The mission of the Troop 454 is to teach young men the right way to be successful in life. This is accomplished through teaching Scouting values, survival skills and leadership skills. We are committed to adventure, learning, challenge and fun. Scouting should be enjoyable and it should challenge each boy to be the best he can be. We offer all of our scouts the opportunity to advance through the Scout ranks by providing an active program of instruction and activities. We strive to instill in our Scouts lifetime values and develop in them ethical character as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law. As a troop, we serve our community through a quality, values-based program of service.

Adventures - We schedule some sort of outing every month from September through May. Most of these are campouts. There is often some sort of adventure theme associated such as rock-climbing, spelunking, canoeing, kayaking, or mountain biking.

Troop Trips – For years, the highlight of Troop 454's activities has been a weeklong, high-adventure trip to Colorado. We go backpacking, white water rafting, and camping in the beautiful mountains. A great break from the Texas summer, and a lifetime memory for both scouts and adults. In 2003, we changed gears and went to the mountains of northwest Arkansas where we hiked and canoed in the Buffalo River National River. In 2004, we were fortunate enough to get Philmont opportunities for our older Scouts. Philmont is the ultimate high adventure experience for BSA. Our younger Scouts traveled to Camp Frank Rand in the Sangre de Christo mountains of northeastern New Mexico. From there we staged a three-day backpacking trek into the Pecos Wilderness and a whitewater trip down the Rio Grande. During the Summer of 2005 we are expecting to return to the Durango area of the Colorado high-country followed by a summer camp visit to El Rancho Cima near Wimberly, Texas.

Advancement - Troop 454 has a strong advancement program led by the advancement committee. On most campouts, we have advancement activities for the younger Scouts. We run several merit badge programs within the troop each year. These cover both Eagle required merit badges (Citizenship, Communications, Personal Fitness, etc.) and optional merit badges (Canoeing, Whitewater, Rock Climbing). For boys who are motivated and take advantage of the opportunities, advancement to Eagle by age 14 is not uncommon in our Troop. We are very proud of the Eagles of Troop 454.

Scout Camps – In addition to the trips described above, we have a tradition of going to a traditional Scout camp each year during the late summer. These camps are a great place to work on merit badges and on achievements for the lower ranks. We also go to winter camp at Lost Pines near Bastrop over winter break. Scouts who attend these camps get a big jump on their merit badge work.

Service - Service is a big part of Scouting. Our troop spends over 700 hours doing service projects. Each Eagle Scout is required to plan and lead a significant project to benefit the community. During the past few years, we have averaged one such project each month. Leader Meetings - Leading a Scout troop takes a lot of work. About once a month (the Tuesday after each campout) the Scout leaders and adult leaders meet to plan upcoming activities. Troop 454 has a tradition of very strong adult involvement (both Dads AND Moms). Parents are encouraged to attend troop meetings and other activities. In July we have a planning meeting to map out our year. All interested Scouts and parents are invited to participate.

Troop Trailer - Troop 454 owns tandem axle trailer that replaced our old horse trailer. We take the trailer on most campouts, on our annual trip and to summer camp. The trailer holds all of the troop equipment including tents, cooking equipment, stoves, folding tables & chairs, and lanterns. It also carries all our supplies and food.

Uniform & Equipment - Much of the equipment required for Scouting is on our Troop Trailer. We also wear the BSA uniform to our weekly meetings and many of our planned activities. More detailed information is at his link.

How to Join - Information on joining our Troop is available at this link.