This year, Beth El’s Boy Scout Troop has four new scouts, with six boys planning to go to summer camp for a week in June.   Camping trips have included backpacking on the Appalachian Trail and camping at the Marsden Tract off MacArthur Boulevard and at Treetops in West Virginia, with an upcoming trip to Assateague in May.  At the Hanukkah party/Court of Honor, Scoutmaster Seth Levita was pleased to recognize two new Star Scouts (just two ranks short of Eagle).   We’d love to include your boy, grades 6-12, in this Jewish troop!  It’s a great way to expand your son’s enjoyment of Jewish life.   Contact Barb Siegel to learn more.

About Troop 1800
Since 1983 Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Maryland has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 1800. The troop was founded to provide an opportunity to combine Scouting with Jewish observance. It has grown into much more. Scouts who participate in an active program that includes monthly campouts and a variety of community and synagogue service projects. Because of its long history at Beth El, 1800 maintains close ties with its former Scouts, a number of whom continue to participate actively as adult leaders. The troop meets on Monday nights in the Beth El multipurpose room (downstairs) from 7-8:30. Troop 1800 is part of the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Who Can Join
Boys ages 10½ and older can join and are eligible to continue earning Scouting awards until age 18. Boys ages 6-10 are welcome to join Cub Scout Pack 1800. Members of Troop 1800 need not be affiliated with Congregation Beth El, or Jewish. We proudly wear the Inclusive Scouting knot, and do not discriminate.

Troop Activities
About once a month, the troop goes camping. On most campouts, everybody camping must pay $25 for food and site fees. We meet at Beth El and leave around 4:30 on Friday and return to Beth El around noon on Sunday. We perform many services for the community and for the synagogue (for example, we run Haman’s House of Horrors at the annual Purim Carnival). We hold Courts of Honor every three months to present awards earned during that time. Every few weeks, we will have social activities, such as Movie Nights and day trips. Social activities are not necessarily official Scout functions. Beth El units host the local Jewish Committee on Scouting camporee every Memorial Day weekend from Friday through Monday. Every year, we attend a week of Scout Camp. Some summers, older Scouts attend High Adventure camps such as the Florida Seabase.

A Typical Meeting
The troop meets Monday nights in the Beth El meeting room from 7:00 to 8:30. The meeting begins with a flag ceremony, which includes recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and Scout Oath and Law. Then everyone will sit down for announcements. If money for trips is being collected, it is done at this time. The rest of the meeting is reserved for preparation for upcoming activities, or other activities planned by the Scoutmaster and Senior Patrol Leader. If there is a trip soon, we will plan the menus and the activities for the trip. If there is an upcoming Court of Honor, we will collect records for awards and plan the ceremony. Otherwise, the time will be mostly spent working on merit badges and other awards. The meeting ends at 8:30.

Jewish Emphasis
When we go on camping trips, we usually leave at 4:30 on Friday and return on Sunday to avoid travel on Shabbat. However, we will occasionally have optional l activities during the day on Saturday that require driving from the campsite. The food provided by the troop on our trips is kosher. A Scout who serves as our Chaplain's Aide conducts religious services on our trips. We encourage all of our Jewish Scouts age 15 or younger to earn the Ner Tamid award, and those 15 or older the Etz Chaim award. We also encourage our Tiger Cubs to earn the Maccabee award and older Cub Scouts the Aleph award. And last but not least, we are a registered troop of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.