Welcome to the website of Combined Troop 609 of Aptos, California, serving both young men and women. We are members of the Loma Prieta District and the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America. We serve boys and girls from Watsonville to Ben Lomond with a unique recipe of fun, adventure, leadership, discovery, and personal growth. Scouts in this troop are between the ages of 11 and 18. To start, you must be 11 or have graduated 5th grade. We can assist you in locating Family Scout Packs in our area for families with youth in the Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelo, or Arrow-of-Light age groups.

Meetings:
Time: All Mondays (except holidays throughout the year) from 7:00 to 8:30PM
Location: Resurrection Catholic Community, Aptos, at the corner of State Park and Soquel Drive.
Note: The first Monday of each month is the Patrol Leaders Council (planning meeting for the month) for youth leaders and Scoutmasters - the rest are for everyone.

Overview: We produce young men and women of character with the skills to be leaders in whatever endeavors they choose to follow. The outdoors is one of our methods, but not the only one – we look for new ways to engage our youth that meet their needs while opening their eyes to opportunities other than video games and TV. We have Scouts who have competing interests, but unlike sports and many other activities, we do not require mandatory attendance – we will take our Scouts when they can spare the time and let them decide to attend.

Activities: Rotating summer camps (Camp Chawanakee, Camp Whitsett, Camp Winton, Wente Scout Reservation, and Camp Emerald Bay in Catalina).

Advancement: We practice stealth advancement. Attend the outings, and the advancement happens while the Scouts have fun, learn and grow.

Fundraisers: We plan activities that everyone can afford, with numerous fundraising opportunities during the year that the Scouts can participate in as needed to support their attendance—we do not endlessly fundraise.

Service Opportunities: Numerous during the year, helping our charter organization, the Knights of Columbus and local schools, coastal clean-up, Operation Surf, and Den Chief support of Camp Chenoa Cub Scout Day Camp.

Adult participation: The success of our sons and daughters in Scouting requires our commitment. It is desired, if possible, that at least one parent serve in the Troop Committee or Scoutmaster Corps – moms and dads are welcome in either group. To participate, adults must be registered leaders with current Youth Protection Training and background checks (including Mandatory Reporter Training). We give the support our scouts need while keeping it Scout-Led. We are not on vacation, but we do have fun. Seeing our scouts become young men and women we can be proud of is very rewarding. Our motto for our adults is Vir Dienen – We Serve.

Membership: We have Scouts from all over the county, from graduating 5th-graders to high school seniors. We are multi-class and multi-ethnic. We’re Mutts and proud of it.