100 Years of Troop 37

During its 100-year run, Troop 37 has “delivered hundreds of thousands of service hours and community projects across the town,” said Eric Schmidt, the troop’s Outdoor Committee chairman. Those projects include helping with the Rotary Club of Los Altos’ Fine Art in the Park, the Festival of Lights Parade, the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival and the New Year’s Day Fun Run, along with restoration projects at Redwood Grove, Shoup Park and other locations throughout Los Altos. However, past committee chairman Rob Mihalko doesn’t consider this to be the troop’s biggest contribution.

“Troop 37 always scores in the top three in Scouting for Food,” he said of the troop’s drive to collect for Second Harvest Food Bank prior to Thanksgiving. “We collected over 2,000 pounds of food this past November.” Two former Troop 37 members have held civic-leader roles: former Los Altos Mayor Jarrett Fishpaw and the late U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston. When not spending time contributing to the community, Troop 37 Scouts can often be found building kayaks or taking them out on lakes throughout California – a tradition that began more than 35 years ago.

“Each first-year Scout spends about three to four weeks building the kayak in stages,” Scoutmaster Andrew Gray said. “A float test is held at Shoreline Park – none has ever failed.” Gurshaan Arora, Troop 37 Senior Patrol Leader and a sophomore at Los Altos High School, added: “Coming together on this project allows for a general sense of attachment with the kayak, from doing the tougher things like fitting planks together to smaller ones like picking the color of the exterior paint. In the end, this allowed for unanimous satisfaction with a job well done.” After completing their kayaks, the Scouts visit a lake or river in California for Kayak Camp during the summer. It’s a weeklong adventure that includes Scouts, leaders, parents and siblings. According to Hasenhuttl, the troop plans to visit Butte Lake at Lassen Volcanic National Park for this year’s camp. The Scouts pride themselves on being Good Samaritans.

“Once, when the boys were hiking in Los Banos, a grass fire broke out and the Scouts beat out the fire with wet towels,” said David Ellis, former Scoutmaster and current assistant Scoutmaster. “By the time the fire trucks rolled in, the fire was mostly under control.” It’s just one more example of how Troop 37 prepares Scouts for life ahead, according to Arora.

“Our troop doesn’t only help the community, but also helps our youth by providing them with amazing skills for their life,” he said. “Our work allows us to learn about issues in our community, as well as brainstorm and execute solutions for them.”