At our annual Troop 985 Taco Night, we did a lot of things. In order to actually get people to know about it, we sold orange tickets to people telling them about this event and we prepared by planning our area and setting up.
On the day it started, our scouts worked tirelessly to bring out tables and chairs, cook the food, and serve the guests. 

We served:

• Carne Asada (for the tacos)
• Chicken (for the tacos)
• An assortment of vegetables
• Deserts 
• Drinks
• Nachos

After all of that, we held a raffle with items that were given to us by our local  JC Penny's (thank you) and we had to clean up the tables and everything after everybody left. There were three groups; the "setting up group", the "cooking/serving group", and the "cleanup crew".

A picture taken from the raffle

On April 11-13, Troop 985 participated in the Pio Pico District Camporee. We headed out Friday night to get our campsite set up and prepared for a busy weekend of competition. Saturday morning kicked off with the opening ceremony and the flag ceremony. We spent a lot of time preparing for our campsite inspection and used our pioneering skills to lash together a  gateway for our entrance. The day was packed with numerous games that tested our scout skills, teamwork, and leadership. We also competed in the Dutch oven cooking contest and Flag Design Contest. 

At the awards ceremony, Troop 985 swept the board. Here is how we finished:

• 1st Place: Campsite Inspection
• 1st Place: Gateway Competition
• Top 3 Finish: Numerous patrol games
• The Coveted "Shovel": Best Overall Troop in the Pio Pico District

​We are super proud of all the scouts who worked together to bring the shovel home. It was a great weekend of scouting spirit and hard work!
Those who participated include scouts Benjamin, Vincent, Kenneth, Zachary, Alston, Mateo, Xoaquin, Coan, Camden, Micah, Zane, Daniel, Zaiden, Jacob, Jackson H and Jackson R. Adult leaders accompanying them were Mr. Denham, Mr. Yue, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Allinson, Mr. Sanford, and Mr. Warren

Scouts:
Steven, Jackson H, Benjamin, Dempsey, Ryan, Coan, Joaquin, Jackon R, Mateo, Ethan, Reese

Written By Troop 985 Webmaster Kenneth Yue

At our trip to Calico Ghost Town, we had many different adventures. First of all, the main attraction wasn't the ghost town, but it was our trip to a nearby mine. Unfortunately for us, the mine was actually quite dangerous with dim lights and slippery sand over the floor. However, it was still really cool with most of us enjoying it. Then, we had a rocket launch. Not real rockets, fake ones we made. We put them onto the launch pads and the flew so far, we couldn't even retrieve some. Finally, we got the chance to free-roam around the ghost town which was now pretty popular and had a couple stores around. In summary, the place was really cool and fun.

Our troop pumpkin patch was a long event that lasted almost all of October.
On our pumpkin patch unpacking day, a large truck full of 600 pumpkins rolled in. We set up our gateway, booths, and lights, and we had to unpack most of the pumpkins to our patch. The day after, we had a large festival where we made a good amount of sales and gave out food. Over the next couple of days we sold a couple of pumpkins and had shifts between our hard-working scouts to take care of the patch and help people who wanted to buy a pumpkin. We had small weird looking pumpkins to ginormous normal pumpkins. All of our pumpkins were generously donated by the Navajo Nation.

The Troop was founded in 1954 at the East Whittier United Methodist Church. There were not very many scoutmasters in the troop two of which were Mr. Fretz and Tod Mead. They started this troop because the community needed one because of the tensions between wars. Even though the wars had ended, they decided to build a church for the community to regroup. Along with the church, they decided to start scouting for the people who needed it. Back then, the Troop was scout led. Now, it has still stayed the same. The way the Troop does things like the patrol method. The Troop also does interviews so that scouts can get ready for real life job interviews. It also teach scouts to be confident. Scouting also teaches us to troubleshoot and to multi-task.
Written by Zaiden T. 

Conquering Mount San Jacinto
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Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness is a stunning 14,000-acre playground of natural beauty, offering jaw-dropping vistas and trails for everyone from beginner hikers to seasoned climbers. With over 50 miles of trails, visitors can take a leisurely stroll through pine-scented forests or push themselves on challenging ascents to some seriously epic viewpoints.

Recently, Troop 985 embarked on an unforgettable backpacking trip to Mount San Jacinto. The adventure began with a thrilling ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which whisked them up to the top of the mountain. From there, the scouts backpacked around 2.5 miles to the Monkey Flower campground and set up camp.
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After settling in, a small group of scouts took on the challenge of hiking up to Wellman Divide at an elevation of 9,692 feet. This demanding hike rewarded them with incredible views and the opportunity to explore the area’s diverse wildlife and unique ecosystems.

Three scouts stepped up as camp chefs, each in charge of cooking for their respective groups. They made dinner on the trail, proving that camp food can be both tasty and fun—yes, even if it included boiling spam!
Whether you’re camping high up in the mountains or riding the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Mount San Jacinto offers something for everyone. It’s a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and the perfect spot for scouts to have an adventure.

Special thanks go to Mrs. Dorner for organizing this backpacking trip. Mrs. Dorner and Mr. Marucci, our High Adventure Trained (HAT) leaders, are specially trained to ensure that our scouts can safely embark on such incredible adventures.

Those who made the trip included scouts: Alston, Benjamin, Brent, Daniel, Jack, Nathan, Skyler, Vincent, and Zaiden. Adult leaders accompanying them were Mrs. Dorner, Mr. Marruci, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Denham, and Mr. Yue.