Scouts BSA Troops 555 and 1555 are supported by Saint Bartholomew Parish in Columbus, Indiana, and are part of the Hoosier Trails Council.
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Meetings are held at Saint Bartholomew Catholic Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm in the Youth Ministry Space for the Boys' Troop and the Saint Bartholomew School for the Girls' Troop.
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Scouts BSA is open to boys and girls ages 11 - 17. The boys and girls troops are separate, but maintain a common Troop Committee for managing administrative functions and providing overall support to the Scoutmasters and the youth members of the Troops. The Troops also participate in certain common activities, such as fund raising and service projects.
Interested in learning more or joining our Troops? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- Youth-led: Unlike the Cub Scout program for younger youth, the Scouts BSA troops are youth-led. Scouts elect their Troop leadership and Patrol Leaders twice during the year. These officers meet as a Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) once a month to make decisions regarding upcoming activities and assign duties for the Troop’s youth leaders. Trained adults (Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters) serve as advisors, sign off on rank advancement requirements, act as safety-watchdogs and, of course, serve as drivers. By regulation, there are always at least two trained adults at all Scout events, and Troops 555 / 1555 usually has more. Once a year, at the Annual Planning Conference, the Troops plan ahead for the upcoming year's schedule of outings, fundraisers, and other events.
- Meetings: The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) starts off each weekly meeting by calling for the presentation of the colors and pledge of allegiance, followed by reciting the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, and then announcements. Next is Skills Instruction, where Patrols can take a turn providing instruction on a particular topic or there may be a guest speaker. Patrols then meet at separate tables to plan the next outing (menu, gear list, and activities). There is game time, or interpatrol activity, which is often outdoors (even in the dark and the snow). There is always time for scouts to work on rank advancement requirements or merit badges before the SPL ends the meeting by calling all who are present to attention to retire the colors, and the meeting ends.
- Court of Honor: A Court of Honor is held quarterly for recognition and presentation of advancement and other awards to Scouts and Scouters. Rank Badges and Merit Badges are presented at Courts of Honor and the Troop Junior Leaders are sworn in during these meetings. The Red and Green Banquet is held annually to include all members of the family and present special awards. Full uniforms are always worn to these events.
- Service Projects: Duty to others is one of the key points of the Scout Oath. As such, service hours are required for rank advancement, culminating in an Eagle Service Project. The troop also participates in service projects, helping reinforce the scout slogan of "Do a good turn daily."
- Fund Raising: Scouts participate in several fundraising events throughout the year. These include pancake breakfasts after Sunday masses, popcorn sales, wreath sales, and dine to donate. Funds are split between the Troop and individual accounts for the scouts who participated in the fundraiser. The funds for the troop support ongoing overhead costs including badges and awards, whereas the funds for the scouts are used to support their individual expenses for outings.
Troops 555 and 1555 give Scouts the chance to earn money that goes into his or her own account to spend on Troop activities. Here are some of our ongoing activities and the fundraisers that support those activities:
- Weekend Campouts (one or two per month)
- Week-long Summer Camp at Camp Maumee
- High Adventure Trips through Scouting America
- National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT National)
Fundraisers:
- Pancake Breakfast: A popular fund-raiser is the Pancake Breakfast held periodically at the St. Bartholomew Church Parish Hall. Scout parents donate most of the ingredients and supplies, and the Scouts cook pancakes, ham, sausage, and also serve coffee, milk, juice, and fruit. Scouts collect the money, record sales, serve the food, and clean up. Members of the parish always admire the Scouts’ hard work, self-organization, and good cheer—not to mention their uniforms.
- Popcorn Sales (October): We have popcorn sales each fall. This is a great way for the Scouts to earn money for their individual spending accounts as well as for the troops, which helps cover the cost of admission to upcoming group activities and outings. Prizes are also awarded based on sales levels. In addition to the account money and prizes, the Hoosier Trails Council often offers extra sales incentives for “filling up” a popcorn order form. Ambitious scouts can even earn some scholarship money through the Trail’s End Scholarship Program.
- Christmas Wreath Sales (Nov, Dec): Starting just before Thanksgiving, the Troops sell beautiful 25 inch fresh balsam fir wreaths. This is one of our largest and most popular fundraisers. Our customers really look forward to this sale and come back every year to purchase their wreaths. The Scouts can do presales on their own and participate in group sales after all masses at St. Bartholomew on Thanksgiving weekend and the following weekend. This is a great way for the Scouts to build their individual account balance while having fun and spreading Christmas cheer.
- My Scouting web site - Update your profile with BSA, take online training, register for events and more.
- Scouting America
- Hoosier Trails Council
- Order of the Arrow
- Indianapolis Catholic Committee on Scouting
- National Catholic Committee on Scouting
- Peterloon Home Page
- Brown County State Park
- Online shopping for scouting supplies
- BeAScout.org
- MeritBadge.org
- EagleProject Ideas
- Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook (Link to BSA)
- National Scout Jamboree
- National Eagle Scout Association (NESA)
When Justin Hilber was a Boy Scout in Troop 555, he exemplified Scout Spirit in many ways. Justin was always ready to serve or lead, and could be counted on to joyfully undertake many of the tasks that other Scouts tended to avoid. He managed to keep his spirits high during camping trips regardless of how bad the weather might be at the time. He was always willing to share his thoughts and cajole others to cheer up!
Justin passed away as the result of a tragic accident in 2001. His passing teaches us a couple of very important lessons. First, life can be too short. We should always value and treasure our time with everyone we meet or know, and we should always strive to keep our spirits high. Never take your friends or family…or anybody, for granted! Second, the impact an individual has can last much longer than their time here with us. Justin’s friends, neighbors, and family, honor and remember him by providing funding for the Justin Hilber Scout Spirit award.
Each year, this award − the highest award that Troop 555 bestows − is given to the Scout who best follows Justin’s example by demonstrating Scout Spirit through bringing the Scout Oath and Scout Law to life. Any Scout who has achieved the rank of First Class, and has not previously won the award, is eligible. Scouts are nominated for the award by adult troop leaders who work most closely with the Scouts at meetings and camping outings.
Recipients of the Justin Hilber Scout Spirit award are:
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