Boy Scouts in Helena have been selling Christmas trees for more than 40 years, but this year the tree lot is at a new location in town.

The young men and their parents manning the Boy Scouts America Prickly Pear tree lot say the holiday weekend was a busy time for tree sales at their new location on North Montana. For many years previously they’d set up shop at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds.

Tony Etherington, scout master for Troop 218, and says the tree lot moved because with all the changes at the fairgrounds, there was no longer an appropriate space available.

“I think (the new location) will be better businesswise because of the high traffic on North Montana,” Etherington said. “This is a nice place; we are glad to have it and I think it will work out really well.”

Four Boy Scout troops cut about 500 trees locally, but there are also 450 farm trees for sale at the lot too, along with wreaths and stands.

Boy Scouts not only cut the trees, but they set up the tree lot, work at the lot and when it’s all said and done, they clean it all up. The sales help cover costs for scouts to attend camps.

Carla Trewett and her son, Zack, 17, worked the lot on Black Friday.

“We were really busy,” Carla said. “People were done shopping and decided that was a good time to get their tree up.”

Zack is in Troop 218 and has attended campouts through Boy Scouts for the past six years. Carla said because of the money raised at the tree lot, she’s never had to pay for camp Zack attends every year.

This is the sixth year Zack has cut trees and worked on the lot, and he looks forward to it.

“It’s hard work, but worth it,” he said.

Carla said Boy Scouts has provided opportunities for her son to mature.

“He has grown tremendously — emotionally and socially (because of Boy Scouts),” she said. “He gets to just do guy stuff with boys his own age.”

Scott and Tory Soltis worked the lot on Sunday.

Scott was in Boy Scouts growing up, became an Eagle Scout, and is glad all three of his children participate because they get to spend time in Montana’s wilderness.

“In Montana (the outdoors) is a real integral part of living here,” he said.

Scott said the people in the Prickly Pear District have provided great opportunities for the young boys of this community.

“My hat’s off to all those folks,” he said.

Tory Soltis, a sixth-grader at East Valley Middle School, helped customers identify types of trees. He walked around with a measuring stick since trees are sold by height.

“Nobles are the most expensive; they have the shorter needles and the Scotch pines have longer needles” he said.

Tory prefers the nobles.

“They are fuller than the other trees and tend to be bigger,” he said.

Tory and Scott don’t have their family’s artificial tree yet, because their energy is focused on getting the outside lights up first.

Sally Caputo brought $40 to the tree lot on Sunday, which wasn’t quite enough for the Nobles she was eyeing.

Caputo, who lives on 20-acres near Black Sandy, says she remembers when she could get a $5 grand fir from the Boy Scouts, but recognizes that that’s all changed.

For many years Caputo has settled for a partial tree that was thinned from her property. That has its advantages since they can be put right up against the wall not to take up too much room. But this year, she was ready for a whole tree.

“These trees are farmed and created for this,” she said.

Caputo left without a tree for her home, but says she’ll return next weekend with a little more cash and it will be a fun way to spend her birthday.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com