Meet Our Scout BSA Units Meet Our Scout BSA Units

For young men and women, having opportunities to learn about citizenship, the outdoors, and teamwork is important. But, of course, it’s important to have fun, too! Here at St. Philip Neri, we are blessed to have a strong Scouts BSA program for boys and girls, which provides them with these valuable opportunities for both learning and fun — they enjoy archery, camping, and cooking outside.

Steve Newkirk serves as the liaison for scouts at St. Philip Neri. He has been involved with Boy Scouts for more than 20 years, and he genuinely believes in the importance of this program as a part of the formation of young people.

“By having a Scouts BSA unit, we are offering an exceptional program to girls, not reinventing the wheel,” Steve says. “Boy Scouts has been around for more than 100 years.”

At St. Philip Neri, we have three units of the organization. First, there is Pack 219, which is for 5-year-olds to sixth-graders. This program is unique in that it is integrated with boys and girls. This group’s meetings and events are primarily held at the parish, and they also do a camping trip twice a year. The boys and girls are kept separate, and a parent also attends.

After sixth grade, youth move to Troop 219 for boys and Troop 220 for girls. Troop 219 has been around since 2004 and Troop 220 was put together in 2019. There are about 20 girls involved in Troop 220. While these two troops don’t intermingle, each does similar activities.

“Troop 219 is a great group of about 50 boys,” Steve says. “It’s a solid group with good leadership.”

The group has gone on some large trips, like a canoeing trip and a sailboat trip off the coast of Florida, both of which were valuable learning experiences that offered plenty of outdoor fun.

Although his children, Ryan and Meghan, are grown, Steve still believes in staying involved so that he may help the program flourish for our parish youth.

“This is such an important ministry to the youth of the parish,” Steve says.

In today’s tech-connected world, a simple camping trip can make a real impact on our youth. When they’ve gone on their camping trips, the scouts give up their cell phones. By the end of the trip, many participants remark that they don’t miss having it.

An important part of Steve’s position is ensuring that the program, as a whole, follows Catholic Church teaching. No matter what rules and regulations the Boy Scouts of America enact, the groups at our parish follow Catholic teachings. Through our parish’s programs, Steve has seen so much positive growth in the youth. He believes in the values it teaches kids — especially in these current times, as youth encounter a lot of negative peer pressure.

“They learn respect, love of country, and outdoor camping techniques, to name a few,” he says. “It’s a very positive influence.”

Anyone — Catholic or not — may participate in our parish Scouts BSA program. To learn more, contact Stephanie Griffith at srgriffithfamily@gmail.com. Also, be sure to watch the church bulletin in the fall for information on the annual popcorn fundraiser.

The Scouts BSA members receive a blessing.