essence of scouting.

The Troop maintains a goal to have an outdoor experience (Camping, Hiking, etc.) at least 12 times a year.  We have multiple activities planned monthly in order to afford the scout a variety of choices based on experience and personal preference.  We typically join the District for both the Spring and Fall Camporees.  We schedule our Summer Camp the third week of July.  In the winter, we have a polar bear camp, ski trip, minimalist camp, and indoor rock climbing.  In the summer we also plan a Troop Pool Party as well as a Beach Camping Trip.  In the Spring and Fall we plan camping trips that involve hiking, backpacking, canoeing and other tours.  We have a Troop "Veg-Out" twice a year (after school ends in June and December to coincide with new leaders taking office) to congratulate the Troop for a job well done.  The event includes a game night with pizza and scout camaraderie.  We recognize our Scout's achievements quarterly with a Court of Honor (CoH).  We hold them in March, May, August and November.

The Troop encourages Scouts to be thrifty by participating in planned fund raisers.  This gives the scout a sense of ownership by paying for their personal outdoor gear and camping trips.  We participate in the BSA popcorn sales and we hold an annual mulch sale.

The Troop encourages all parents to be active in the Troop as either committee members, merit badge counselors, Assistant Scoutmasters, Board of Review members, or advisors.  Parents are always welcome to participate in all of our activities.  The Scoutmaster team remains open to recommendations from parents on how to create the best possible experience for our boys.