HISTORY OF TROOP 304
Founded in 1920, Troop 304 is one of the oldest continuously active scout troops in New England. In 1924 the Belmont Methodist Church became the troop's sponsoring institution. The troop is a unit within the Boston Minuteman Council, District #2, of the Boy Scouts of America.
The troop is administered by a Troop Committee, adults including scout parents, church members, and others who have an interest in supporting Scouting and are willing to commit a portion of their time and energy. The present committee includes several parents who continue to be active in the troop, even though their sons have grown and moved on to other endeavors. Some members have been involved with the troop for as long as 40 years.
A strong camping program has been central to Troop 304 for many years. A weekend trip is planned for every month during the school year. Since 1957 the troop has had exclusive access to a 40+ acre parcel of wooded land on Federal Hill in Milford, NH. The site, called Camp Dalton, includes many fine campsites and has become the home base of the troop's active camping program.
SPONSORSHIP
The troop is sponsored by the Belmont United Methodist Church, and the troop meets in the gymnasium of the church. The church is located at 421 Common Street. Scouting is nondenominational, and all boys are welcome.
MEETINGS
Meetings are held on Tuesday nights with a pre-meeting activity at 7:30 PM followed by the regular troop meeting from 7:45 PM to 9:00 PM. There will be no meeting if there is no public school that day. Every other Tuesday meeting will be allocated to patrol meetings. This allows the patrols to work on specific skills or tasks that the scouts are working on. For example, one patrol meeting might be used to plan and prepare for an upcoming hike that requires the use of a compass and map.