Monthly Rewind
April, 2026
Words: Noah, Troop Historian
Photos: Troop 333
This is part three of our series: The Monthly Rewind. In it, I recap all that went on in the month—the events we had, the things we learned, the highlights of the month overall, and how we showed Scout Spirit.
The Scout slogan is “Do a good turn Daily.” We started off April doing just that. Good Turn weekend found our Scouts traveling to Camp Royaneh to help clean, repair, and setup before thousands of Scouts in other troops from all over the district arrive for summer camp.
We were one of just three troops that showed up to help. That’s what we do.
Skyler described the event as “enjoyable” and “very productive,” saying that “we were able to get a lot done for Royaneh during Good Turn weekend.” It was Oliver’s first time at Camp Royaneh and said the introduction made him “excited to attend Royaneh during the summer.”
Over the course of the weekend, Troop 333 cleaned the entire dining all (inside and out), cleared debris out of all the wash basins, set up canvas tents and platforms in various campsites, cleaned the pool and swept the pool deck, and helped dispose of about 250 gallons of sawdust from Pitt’s latest sculpture project!
Good Turn Weekend
Once a year, the Golden Gate District hosts a volunteer appreciation dinner to recognize the many adult volunteers it takes to make Scouting happen. It’s becoming somewhat of a tradition that Troop 333 volunteers to help setup and staff the event.
When it comes to service, it seems like the same Scouts in our troop keep showing up. I want to extend my personal thanks to Kevin, Jimmy, Carter, Ryan, Zachary, Leonardo, and Arhaan, as well as two of our newest Scouts, Oliver and Lev, who arrived nearly 5-hour shift to set up tables, plate food, and serve guests—then stayed late to clean and pack up the whole event! In the kitchen, Jonathan, Skyler, and Hayden worked hard as part of Crew 21 to prepare and cook food for 200+ guests. Kevin put the finishing touches on each plate, while Ryan, Zachary, and Carter made several hundred chocolate chip cookies.
District Recognition Dinner
Congratulations to two of our own leaders—Ms. Casbon who was recognized as Assistant Scoutmaster of the Year, and Mr. Simmons (Scoutmaster of the Year)!
The weekend following the District Recognition dinner featured a daunting task: removing a large, invasive lavender plant at our SF Recreation and Park service commitment. On Saturday, from 10 am to noon, we worked efficiently to trim, cur, saw, and dig out the roots of the enormous bush. We also disposed of a lot of garbage buried in the plant. We left the area clear so that native plants could be planted in place of invasive one. Mr. Simmons and I, as well as Mr. White, worked for nearly 20 minutes to pull out a single root. In the end, we were successful in doing so; the troop finished the task we were assigned early and we left a noticeably positive impact on that area of Lake Merced. Thanks to Oliver, Zachary, Justin, Andrew, Arhaan, Nick, and Finn — and Ms. Casbon, Ms. Houghton, Mr Sweet, Mr. White, and Mr. Simmons for showing up. Oh, and I was there too.
Lake Merced Service
The very next day we embarked on a day hike in Pacifica aimed at accomplishing two things: introducing prospective scouts to our outdoor program, and educating ourselves on the history of the European “discovery” of the San Francisco Bay.
We served hotdogs and watermelon at the trailhead and the watermelon would later become the second fruit-based Scoutmaster Minute metaphor this month.
While the 3-mile uphill climb was difficult at first, we easily completed the downhill return and were home in plenty of time left in our Sunday. The hike was beautiful in its sights and sounds, with green hills seen in the background and SFO airport and Highway 101 in front of us (what a contrast!).
Best of all, we got to meet three new prospective Scouts—Brian, Ethan, and Andrew—and all three decided to join the troop!
Portola Day Hike
Showing up is 50% of the job, and here’s what that means: in a month like April when we had fewer events than most months, there’s a great importance in being willing to show up for everything we can.
I found great satisfaction from participating in both the SF Rec & Parks service Saturday and the Pacifica Day Hike on Sunday, even though there was part of me that thought about only going to one (or maybe neither) of them. A lot of my enjoyment came from just being there.
There’s something to be said for just showing up where you need to be, then seeing what happens. I signed up for the Pacifica Day hike expecting a peaceful and moderate hike, but was also treated a beautiful view, with lots of time for personal reflection, interesting conversations, and a greater understanding of the historical significance of the view that I was seeing. I didn’t expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did, but I’m glad I went. All it took was showing up.
May will be slightly busier with events, and I hope we can all show up whenever possible. With finals and proms and sports, this is the time of year when that’s most difficult. However, whenever possible, there is a great virtue in simply showing up.