BSA Troop 87, Baltimore

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TROOP 87!!!
Our Troop turned 110 years old on June 4th, having been founded on June 4th, 1914!
One of the oldest, existing applications for Troop 87 is from 1918, when Otto Rupp submitted a Scoutmaster's Application to the National Council, BSA.
Otto Rupp had been the Assistant Scoutmaster for three years with Troop 87, before being drafted into military service. Upon his return to civilian life, Mr. Rupp became the Scoutmaster of Troop 87.
BSA records show that the troop moved from Zion United Church of Christ in 1999 to St. Francis of Assisi Church, in North East Baltimore City.
Now, Troop 87 has merged with Troop 161 and meets at Church of the Messiah, just a little further up Harford Road.
Hope there are many years ahead for this great Troop!

Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

The Troop started 2024 with a winter camping session, joining Troop 161 at Camp Horseshoe, located on the Mason-Dixon line separating Pennsylvania and Maryland. There was scout-style cooking and eating, as well as night hikes and outdoor activities, with axes & hatchets. For down-time, the scouts turned to gaming favorites like Risk, chess and checkers. A great start to another year for Troop 87!

2nd-4th February 2024

Troop 87, along with members of Pack 159, celebrates the start of the holiday season with a trip to Hampden’s famous 34th Street, in all its festive lighting, for the last scout event of 2023.

(15 December 2023)

Congratulations to another Troop 87 scout earning the rank of Eagle Scout! The Troop has had a number of scouts earn this rank over the years, the last being in 2020, and we're proud of all their accomplishments!

(21 November 2023)

Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America

Troop 87 joined Troop 161 for a camping weekend at Broad Creek's Conowingo site. It was perfect weather for cabin camping, with time for hiking, cooking and games.

(17-19 November 2023)

Fall is off to a busy start for the Troop but they were able to fit in an overnight camping trip to a Troop 87 favorite, Camp Padden. It was perfect fall weather, and just a short walk to explore Loch Raven, where the Scouts worked on leaf & tree identification, plus a lot of rock skipping, tennis playing and requirements for the cooking MB. Hopefully, they'll make the egg & sausage breakfast sandwiches again because they were delicious!

(21-22 October 2023)

The Troop participated in an Eagle Scout project for one of their Scouts, whose project was to build birdhouses to shelter migratory and native birds along the Stony Run watershed & Friends School of Baltimore. The Troop spent several meetings measuring and assembling birdhouses, before the installation day on site.

(26 July, 2 August & 19 August, 2023)

Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

Troop 87's spring camping trip brought them to Susquehannock State Park, on the Pennsylvania side of the Susquehanna River, where they shared a campsite with Troop 161. The scouts accomplished many advancement requirements over the weekend, hiked and explored, and, as usual, rode out a rough and windy storm.
(21-23 April 2023)

Troop 87 held their Court of Awards ceremony to recognize the scouts' accomplishments, rank advancements and badges earned. It's always an important time for the scouts to acknowledge their hard work!
(14 June 2023)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TROOP 87!!!
Our Troop turned 109 years old on June 4th, having been founded on June 4th, 1914!

One of the oldest, existing applications for Troop 87 is from 1918, when Otto Rupp submitted a Scoutmaster's Application to the National Council, BSA.

Otto Rupp had been the Assistant Scoutmaster for three years with Troop 87, before being drafted into military service. Upon his return to civilian life, Mr. Rupp became the Scoutmaster of Troop 87.
BSA records show that the troop moved from Zion United Church of Christ in 1999 to St. Francis of Assisi Church, where it remains today.

Hope there are many years ahead for this great Troop!

Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America

Troop 87 started off the year with a winter camping trip, joining Troop 161 at Camp Rodney. The scouts accomplished many advancement requirements over the weekend, chopped a lot of wood to keep the fire going, and had a great full moon hike. All this during a Polar Vortex, bringing arctic winds and freezing temperatures that weekend!

(3-5 February 2023)

Troop 87 wrapped up the year with their annual community service, helping with the Christmas Baskets at St. Francis of Assisi Church, and adopting a family for the holidays. Siblings from Pack 159 also assisted the older boys in helping to make the holidays a little brighter for others.

Photos by David Bradley

(17 December 2022)
Chesapeake District - Baltimore Area Council - BSA

Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

November means it's Troop 87's Court of Awards ceremony! This event recognizes the scouts' accomplishments, rank advancements and badges earned. In addition, the Troop also formally welcomed our new scouts and introduced one of the scouts, who had recently turned 18, as our new junior ASM leader.

(9 November 2022)

Troop 87 kicked off their fall camping weekend at Fair Hill, Maryland, sharing a site with Troop 161. It was an opportunity to work on several badge requirements for advancement, as well as do some fishing and cooking. And a first for our Troop... enjoy some of the most perfect weather!

Photos by Sean Hines

(14-16 October 2022)

Scout Camp at Broadcreek! Troop 87 shared a campsite with Troops 161 and 151, with a total of 13 scouts living at Jamestown for the week. Troop 87 had 6 scouts at camp this year, earning a total of 22 merit badges and completing a number of advancement requirements. In addition, two of Troop 87's scouts, Michael Hyle and Sean Guilfoyle, were elected to the Order of the Arrow, scouting's honor society. Congratulations!

(10-16 July 2022)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TROOP 87!!!
Our Troop is 108 years old today, having been founded on June 4th, 1914!

One of the oldest, existing applications for Troop 87 is from 1918, when Otto Rupp submitted a Scoutmaster's Application to the National Council, BSA.

Otto Rupp had been the Assistant Scoutmaster for three years with Troop 87, before being drafted into military service. Upon his return to civilian life, Mr. Rupp became the Scoutmaster of Troop 87.
BSA records show that the troop moved from Zion United Church of Christ in 1999 to St. Francis of Assisi Church, where it remains today.

Hope there are many years ahead for this great Troop!

Boy Scouts of America
Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

During March, the Troop participates in the annual Scouting for Food drive, in the Mayfield neighborhood around St. Francis of Assisi School. Despite the challenging weather conditions of rain, sleet and snow, the scouts collected over 680lbs of food for the Church of the Messiah food pantry. It was a great show of community support, both for the scouts and our neighbors in need!

(5-12 March 2022)
Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

Troop 87 started off the year with an orienteering activity at Cromwell Valley Park that had the scouts using maps, a compass, GPS navigation and a bit of luck. The Orienteering Course is a loop with 10 control points, approximately 1.5 miles in length. It covers moderate terrain through varied meadow, forest and stream habitat, and includes several of the historical features of the Park.

(13 February 2022)

On a perfect Autumn weekend, the scouts headed to the National Antietam Battlefield site for a weekend of camping, hiking and learning more about this historic and bloodiest single-day battle of the Civil War.

(5-7 November 2021)

Troop 87 had the opportunity to recognize all the work and merit badges earned by the scouts this year, while also acknowledging the accomplishments of their recent Eagle Scout, John Guilfoyle, at their annual Court of Awards and Eagle Recognition Ceremony.

It was a really wonderful evening to celebrate these young men and their achievements. Plus, there was cake!

(8 September 2021)

If it’s the hottest week of the summer, it MUST be Scout Camp at Broadcreek!

The scouts of Troop 87 are working hard and having fun, as always. Despite the daily threat of storms and a dangerous daily heat index of 103, they are busy with days spent climbing, canoeing, learning first aid, chemistry and citizenship in the nation, as well as completing a first year campership.

(11-17 July 2021)

Congratulations to all the Eagle Scouts, especially our own John Guilfoyle, with Troop 87!

Last Friday, Archbishop Curley High School celebrated its 57th commencement at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. Among the 121 graduating seniors were 12 Eagle Scouts. The boys gathered with the school president, Father Donald Grzymmski, who is also an Eagle Scout. Congratulations Eagles!

As soon as the scouts had dried out from their camping trip at Assateague, they headed back to the water at Middle River for some boating activities during their weekly meeting time.

(12 May 2021)

The first camping trip of the year was at Assateague Island State Park. It was a full weekend of campfires, going on a night hike, kayaking and paddle boarding, and observing the wildlife, including some pony visitors. And it wouldn't be a Troop 87 camping trip without the requisite downpour of rain!

(23-25 April 2021)

For a more relaxed social activity, the scouts spent a Saturday afternoon hiking on a trail in Stony Run, followed by a trip to get ice cream from The Charmery, in Hampden.

(27 March 2021)

For a recent community service project, the scouts participated in the annual Scouting for Food drive, March 13th-20th, in the Mayfield neighborhood around St. Francis of Assisi School. They collected over 700lbs of food for the Church of the Messiah food pantry. It was a great show of community support, both for the scouts and our neighbors in need!

Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

Eagle Scout Project complete! Troop 87 scout, John Guilfoyle, completed his Eagle Scout project at Archbishop Curley High School, where he is currently a student. John and the scouts worked all day, planting decorative shrubs along the side of the friary. In addition to getting 13 plants into the ground, the scouts had to remove 360 square feet of sod, roll out w**d suppressing cloth and spread out 7 cubic yards of mulch. Nice work, everyone!

(24 October 2020)

It was a beautiful, fall day for Troop 87’s community service project in Heinz Park, in NE Baltimore. The scouts spent several hours doing clean up, planting trees, covering bare areas with sod and battling invasive vines on some of the trees.

(7 Nov. 2020)

Some of the scouts were able to get together and spend a weekend at the Gifford Pinchot campground, in Pennsylvania. It was a perfect fall weather opportunity to explore the water and woods!

(Oct. 9-11, 2020)

Troop 87 had their first pandemic summer camping weekend at a Troop favorite, Camp Padden. It was an opportunity for scouts to safely socialize, while also working on several merit badges for swimming, cooking and knot tying/lashing, as well as making s’mores and a night hike.

(July 17-19, 2020)