Welcome to Troop 162

We're Boy Scout Troop 162 in Northwest Austin, part of the Capitol Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America — a boy-led troop with a long Eagle tradition: 136 Eagle Scouts since 1989, and about eight a year over the last decade.

We meet every Monday at 7:00 PM, outdoors under the pavilion of the Annex building at Unity Church of the Hills on Anderson Mill Road, our chartered partner. The church's nearly 15 partly wooded acres let us camp, run orienteering and build pioneering projects right on site.

Our scouts — over 40 of them, ages 11 to 17 — really run the troop. The Patrol Leaders' Council plans the program, older scouts guide the new ones, and a deep bench of adult volunteers handles the logistics so the boys can lead. We camp almost every month — from shooting at Lost Pines to beach camping at Mustang Island — go to summer camp each June, and send crews to the BSA high-adventure bases: Philmont, Sea Base and Northern Tier. Each November, TurkeyFest brings families, Cub Scouts and alumni back together.

Most of our scouts attend Canyon Vista Middle School or Westwood High School, but that's not a prerequisite — we're a diverse troop and welcome any boy interested in Scouting. Come by most Mondays at 7:00 PM to visit and see if Scouting is right for you.

Rank Advancement Goal
A good and achievable goal is for each new Scout is to achieve the rank of First Class in his first 18-24 months in Boy Scouts. However, there is NO set pace for rank advancement, and we encourage scouts to work at a pace that they set for themselves, with minimal (or preferably no) parental "pushing."

Adults
We encourage all the adults to become either an ASM (Assistant Scoutmaster) or a TCM (Troop Committee Member). Both ASMs and TCMs serve as Merit Badge Counselors for any of the 120+ Merit Badges in BSA.

• ASMs help out with the Scout program and rank advancement - focusing on helping the scout patrols utilize the Patrol Method, support troop meetings, and troop campouts. 
• TCMs help to ensure that our boy-led troop can execute the logistics required for the planned activities. The TCM members also serve on Boards of Review, go on campouts, and attend Troop Committee Meetings.  

Dues/Fees
Annual T162 fees for 2026 are currently set at $100 (Lowed Oct 2024), in addition to the $85 (2026) BSA National youth membership fee. The Troop fee subsidizes the costs of outings, family events, awards, financial aid, and equipment maintenance. The direct costs of campouts and treks (transportation, food, campsite fees, activity fees, etc.) are typically paid for by the participating scouts.

The History Of Troop 162
Troop 162 was originally chartered at the Hallmark Baptist Church in 1987 with a fraction of the scouts we have now. Troop 162 had its first eagle scout in 1987 and for the next couple decades, our troop would steadily grow and refine nearly all of the traditions we know today (Monday meetings, Monthly campouts, Annual Canoe outings, etc.). Since 2014 we have been chartered by Unity Church of the Hills. Unity Church has been a gracious and supportive host, permitting us to meet outside, remain centrally located to the area, and supported our active and diverse program. By 2021, Troop 162 had grown to nearly 70 scouts, a size which we maintain to this day. Troop 162 has had the honor of helping over 136 scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, visited all four of the BSA National High Adventure Bases, attended National and World Jamborees, performed thousands of hours of community service, and provided a nurturing atmosphere for many young men.