Monthly Rewind
May, 2026
Words: Noah, Troop Historian
Photos: Troop 333
This is part four 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.
May began with our trip to Angel Island. While only one night, it was filled with memories and skills learned. We were able to tent in the exact same campsite as we did two years prior, and, while making dinner, we invented a new game to pass the time. There was also plenty of time spent helping our newer Scouts satisfy requirements for the Scout, Tenderfoot, and Second Class Ranks. We finished off the night with a quiet hike to the top of Mt. Livermore. The trip was particularly memorable due to the fact that we got there via a combination of foot and ferry. Overall, an excellent trip, and very productive for the Scouts in attendance
Angel Island
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.
New Moon Night Hike
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)!
Our Annual Flag Planting event to honor those who have fallen fighting for our country took place on Memorial Day. Along with other Scout troops and Adult volunteers, we planted 30,000 flags at Presidio National Cemetery to honor those who served our country. In true Scouting fashion, we worked reverently and efficiently as a team and were able to finish the flag planting in surprisingly good time. The sight of all of the flags perfectly lined up on the graves was impressive, and sobering.
This is an event that our troop has been participating in for many years, and we look forward to our participation in next year’s event. Perhaps we can show our leadership by conducting the flag ceremony before the event!
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. Now, if you made it this far, scroll back and click on the watermelon…