Santa Clara, California
Join Troop 394
Any Tuesday, 7:00 PM. No forms, no uniform, no commitment, walk in and watch a meeting.
How to join
Five steps, and the first two cost nothing.
- 1
Come to a meeting
Any Tuesday, 7:00 PM, at Sunnyvale Elks Lodge #2128. Wear whatever you own, no uniform needed for a visit.
- 2
Go on a campout
Come along on the next one as a guest. This is the real test of whether Scouting fits your family.
- 3
Fill out the application
The Scouts BSA youth application plus Health Record Parts A & B. We will walk you through it.
- 4
Get a Scout Handbook
The one thing to buy on day one. Ask about the Uniform Bank before you buy anything else.
- 5
Join a patrol
New Scouts form their own patrol with an assistant Scoutmaster assigned to them and a Troop Guide for the first year.
When and where we meet
- Every Tuesday during the school year7:00 PM
- Sunnyvale Elks Lodge #2128375 N. Pastoria Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085
- Tell us you’re comingtroop394sc@gmail.com
- Or just turn upAny Tuesday, 7:00 PM. No forms, no uniform, no commitment.
Who can join
Scouts BSA is for youth who have completed the fifth grade, or are 11 years old, or have earned the Arrow of Light , through age 17.
Younger children join a Cub Scout pack instead. If your child is in kindergarten through fifth grade, tell us and we will connect you with a pack in Santa Clara.
Youth over 18 who want to stay involved can register as an adult leader, or join a Venturing crew (co-ed, ages 14–20).
What it costs
$109per year
That covers national and council registration. Campouts are paid per trip and summer camp is billed by the camp. If cost is a problem, tell the Scoutmaster.
Our linked troop
Troop 2394
Troop 394 is linked to girl Troop 2394, which meets at the same place on the same day. Scouts BSA troops are single-gender, so the two run as one linked program, same night, same place, same campouts, which is why we brand ourselves Troop 394.
Younger than fifth grade?
Cub Scout packs nearby
Webelos from packs around Santa Clara bridge into the troop every spring. In 2026 the troop helped run bridging ceremonies for Pack 32 and Pack 328, and the December Elks Lodge overnight is open to Arrow of Light dens who want to see the troop first.
For parents
We need you too
Scouting is not a drop-off activity. The Scouts plan and run the programme themselves, which is the whole point, but none of it happens without adults behind them: drivers to a trailhead, a second adult on every outing, someone to count the money, someone to keep the trailer stocked.
So we ask for one thing when a family joins, and we ask it plainly: every Scout comes with one parent who volunteers. Not every week, and not on a committee unless you want to be. One job you can actually do, in a year that has room for it.
Parents who take a turn tend to say the same thing afterwards: they got to see their own child somewhere the child was in charge, which is not something you get many chances at.
What that can look like
Pick one. Any one of these covers it for the year.
- Drive to one outing and stay the weekend
- Be the second adult on a campout, so it can go ahead at all
- Cook or shop for one weekend of food
- Run one merit badge in the thing you already do for a living
- Help at the pancake breakfast, the troop's own fundraiser
- Keep the calendar, the roster, or the trailer in order
Every adult who works with Scouts takes free Youth Protection Training first, and no adult is ever alone with a Scout who is not their own. That is the rule, and it is not negotiable.
Questions every new family asks
If yours is not here, email us. We would rather answer it than have you guess.
Can we visit before joining?
Yes, and we prefer it. Come to any Tuesday meeting at 7:00 PM. No forms, no commitment, just show up and watch a meeting run.
Who can join Troop 394?
Youth in grades 5 through 12. Webelos crossing over at age 10½ or older join the New Scout patrol; older youth or those with previous Scouting experience are placed in a patrol with others of similar age and skill.
What about girls?
Troop 394 is linked to girl Troop 2394, which meets at the same place on the same day. Talk to us and we will introduce you to the right troop for your Scout.
How much time does this take?
A Tuesday evening each week during the school year, most Tuesdays in summer, plus an outing each month and a week at summer camp.
What does it cost?
Scouting America lists $109 for a youth to join Troop 394. That covers national and council registration. Campouts are paid per trip and summer camp is billed by the camp. If cost is a problem, tell the Scoutmaster.
Do parents have to volunteer?
Scouting is a family activity and the troop actively encourages parents to be involved. The committee meets the first Tuesday of each month and always needs drivers, merit badge counselors, and committee help. Training is free and online.
What gear do we need on day one?
A Scout Handbook. That is genuinely it, the troop's Uniform Bank can help with the uniform, and you can borrow a pack and sleeping bag for the first couple of campouts before spending money.
Is my Scout safe?
Our chartered organization background-checks and approves every adult leader before they serve. All registered adults complete Youth Protection Training, we run two-deep leadership on every activity, and a current health form is on file for every participant.
The next meeting is this week
Every Tuesday during the school year, 7:00 PM, at Sunnyvale Elks Lodge #2128. Come as you are.