Troop 625 was formed in April 1993 by Scoutmaster Randy W. with all Webelo Scouts; there were no older boys in the Troop.  To help the boys learn to be boy led, they received a lot of coaching and nurturing. The idea was to provide enough challenge and responsibility to promote personal growth, but not so much that failure would stop the fledging troop dead in its tracks. They managed it well, because within a year they had boys stepping up and assuming more and more responsibility. Scoutmaster Randy's goal was to make the troop a welcoming place where every scout could grow.  He had been in troops where "alpha" males dominated over less aggressive peers and was determined to not let that happen in Troop 625. They worked hard to instill a sense of inclusiveness and caring in the leadership.

Out of this came our philosophy: "the boys lead the troop."

The Troop Scoutmasters have been:

Scoutmaster Randy W. 4/1993 - 7/1999

Scoutmaster Tom S. 7/1999 - 9/2002

Scoutmaster Dan G. 9/2002 - 12/2004

Scoutmaster Greg B. 1/2005 - 9/2011

Scoutmaster Michael B. 9/2011 - 11/2014

Scoutmaster Ben N. 11/2014 - present

The Rotary Club has always been our Troop sponsor.

The Troop included women in adult leadership. The troop also included families in some outings so younger siblings could have a chance to see what it was all about. From the start, the focus was on high adventure.  In the first year they tackled backpacking, canoeing on the Colorado, rock climbing and snow backpacking.  It was a challenge getting 11 year olds ready, but they really rose to the challenge.

Over the years the activities have covered a very broad spectrum... from Death Valley to Catalina to the Colorado River to Zion and Joshua Tree.  We have done amazing trips that are always initially inspired by the Scouts at our Annual Planning Meeting.

Sometimes the meetings get a little boisterous and almost appear to be out of control... but we truly try our best to let the Scouts figure it out... which they always seem to do.

We initiated the Tent Stake award for the most memorable thing that happened on a campout. We would share the highlights at the following meeting and then the Scoutmaster would pick what he thought it was. It became a dubious honor over time as we truly had some characters in the troop... everything from Scouts getting carsick, clothes being so dirty they had to be thrown away, learning the physics of peeing in the wind, or throwing ashes into the wind, Scout catapults, burns, cuts, blisters, spilling meals, Bears breaking into vans, sunburns, the list goes on and on. We also introduced the fondue fork... where the patrols would make their best meal and submit it to the Scoutmasters for judging... sometimes this was a treat (shrimp burritos) and other times it was a curse (soggy lettuce on a burnt hamburger with a stale bun). But over time the Scouts became pretty darn good cooks.  It took quite a few years of trying, but we have now established a regular pilgrimage to Philmont as a Troop custom.

We had 10 Eagle Scouts in 2011.  The Troop has had possibly the highest ratio of Eagles to Scouts in the District over the last 5 years.  Parent participation is what drives this troop!