Boy Scouts of America Troop 59, “The Troop of Eagles,” present the Oak Harbor City Council with an oversized holiday wreath. - Jenny Manning/Whidbey News-Times
Jenny Manning/Whidbey News-Times
Boy Scouts of America Troop 59, “The Troop of Eagles,” present the Oak Harbor City Council with an oversized holiday wreath.

Buy a wreath, help a Boy Scout

By NATHAN WHALEN
Whidbey News Times Staff reporter
December 4, 2009 · 1:26 PM

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A group of kids are helping keep the holidays green and festive in a tradition that dates back half a century.

The Boy Scouts of Troop 59, the oldest and largest troop in Oak Harbor, are busy making and selling Christmas wreaths.

“We’ve done it every year for the past 50 years,” assistant Scoutmaster Brian Jones said Wednesday.

Several members of Troop 59 attended the Tuesday evening Coupeville Town Council meeting to present the city with a wreath in honor of 50 years of wreath making.

He said the troop has a goal of selling 400 wreaths, which would be double the amount Boy Scouts have sold in recent years.

Jones said troop membership has increased in recent years. In the past, there have been between 15 and 20 active scouts, however, there are about 30 scouts today. He attributed the increase to the troop’s visibility.

“I think we’re doing a better job marketing the program,” Jones said.

The wreath sale is the only fundraiser the scouts undertake and has to earn enough money for the troop to operate for a year. They also raise money for scholarships that help scouts from low-income families attend summer camp.

The wreaths will be sold until Dec. 12 and cost $20 or $25. For more information, or to place an order for a Boy Scout wreath, call 240-8303.

Contact Whidbey News Times Staff reporter Nathan Whalen at nwhalen@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5058.

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