Original Article from The Alliance Review
Posted Jan 30, 2008 at 12:09 AM
Scout Oath:On my honor I will do my bestTo do my duty to God and my countryand to obey the Scout Law;To help other people at all times;To keep myself physically strong,mentally awake, and morally straight.
Boy Scout Troop 38 of East Sparta has been around for 70 of the 98 years The Boy Scouts of America has been teaching boys the importance of serving God and country. On Feb. 10 the troop, which continues to have a strong membership, will celebrate 70 years of Scouting in the small town of East Sparta. As members of the Boy Scouts Buckeye Council, Troop 38 is one of only 20 troops out of the 345 to be chartered for more then 70 years.In May of 1937, Troop 38 was chartered by the East Sparta United Methodist Church, where meetings continue to be held. Louis Rice, who still has family living in the area, was the first Scout master. He served from 1937 to 1942.During the 1930s, the Cub Scout program was also formally launched in the nation. There were 5,102 Cub Scouts in the United States at the end of 1930. Also during that time period Boy Scouts responded to a radio address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and collected 1,812,284 items of clothing, household furnishings, foods and supplies for the distressed and needy.
In addition, during the 1930s, the five millionth copy of the Boy Scout Handbook was published and the first national Jamboree was held in Washington from June 30 to July 9 at the invitation of President Roosevelt. The Jamboree drew 27,232 Scouts. Roy Butler took over the reigns of Scout master after Rice. Butler also is remembered for being one of the volunteers who helped put in the swimming pool at the now-closed Camp Tuscazoar.Clarence Bakley, who led the first East Sparta Philmont trip, was the next leader of the Scout Troop. Philmont Scout Ranch is a high-adventure camp that challenges Scouts with more than 200 square miles of rugged New Mexico wilderness. Backpacking treks, horseback cavalcades and training and service programs offer young people many ways to experience this country. The camp opened in 1938. Vic Yoho was the fourth Scout leader in the area. Under his leadership, Scout Troop 38 had its first member earn an Eagle Scout Award, the highest honor for a Boy Scout. Nelson Keeney earned that honor in 1958. Since that time, 36 more Eagle Scouts Awards have been earned by troop members. And -- as is the case with many Eagle Scouts -- Keeney has gone on to lead a successful life. He graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania with a degree in chemistry and then received his doctorate in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University. He has been employed the past 40 years by the Dow Chemical Company, working in agricultural sciences. Other Scout leaders for Troop 38 include, in the order they served, William Stokes, Don Hartzel, Bill Reynolds, Carl (Bud) Fry, John Richards, Jan Yoho, Lester Reynolds, Jan Yoho, Joe Seavers, Ernie VanFossen, Glen Mulvaney, Gene Warber, Dan Fetters, Bob Lahmers, Dan Fetters and the current leader, Michael Medley. Other Eagle Scout honorees were Scot Bowman, 1969; Rex Broad, 1969; Dean Reynolds, 1970; Ronald Brown, 1971; David Fry, 1971; Daniel Fry, 1972; Kevin Ferrell, 1974; Dwight (Ike) Kuhns, 1974; Todd Bowman, 1976; Jeffrey Brothers, 1976; William Farber Jr., 1979; Robert Lung, 1980; Douglas Yoho, 1982; Timothy Hert, 1983; Larry Moore, 1984; Russell Williams, 1985; Kevin Williams, 1987; Daniel Selby, 1988; Kevin Faverty, 1989; Michael Mulvaney, 1989; Stephen Faverty, 1996; Doug Prosperi, 1997; Michael Medley, 1998; Brian Lux II, 1998; Robert Lahmers Jr., 1998; Alan Brooks, 1999; Scott Weaver, 2000; Brandon Muir, 2004; Ryan Geltmeir, 2005; Lucas Grossman, 2005; Brian Prosperi, 2006; Bill Wilson, 2006; and John Coates, 2007.
Throughout the years, Scouting has often been a family heritage in the area. Vic Yoho’s two sons have been Scouts and leaders, and he now has a grandson, Dylan Bee, and a great-grandson, Jared Reichard, who are Scouts. The Stelluto Family has also passed down the love of Scouting. Dan Stelluto was a Scout in the 1970. Now his two sons, Joey and Tanner, are members of the troop. Eagle Scout Ike Kuhns, who also was a member in the ’70s, has two sons, Nicholas and Benjamin, in the troop.
Senior Patrol Leader Jeff Humberson, 16, who has earned the Star rank, said he is the only Scout in his family. However, he appreciates the long history of Troop 38. “It is pretty good how it has been established for so long,” he said. “Most troops don’t last that long.“Medley, who has been the Scoutmaster since September 2002, said Boy Scouts is still the same organization it has been for almost 100 years. The organization is for boys and men, and it teaches moral values and outdoor skills. The meetings and activities are organized and run by the boys, with the leaders there for supervision. Troop 38, which has 31 registered members, has had a myriad of activities to keep them busy. Members have visited the USS Yorktown and Mary Island State Park at the St. Lawerence River. The troop has completed a 50-mile canoe/hike trip from Clinton to East Sparta. This year, members plan to attend Seven Ranges for summer camp in July, and they are going to the New River in West Virginia for a white-water rafting trip.Boy Scout Troop 38 meets every Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. in the basement of East Sparta United Methodist Church. In addition to the upcoming 70th anniversary program, other activities being planned by the troop are a ski trip from Feb. 15-17 and summer camps.