What We Do
Programs & Activities
A full year of meetings, campouts, merit badges and high-adventure expeditions.
🏕️
Monthly Campouts
All ranks
Year-round camping in all conditions builds resilience, navigation skills and a deep love of the outdoors. Most campouts leave Friday evening and return Sunday afternoon, with a longer trip over spring break.
🎖️
Merit Badge Program
Scout → Eagle
More than 130 merit badges covering everything from First Aid to Astronomy, Robotics to Cooking — building well-rounded young people.
👑
Eagle Scout Trail
Star → Eagle
The pinnacle of Scouting. Our Eagle coaches and structured advancement program have produced more than 85 Eagle Scouts.
🫱
Service Projects
All ranks
Troop and individual service projects — including Scouting for Food each fall and helping fellow scouts with Eagle projects — put Scout values into action.
🏹
Summer & Winter Camp
All scouts
A week at Camp Karankawa on Lake Corpus Christi each June, and again the day after Christmas, with shooting sports, waterfront, STEM and merit badge classes.
🎪
Courts of Honor
Troop events
Recognition ceremonies two to three times a year celebrating rank advancements, merit badges and exceptional service.
Rank Advancement
Scouts begin by earning Scout rank, then advance through Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. Every requirement is in the Scouts BSA Handbook, and progress is tracked in Scoutbook.
Each rank ends with a Scoutmaster Conference and a Board of Review — sign up on the dry-erase board at Monday meetings. Full Class A uniform is required for Boards of Review.
Earning Merit Badges
- Tell the Scoutmaster which badge you are starting.
- Work with an approved merit badge counselor (not your own parent unless they are a registered counselor).
- Use the merit badge pamphlet — some are in the troop library.
- Complete a blue card and get it signed off; it goes in the troop “Blue Book.”
- Badges are presented at the next Court of Honor.
Summer and winter camps are the best times to knock out several badges at once — up to five per week.
Order of the Arrow
Scouting’s national honor society. Scouts who are First Class or higher, have 15 days and nights of camping (including one long-term camp) and are recommended by the Scoutmaster may be elected by the troop each January.
Leadership Training
National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is a six-day course at Camp Karankawa for scouts 13+ who are at least First Class. Troop 87 pays the NYLT fee — and it’s required to run for SPL or ASPL.
Troop Fundraisers
Our annual June Chicken BBQ is the main fundraiser, and the fall popcorn sale helps each scout build a personal account for camp fees and uniforms.
Courts of Honor
From our spring 2024 Court of Honor — click any photo to browse.
