Boy Scout Troop 555 is chartered by Saint Bartholomew Parish in Columbus, Indiana and is part of  the Hoosier Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America. We hold our meetings at Saint Bartholomew Catholic Church on Monday evenings starting at 7:00pm in the Youth Ministry Space.

• Scout-led: Unlike Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts are boy-led. Every six months, we elect troop officers and Patrol Leaders (see the Positions of Responsibility under the PLC Resources link at left). These officers meet as a Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) once a month for an hour before the Troop meeting starts. The PLC makes decisions and assigns duties for the Troop. Adults 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 Troop 555 usually has three to five. Once a year, at our Annual Planning Conference, the PLC schedules the following years 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 Law or the Scout Oath, and then announcements. Then, one or two Scouts teach a Skills Instruction to the troop; each Patrol takes a turn providing Skills Instructors. We then usually gather in Patrol groups at separate tables to plan the next campout (menu, gear list, and grubmaster). We always have game time, which is almost always outdoors (even in the dark and the snow). There is usually a little time to work on rank advancement or merit badges before SPL calls us to attention to retire the colors, and the meeting ends.

• Court of Honor: A Court of Honor is held quarterly to publicly present 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."

Troop 555 gives each Scout the chance to  earn money that goes into his own account to spend on Troop activities. Here are some of our ongoing activities and the fundraisers that support those activities:

Ongoing Activities:

• Orienteering in Story, Indiana: Course 555 Home Topographical Map (pdf)
• Common Hand Signals (pdf)
• Map to Camp Maumee (provided by Hoosier Trails Council)
• More direct route to/from Maumee (through Ogilville, Indiana):
  • Partial route map from Ogilville to Camp
  • Partial route map from Camp to Ogilville
• Hoosier Hiker's Council Web Site (resources on hiking, trail-building, and trail-foot-racing in Indiana)
• Personal Camping Checklist (from scout handbook)
• Scout Essentials Checklists (file is 5.2 MB and may take longer to load)
• Winter camping resources:
  • Cold Weather Backpacking Equipment List
  • Cold Weather Comfort & Safety
  • Princeton University Oudoor Action Guide to Winter Camping
• Hiking from from Maumee Scout Resrvation to Ransburg Scout Reservation:
  • GPS path taken on 2/23/2014 (this is a .gpx file that can be saved and opened with Google Earth or another GPS program like Garmin, Locus Pro for Android, etc.). This hike took nine hours carrying light day packs.
  • GPS path taken on March 14-16, 2014. The GPS log shows a perfect launch from Maumee Scout Reservation, with the group taking a ridge which runs West from the West end of Lake Tarzian. This is the most efficient trajectory for reaching points west of Maumee Scout Reservation. It is also entirely off-trail. The transition from Maumee property to the Hoosier National Forest is delineated by US Forest Service markers.

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:

• My Scouting web site - Update your profile with BSA, take online training, register for events and more.
• Boy Scouts of America
• Hoosier Trails Council
• Order of the Arrow
• Indianapolis Catholic Committee on Scouting
  • Indy CCS on Facebook
  • Indy CCS on Twitter
• National Catholic Committee on Scouting
• A Scouts Prayers and Graces
• Peterloon Home Page
• Brown County State Park
• Camp Maumee
• Camp Maumee Boy Scout Summer Camp Leaders Guide (list of available merit badges starts on page 37)
• Online shopping for scouting supplies
• BeAScout.org
• Scoutparents
• MeritBadge.org
• EagleProject Ideas
• Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook (Link to BSA)
• National Scout Jamboree
• National Eagle Scout Association (NESA)
• BSA Troop 555 Historical Picture Library