Boy Scout Troop 61 of Adamstown will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 5 p.m. at the Adamstown Picnic Grove Pavilion.
The celebration will include a picnic dinner, court of honor, and slideshow. All past Boy Scouts and leaders are invited to attend this event celebrating the troop’s long history.
In the fall of 1941, leaders from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Adamstown formed and chartered Troop 61 of the Boy Scouts of America.
Leadership was provided by Paul Grebinger, Scoutmaster, and Paul Herb, committee chairman. Other troop committee members were the Rev. Paul Wertman, Wilbur Glass, Charles Binkley, Lester Woods, and Norman Fritz.
The first troop meetings were held in the Sunday School Room at St. Paul’s. Later, the troop moved to the church basement but this was unsatisfactory because of the low ceiling. The troop moved to a maintenance shed that stood where the town reservoir currently stands. This location was also unsatisfactory due to a lack of heat in winter.
Even with all these inconveniences, the troop kept going.
From the utility shed the troop moved to the old firehouse to St. Paul’s Parish Hall to the heated Scout Cabin in Adamstown Grove. If the walls of these buildings could talk, they would relate a lot of good times at troop meetings and activities.
At the time the troop formed, the following boys were members: Marvin Kring, Harry Becker, Arthur Gehman, John Gerhart, James Witwer, Eugene Ulrich, Lester Hornberger, John Turner, Charles Lesher, Eugene Kochel, Herbert Reinhold, Jack Krick, Samuel Woods Jr., and Edwin Schweitzer.
Photo courtesy Adamstown Boy Scout Troop 61
Members of the Troop 61 enjoyed their time at Camp Sinoquipe this summer. Pictured (from left) are Mike Flucke, committee member; Michael Flucke; Andrew Caffrey; Colin Hinkley; Robert Gehman; Brant Meckley; Aidan Carr; Austin Wieder; Dalton Schoener; Ben Hinkley; and Bob Hinkley, scoutmaster.
Currently, the troop meets Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at the Scout Cabin and goes camping one weekend a month. Favorite camping trips include summer camp, canoeing on the Juniata River, the Klondike Derby at Camp Mack, and hiking to Shikellemy Dam on the Appalachian Trail.
Presently, Troop 61 consists of 15 scouts and 10 registered adults.
For more information about the troop and/or the celebration, email adamstowntroop61@gmail.com or visit the Troop 61 Facebook page.
The post Adamstown Troop 61 to celebrate 75th anniversary appeared first on Ephrata Review.