A while back I was looking at some posting on the Southport High School alumni page on Facebook. I was surprised when I read a posting by Melissa Newport Johnson, who explained that her father, Mike Newport, was a 1964 graduate of Southport and a member of Troop 96. She said the troop was going to celebrate its 80th anniversary.
A couple of weeks ago I visited a meeting of Boy Scout Troop 96 at Edgewood United Methodist Church on Epler Avenue.
I was surprised that my old troop was still in existence. I was also surprised to learn that its meeting place hadn’t changed since my days there. Some former members and I met a week or so later at Flapjacks to make a plan. We’d like to help celebrate the 80th birthday of the troop and help build up its membership.
During my years in the troop we had 40 to 50 members. Now, membership is down to single digits, but I was impressed with the current members. Two are Eagle Scouts, and a couple are only a few requirements away from achieving the Eagle rank, the highest attainable honor in Scouting.
I have been in contact with several of the guys who were members of the troop with me. Some of them have pictures, handbooks and other mementos from our time in the organization.
I spoke with some folks at the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, and they directed me to their historian, Michael Stalcup. We have chatted on the phone, and I have learned a lot from him. He also has pictures of Camp Kiwanis and maybe other things. He told me that his troop has celebrated reunions like we are planning and how much fun they had. I invited him to be a part of our planning and celebration.
We are in the process of locating past troop members. Should you be a former member or know of any, email BoyScoutTroup96@Yahoo.com.
This is going to be fun.
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
A couple of weeks ago I visited a meeting of Boy Scout Troop 96 at Edgewood United Methodist Church on Epler Avenue.
I was surprised that my old troop was still in existence. I was also surprised to learn that its meeting place hadn’t changed since my days there. Some former members and I met a week or so later at Flapjacks to make a plan. We’d like to help celebrate the 80th birthday of the troop and help build up its membership.
During my years in the troop we had 40 to 50 members. Now, membership is down to single digits, but I was impressed with the current members. Two are Eagle Scouts, and a couple are only a few requirements away from achieving the Eagle rank, the highest attainable honor in Scouting.
I have been in contact with several of the guys who were members of the troop with me. Some of them have pictures, handbooks and other mementos from our time in the organization.
I spoke with some folks at the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, and they directed me to their historian, Michael Stalcup. We have chatted on the phone, and I have learned a lot from him. He also has pictures of Camp Kiwanis and maybe other things. He told me that his troop has celebrated reunions like we are planning and how much fun they had. I invited him to be a part of our planning and celebration.
We are in the process of locating past troop members. Should you be a former member or know of any, email BoyScoutTroup96@Yahoo.com.
This is going to be fun.
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
RSS Feed