Troop & Crew 100 return to Ballard for their 68th annual tree lot

Troop 100 Seattle Ballard

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It’s Christmas tree time again for Scouts & Crew 100. The Scouts are excited for you to visit the Troop & Crew 100 Tree Lot again this year! We’ll be open the Saturday after Thanksgiving, located on 15th Ave NW between Town & Country Market and St. Alphonsus.  

Scouts & Crew 100 serving all youth

New this year, Troop 100 is part of a yearlong Scouting America pilot program where Scouts BSA Troops operate as a single troop for youth of any gender. People have been asking for another model for Scouts BSA troops. Combining our Boys Troop and Girls Troops into a single Troop serving youth of any gender is the obvious next step in the continuation of our efforts to better serve everyone interested in Scouting.

Tree Lot: A learning experience

The Tree Lot marks the time of year, where the Scout meetings turn into knot training and customer service training sessions. We want to create a really positive experience for customers coming to the Tree Lot, especially ensuring trees stay on the cars for the ride home!

The Scouts get to learn the difference between Charlie Brown, Fraser, Korean Fir, Natural Noble, Noble Fir, Nordmann, Norway Spruce, and Sheared Douglas trees, and sort wreaths and cut garland.

It’s the time of year, where Scouts focus on hard work and customer service. 

Scouts spend the day after Thanksgiving setting up the cash shack (historical name, even though there’s no cash in it, credit cards only), the wreath shack, the tree racks, the operating table (sorting, cutting, tagging trees), sweeping pine needles, setting up lighting, and getting ready for sales through December 15th. 

Each Scout signs up for 4 three-hour shifts over two weeks, learning what’s it’s like to work a real job, checking in, serving customers, and pitching in to do what needs to be done.

There are jobs for every Scout, from sweeping and stocking the lot, putting a fresh cut on trees, to tying knots, to helping twirl trees for customers!

Check out this video to see why Scouts like the Tree Lot and why you should visit!

Tree Lot traditions

 The Tree Lot also represents tradition.

Tradition for the Scouts, in how they learn customer service, knot tying, and hard work.

Tradition for the neighborhood, in years of coming to the lot and picking out their tree and supporting Scouting in Ballard. 

The Troop wants to thank: St. Alphonsus Parish for hosting the Tree Lot again this year, Penske Truck Rentals for their support, Ferguson Terminal for graciously storing our Tree Lot gear, Limback Lumber for donating materials to repair our Tree Lot shacks, and Ballard First Lutheran Church for hosting our Scout meetings and activities all year long.

  • Tradition for Scout alumni, in visiting the Tree Lot and one of their treasured memories, working the Lot during their time in Scouting 
  • Tradition for families. In our first Ballard home, we were close enough to the lot to pick out a tree and walk it home. I loved the feeling of walking a fresh tree, purchased from the Scouts, down the street. It was funny and festive. The Scouts would welcome us on the lot, help us pick out a tree, give it a twirl, give a fresh cut and we were ready to go. If we had driven, they’d tie it on our car. 

This tradition has continued for 67 years; this will be the 68th! We’re proud of this tradition and hope that you’ll join us this year, starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving!

We’ll be open Monday through Friday, 2-8pm and on the Weekend, 9am-8pm. Come pick out your TREE, GARLAND, and WREATH & support our All youth Scout Troop & Crew 100! Our Troop has been practicing their knot tying and customer service just for you!

Located in St. Alphonsus’s parking lot: 15th Ave NW & NW 57th St.

Open: Nov. 30- Dec. 15th, Mon-Fri: 2pm-8pm, Sat-Sun: 9am-8pm

Learn More: Troop100Seattle.com