Who can join Troop 282?

Any youth aged 11 to 18 who has completed 5th grade or is transitioning from Cub Scouts to Scouts BSA after completing Arrow of Light requirements. A new Scout to Troop 282 DOES NOT have to have been in Scouting in the past to Join Troop 282. Our 1st Year Scoutmaster team will help your child wityh everything needed to be successful as a Scout. From gear, to skills and navigating paperwork, Troop 282 has an organized plan to help you allong the way. 

How many Scouts reach the rank of Eagle Scout?

Nationally the average of Scouts achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is 4-6%. In the Mid-America Council (our local Scout Council) the average is 3.1%. 

Troop 282 currently has 19% (almost 1 in 5) of it's Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. More than 3 times the national average. The troop has many Eagle Scouts stay to serve as Jr. Assistant Scoutmasters both to help mentor the upcoming leadership patrol and to continue to experience Scouting America's High Adventure bases. Troop 282 Eagles serve as camp counselors at Camp Cedars and actively participate in Order of the Arrow (The OA is Scouting’s National Honor Society for over 100 years). 

When and where does Troop 282 meet?

During the cooler months (Labor Day to Memorial Day), Troop 282 meets at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. 

During the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day), Troop 282 meets at Pheasant Run Park behind Anderson Middle School in Millard. 

The Troop meets on Mondays from 7:00PM to 8:30PM. 

Who sponsors Troop 282?

Troop 282 is co-sponsored by the Millard Rotary and St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The Troop does several service projects for both organizations ranging from serving the Veteran's breakfast to aiding the Millard Rotary with Christmas Tree and Christmas lights recycling. 

What service opportunities are available through Troop 282?

With an annual average of 7 Scouts vying for the rank of Eagle there are ample opportunities to assist in an Eagle project. 

Monthly camping often has a service component. The Senior Patrol Leader approaches the camp ranger wherever we are heading to and asks if there is a way the Troop can pay back the park or facility for allowing us to come there. Monthly campout service opportunities are often under 2 hours. 

Troop 282 runs the Scouting for Trees annual Christmas recycling program which collects more than 7,000 trees annually. The Troop collects trees on 7 days between Christmas and mid-January. Troop 282 works with the Millard Rotary and the City of Omaha to fine-tune the dates each year ensuring the recycling centers are open and Scouts remain safe. 

Troop 282 has helped St. Paul's Lutheran Church with everything from an annual leaf clean-up around the church's campus, Scout Sunday, church clean up, restocking the church's pantry and helping serve meals like a Veteran's Day brunch. 

Troop 282 participates in Scouting America's service projects such as Scouting for Food collecting food through much of Millard and manning the drop-off semi-trailer. 

Troop 282 serves in special circumstances and attempts to stay aware of community needs we are suited to help with. In the past the Troop has helped mow around Camp Cedars for camp prep, helped Camp Mitigwa remove fallen trees to assist in re-opening their camp after horrible wind storms in Iowa, and assisted after tornados swept through the great plains. 

Troop 282 regularly helps with the Mid-America Council and Black Hawk District events. In the last 2 years we've helped with staffing Wood Badge, being a host Troop with Webelos Woods and Cub Scout Haunted Woods, hosted a Spring camporee and ran several booths at the Henry Doorly Zoo's Scout Day. Leaders in the Troop have served as Mid-America Council Merit Badge Counselors, taught  at Merit Badge Colleges, taught at the College of Commissioner Science, and hold positions from the Black Hawk District to the Mid-America Council's board. Troop 282 leaders step up and independently run events like PARY's Duty to God program for the Omaha metro and Scouting for Trees for the State of Nebraska across both Mid-America Council and Cornhusker Council. 

Troop 282 participates in Order of the Arrow, Scouting's National Honor Society, often referred to as the brotherhood of cheerful service. Scouts have the option of attending up to 3 Ordeal Weekends annually each grounded with service projects and ample fellowship. 

Why participate in Scouting America?

I can only offer my own testimony, but here goes. 

As my 3 children entered school Peggy and I helped with school field trips, helped coach the soccer team, served as Sunday school teachers and eventually helped form the church's youth group, The Segue. 

So much of what we invested into our children's community growth and moral code, especially as sports and band parents, we were spectators and chauffeurs.  

As a child I was a Scout in the Omaha metro. I remembered back fondly to outings with our fathers camping at Camp Cedars, newspaper and phonebook collection drives and racing soapbox derby cars down Galvin Rd.

You see, Scouting is unique in three ways over most sports and school activities. 

1. As a parent you get the option to actively participate with your child, 

2. As a parent you can model Servant Leadership, it's principals and why it is important, and

3. Having the time and presence to enable your child to practice and utilize leadership skills and principals. 

The last part, that of leadership, is so valuable that  having the rank of Eagle Scout affords your child,

1. $3,000 a year (for up to 4 years, scholarship is available to all Eagle Scouts in Mid-America Council graduating 2024 and beyond) scholarship to a Nebraska University including UNL, UNO and Metro Community.

2. Upon joining a military branch,

   1. Advanced Enlistment Rank: Most branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, may grant Eagle Scouts the rank of E-2 upon enlistment. The Air Force may offer an even higher rank of E-3. 

   2. Higher Pay: A higher enlistment rank translates to a higher base pay from the start of a military career. 

   3. Potential for Faster Promotion: The leadership experience gained as an Eagle Scout may also lead to faster promotions throughout a military career. 

   4. Scholarship Opportunities: Some branches of the military may offer scholarships specifically for Eagle Scouts. 

My family has been blessed and Scouting is how we not only stay close as a family, but also pay back to good fortune we have in Western Omaha. Consider joining us for a meeting to check things out. 

How can I help these Scouts financially?

Troop 282 embraces Eagle Scout John Wayne's quote on what it means to be Thrifty. "THRIFTY Means a lot more than putting pennies away; and it is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything."

The Troop tries it's best to be careful with it's finances. Through extra fertilizer sales the Troop maintains gear, trailers, insurance and consumables like propane and paper products. We try to use dues collected for awards, merit badges and rank emblems. 

For those who can donate or families that offer a little extra, funds are used for families that need additional financial assistance. This can include monthly camping, summer camping, offsetting training fees, Class B outerwear and sometimes a Class A Scout uniform. We offer these scholarships on a needs basis. If you can help us we can share more resources to retain more Scouts in need and further grow the Scouting movement. All donations will go directly to those in need without any administrative overhead, as our troop is entirely volunteer led. 

What larger expenses are on the horizon? 

1. Life never explicitly informs you when something big might happen, but in the last 2 years the Troop has lost several tents in the windstorm at April's camporee and a surprise wind front with tree damage at summer camp. Tents are expensive and several could not be repaired. Between that and Troop 282's growth, some new tents may need to be purchased. 

2. We've recently replaced the brakes on our trailer along with the tires, but it starting to show it's age. 

3. Our patrol boxes (what holds the Scouts kitchen gear and supplies) were with the troop since before any of the current volunteers. They are well built, but are starting to warp and not close correctly. 

For more information on a donation or corporate sponsorship, contact Keith at treasurer@troop282bsa.org or Bob at GretnaScouts@iCloud.com . 

Who could answer more questions about Troop 282?

Eagle Scout Scoutmaster Pat Borg  - Scoutmaster@troop282bsa.org

Bob Austin - GretnaScouts@iCloud.com

Pat and Bob are open to answer your questions. Reach out at your convenience. Don't delay, ask today.