The number of scouts involved in Boy Scout Troop 531 in Woodland has dropped drastically from 23 boys in 2017 to only six members today.
The troop is actively trying to recruit new members to help bolster its ranks.
“We desperately need more participation before we entirely liquidate,” said 16-year-old Boy Scout Spencer Taylor in an email.
Taylor attributes the decrease to a variety of factors. Some people moved out of the area, while others left the troop during the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t return.
“But the other main reason is that we’ve had a lot of people age out,” Taylor said in an interview with The Reflector.
He said “two large waves” of people turned 18 or became Eagle Scouts. Within a span of one year, Taylor said five or six boys aged out of the troop, which also happened with the prior group.
“That’s really taken a hit on our participation, and another (wave) is coming soon because we have four 16 year olds in the troop, and other than that, there’s only one 14-year-old and one 12-year-old,” Taylor said. “There’s only six of us left in the troop and coming soon is another large migration out of the troop.”
Taylor said he’s attempted to recruit more scouts by making flyers and signs that can be placed in people’s lawns. He also plans to attend Woodland Middle School’s parent-teacher conferences in an attempt to recruit more members there.
“We’re trying the best that we can to get the name of the organization out there (and) try to get people interested,” he said.
For activities, Taylor said the scouts often hike, camp and do service projects in the community.
“We just have a good time,” he said. “My personal favorite moments looking back on all the stuff we’ve done is just the little interactions that we’ve had with each other, even if we’re working. We keep professional when we need to be, of course, but there’s always room to be fun and jovial.”
The troop’s hiking excursions will sometimes include ziplining or white water rafting.
As for community service, the members often volunteer at the Woodland Lilac Gardens. They help stock and move plants, and also pick up litter.
Those who want to acquire the Eagle Scout rank have to complete a community project. Previous projects have included the implementation of a draining system at the Lelooska Foundation and Cultural Center to help prevent the frequent flooding the organization experienced up to that point, Taylor said.
At the Woodland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, they installed a metal container where people could retire any unwanted or damaged American flags, “because the Boy Scouts and the U.S. Military, those are the only two groups that are legally allowed to retire U.S. flags,” Taylor said.
The troop was also responsible for the installation of picnic benches at Paradise Point State Park in Ridgefield, which he said were “desperately needed.”
Anyone who is interested in joining Troop 531 can email Taylor at spencertaylor747@gmail.com.
