Boy Scout

Troop 1001

Scout Oath On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country And to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, Mentally awake, and morally straight.

VNUMC officially started sponsoring Troop 1001 in 1996. Our troop currently has over 25 members and 10 adult leaders. The meetings are held every Monday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. All males between the ages of 10 and 17 are welcome and encouraged joining the Boy Scouts of America. Adults age 18 and over are welcome to join as leaders.

Once a month, Troop 1001 participates in weekend camp-outs held at various locations throughout Florida. Occasionally, during a long 3-day weekend the troop has been able to travel to places further away from home, such as, the Florida Keys, Pensacola, Osceola National Forest to see a re-enactment of Florida’s only major Civil War Battle, and Alabama. The scouts have also spent the night on the USS Alabama and have toured the National Naval Museum on Naval Aviation.

Troop 1001 attends a Boy Scout Summer Camp annually to learn, build friendships, and earn merit badges. Periodically the group has been able to take a few extra trips during the summer including a visit to Yellowstone National Park, and the Grand Tetons, and Washington, D.C.. Once a year, the older scouts participate in a “Cross the State” bicycle trip. This is a 3-day trip starting in Crystal Springs and finishing up at Ormond Beach.

VNUMC holds a “Boy Scout Sunday” once a year to recognize the members and leaders of Troop 1001. The Boy Scouts participate in this special service by lighting the candles on the altar and reading the scripture lesson for the worship service. They also provide a Pancake Breakfast/Brunch to the congregation after each worship service.

Troop 1001 cooks and serves for the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner for those who volunteer their time and talent at VNUMC. This is not a fundraiser for the Scouts but an opportunity for them to serve the church members and thank them for their support and prayers throughout the year.

It has become a tradition for our troop to lead off the City of Venice’s Annual Holiday Parade during the Thanksgiving weekend. The troop collects canned goods and toys from the audience during the Parade to donate to the community’s food bank. The Troop also participates in the “Scouting for Food” program which involves going out in the community twice per year to collect food for the South County Food Pantry.

Troop 1001 is a self-supporting organization. Our annual fundraisers consist of a garage sale held at the Venice Animal Clinic, a car wash, selling Christmas wreaths, and several Pancake Breakfasts held at VNUMC.

We currently have over 20 boys who are Eagle Scouts and several more actively pursuing this goal. This is an asset not just to VNUMC Church but also to the community. One of our Eagle Scouts was featured on the front page of “Life Scout” for his Eagle project to collect flags that needed to be retired and to do it properly. He received 240 flags!

The photograph shows the flags that out Boy Scouts along with another group put into the ground in honor of the 9-11 World Trade Center attacks. There was a flag to represent everyone who lost their life. The flags were on display for over a month at a self-storage facility located in Venice, Florida.

For more information about our Troop, call the Church Office at (941) 484-7414.