Mission
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
BSA
Our mission is to help scouts learn, develop and grow in a safe, caring environment and to help families bring up moral, civic-minded leaders. We will place the well-being of the scouts ahead of any other considerations and we will respect the needs of our constituent families at all times.
The Program
The BSA Program is how we execute on the mission statement above.
The mix of topics—outdoor, sports, health and safety, citizenship and personal development, STEM, and arts and hobbies—provide the kind of variety, adventure, and increasing challenge needed to keep Scouts coming back while also facilitating advancement.
Here are some of the common outdoor themes that our Scouts tend to enjoy:
- Backpacking
- Camping
- Caving
- Climbing and Rappelling
- Cooking
- COPE
- Cycling
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Orienteering
- Paddle Sports
- Rifle Shooting
- Shotgun Shooting
- Swimming
- Wilderness Survival
The Annual Calendar
We closely follow the Richardson and Plano Independent School District calendars, and Troop meetings are held most Mondays during the school year from 7:30-8:30 pm.
Our Trail to First Class (younger Scouts) and Trail to Eagle (older Scouts) programs meet for 30 minutes prior to each Troop meeting.
We keep the “outing” in Scouting by camping monthly from September through November and January through May.
- Fall Camp-outs generally depart Saturday morning around and return Sunday afternoon
(This helps to avoid conflicts with band, football, and spirit groups) - Spring Camp-outs generally depart Friday evening and return Sunday afternoon.
- Camp-out themes include fishing, swimming, canoeing, caving, hiking, shooting, water sports, orienteering, and more!
- Most camping locations are within about three hours from Richardson
In early June, Troop 444 spends a week at a Summer Camp selected by our Scouts. Fun is always part of the adventure, with a healthy curriculum of rank advancement and Merit Badge classes. Scouts also have time for waterfront activities, games, and lots of good food at the dining hall. We typically alternate between a local summer camp and an out-of-council summer camp.
During winter break, we spend a few days at Winter Camp. The time of year and location make this a very different experience than summer camp. The Scouts have fun, are productive, and enjoy the cool weather & time with friends in a relaxed outdoor environment.
Our Council and Chartered Organization
Troop 444 has been serving youth in the North Dallas/Richardson/Plano area since 1960.
We are a member of the Circle Ten Council, which serves 24 counties in north-central Texas and Oklahoma. Nearly 59,000 young people and 12,000 adult volunteers make Circle Ten’s Scouting programs successful. Scouting units are chartered to over 800 community organizations such as schools and churches
Our chartered organization, Arapaho United Methodist Church in Richardson, provides us a supportive home base to pursue our mission – we are immensely thankful for their ongoing support!
Arapaho United Methodist Church
1400 W. Arapaho Rd. Richardson, TX
(the northeast corner of Coit and Arapaho in Richardson)