Nothing beats a chill in the air, holiday music playing and coming home to a house that smells like fresh pine trees! It is not too soon to start thinking about finding that perfect tree to turn your place into a winter wonderland. Arizona families can visit The Boy Scout Troop 41’s tree lot located at the northeast corner of 11th Street and Northern Avenue to find beautiful, Oregon-grown Noble and Douglas trees.
Dozens of scouts ages 11 to 17 have been preparing to help their community get ready to enjoy the holidays. The Boy Scout Troop 41 has been hosting this Annual Christmas Tree Farm for over 72 years. It has become a wonderful tradition for scouts, their families, and the community.
“This is one of the longest traditions we have in Troop 41,” said scoutmaster, Brian Cook. “Year after year we have the pleasure of bringing the holiday spirit to the valley. It is such a joy to watch the scouts put in the hard work to take care of the trees and help the families who visit the tree farm.”
The scouts started preparing for this event in October by cleaning and clearing the lot to set up trees. The tree farm will open on November 26 and the scouts will be running the lot from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The lot will be open until Sunday, Dec. 18 but scouts recommended you come early to get your tree this year since they are in high demand.
“The tree lot is so much more than just a fundraiser to support summer travel for scouts, it is also a FRIEND-raiser for scouting everywhere. Our boy scouts, their families and scout leaders make great connections with the community and that is priceless,” added Cook.
Like most scouting activities, the tree farm project helps the scouts learn the 12 principles of scout law while serving the community and becoming young leaders. During the tree farm, scouts tend to the trees, learn money management skills and practice their customer service.
“This is one of my favorite activities we do every year,” said Life Scout Jack Wahl. “We appreciate all the help from those who purchase our trees. We work hard to make sure they are good trees to take home and the money we raise will help us all year long.”
The money earned at the tree farm will go to support Troop 41, fund their yearly adventures, camping trips and help get supplies needed to continue their activities.
To learn more about Boy Scout Troop 41, visit their Facebook page BSATroop41AZ or email Scoutmaster Brian Cook at [email protected].
For any boys and girls interested in participating in activities just like this one, join the Boy Scouts of America Grand Canyon Council. To learn more about the Boy Scouts of America Grand Canyon Council visit grandcanyonbsa.org or call (602) 955-7747.
