
The Saddleback District is here to welcome you and your family with open arms. The Saddleback District is founded on the principle of Communities And Mentors Embracing Lifelong Scouting. AKA, Saddleback Camels. Whether your scout is 5 years old and just beginning their journey, or 20 years old and shaping their career path, we are here to support and guide you every step of the way.
Click below to read about best practices and success stories from some of our leaders.


You’ve been in scouting since 2005, girl scouts, cub scouts, boy scouts, multiple leadership positions, and your kids have all aged out… What drives you to continue your commitment to Scouting? I love the program and the kids. There are so many ways that scouting can make a difference to our youth. Being part of that is fulfilling and something that I want to keep doing.
If you had to say one thing to scouting parents, what would it be? Become active with your scout’s unit. Even if the idea of being outdoors or camping doesn’t appeal to you, there are a multitude of other roles on the committee that are just as necessary. In fact, the scout leaders can’t really execute the program without the committee members who provide the “back office” support.
Can you elaborate? For the Scout Leader to lead an overnight campout, for example, there needs to be a campsite reservation in place (usually far in advance), the funding mechanism to pay for that campsite and all its expenses (usually managed via a website, etc.), communications, transportation, paperwork regarding medical forms… you get the picture. For the Scout Leaders to focus on on-site leadership and to deliver the program to the scouts, these other logistics are handled by the committee – and are just as important.
Since you’ve been a parent of two scouts transitioning from Cubs to Scouts BSA, what have you learned that you can share with others? Knowing that packs and troops operate differently, it’s important that we, as Scouters, brief new parents and scouts entering a troop about those differences at the beginning, while also realizing that it can seem like drinking from a fire hose for them. So, setting expectations, but not overwhelming them all at once with acronyms and assumptions that they understand what’s going on and how the troop operates. It should be a welcome experience and not a surprise party. With that said, though, it’s an on-going education during the scout’s time in the troop.
My son and I were members of your troop many years ago. And many of your leaders are still there. How do you keep the team and parents together? We try to make sure that above all, scouting is fun. And not just for the scouts but for the leaders and parents too. You have to find ways to keep both groups engaged. To that end, we typically plan a few events each year that are “family” activities, like beach days, service projects and holiday potlucks. When parents know each other (and the leaders), it’s a more family-friendly environment, rather than just a drop-off activity for their scouts.
It seems like Scouting is constantly changing. What do you do to stay current? Scouts BSA and our own Orange County Council have so many resources to keep current. In addition to reading the regular email newsletters, I attend the monthly roundtable meetings, and I also participate in various scout training programs, including the High Adventure Team (HAT), which is one of my favorites.
What does 2025 look like for you? Well, I still plan to be involved with my unit, and hopefully continue as a Unit Commissioner, where I’m responsible for three units. But I’m also taking on new roles at the district level that will tap into my past scouting experience and reach a broader audience. As long as I keep having fun in scouting and feel like I can make a difference, I plan to continue volunteering.