Troop 849
Manhattan Beach, CA
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History

Troop 849 was founded in mid 1956 in Manhattan Beach, California. A brief history follows.

The troop was initially in the South Bay District of the Los Angeles Area Council. In 1974 the district was split so we became part of the new Adventure District. In 1994 the South Bay and Adventure districts were combined to become the new Pacifica District. In 2015 the Los Angeles Area Council and the San Gabriel Valley Council merged into the Greater Los Angeles Area Council.

Activities

Troop 849 has always been heavily involved in backpacking. Favorite weekend destinations are in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains. Week-long backpack trips have been a staple since the troop's inception. Most week-long backpacking trips have been in the Sierra Mountains including several treks up Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States. So far, the troop has been involved in more than 400 backpacking trips. Besides backpacking, the troop has also been involved in many other activities, including:

• shooting off model rockets
• rock climbing
• attending the Fall and Spring Camporees
• participating in Veteran's Day and Memorial Day ceremonies
• shotgun shooting
• deep sea fishing
• kayaking at Santa Cruz island
• week long treks to Philmont Scout Ranch
• participating in the National Jamboree
• canoeing on the Colorado River
• a week long canoe trip to Minnesota
• participating in the Los Angeles County Fair
• participating in the annual Scout Parade
• trips to Disneyland
• trips to Mexico
• participating in the Manhattan Beach Veteran's Day ceremonies
• participated in the Rose Parade (2010 BSA centennial)
• attending many summer camps

Summer Camp

Summer camp is an annual occurrence that is always enjoyable. At one time Christmas decoration sales were held to help pay for summer camp fees. Over the years, various camp destinations have been chosen to provide a varied experience. Some of the camps the troop has attended are:

• Camp Chawanakee at Shaver Lake
• Lost Valley
• Emerald Bay, Catalina
• Cherry Valley, Catalina
• Camp Kern at Huntington Lake
• Camp Pitches at Lake Arrowhead
• Camp Whitsett near Kernville
• Camp Pepperdine at Lake Arrowhead
• Camp Madaguay in San Diego county
• Camp Lost Valley near San Diego

Court of Honor

Each year the troop puts on several formal Courts of Honor to acknowledge the accomplishments of the Scouts. Over the years, Courts of Honor have been held at:

• Manhattan Beach Scout House
• American Martyrs Church
• Manhattan Beach Community Church
• Joslyn Center
• Manhattan Beach Middle School
• Manhattan Beach Badminton Club
• North American Field (on Imperial Highway)
• Center School
• Pacific School
• Polliwog Park

Scout House

The Scout House was built in the 50's on city property with donated labor and materials. It started out as one large hall but was subsequently divided into its current configuration of one large meeting room, two small meeting rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a storage room.

Meetings were originally held on Saturdays until April 5, 1966, when they were changed to Tuesday nights.

In the late 60's the troop had the unpleasant experience of being locked out of their own Scout House. Fortunately, this situation was quickly remedied.

The Scout House is located just north of Joslyn Community Center which is at 1601 Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach, CA.

Re-Organization (1999-2003)

During the last half of 1999, with nearly 100 registered Scouts, the Scout House was not big enough to hold effective meetings. In September, a new troop concept divided us into two groups, called the green group and the blue group (as in forest and sky, in honor of our outdoor emphasis). Each group had multiple Patrols, a senior Patrol leader, two assistant senior Patrol leaders, instructors, scribe and quartermaster. An Assistant Scoutmaster was appointed for each group to act as the Scoutmaster for that group. Other Assistant Scoutmasters that provide special leadership jobs (e.g. long term hike leader, summer camp coordinator, etc.) were shared between both groups.

Every other Tuesday evening the green group met at the Scout House for a normal troop meeting. On the "off" Tuesday evenings, the green group's individual Patrols held separate Patrol meetings (at a location other than the Scout House) to focus on advancement. The blue group had the "reverse" schedule.

Both color groups were together for outings, courts of honor, and trip preparation meetings.

In 2004 the two group concept was abandoned in favor of the traditional one large group.

Sponsoring Organization

For the first 16 years the troop was chartered by the Exchange Club of the South Bay. In March of 1971 it was sponsored by Manhattan Parents for Scouting who chartered the troop for 49 years. Starting in January 2020 it has been chartered by the Rotary International of Manhattan Beach Club.

Award Winning Adults

Silver Beaver Award

The Greater Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts awards the Silver Beaver Award to recognize Scouters of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service within a council. The following adults were part of Troop 849 and have been given this award.

James L. Hawkins - Grand High Adventure Maker Award

This award is presented by the High Adventure Team of the Greater Los Angeles Area council to the unit leader who offers a quality High Adventure Program on a year round basis and over a number of years. The following Troop 849 adults have been given this award.

Contents of this page provided by Tom Thorpe.
©2022 Boy Scout Troop 849, Manhattan Beach, CA. http://troop849.org/