This weeks Weymouth News included an article highlighting our 100th anniversary celebrations. A copy is included below.
Troop 2 Weymouth marked the 100th anniversary of our first scout meeting over the weekend of April 16th-17th with a campout at Valley Pines, Norwell. Our scouts cooked recipes from the early days of scouting using traditional methods including Dutch ovens and roasting on an open fire, participated in a historical hike around the campground, viewing photos from the 1950’s through the present day, and played several scouting games that originated at the first scout camp at Brownsea Island.
On Monday, April 18th we met at the Weymouth Heights Club, and continued our observances with a cake and sparkling cider. At this meeting our scouts were presented with a commemorative neckerchief slide, which along with their new unit numeral patch, issued to each scout in January, further marks our anniversary recognition.
Troop 2 is celebrating 100 years of scouting in Weymouth in 2011. We got our start in 1911 at the East Weymouth Congregational Church, where there was a boys Sunday school class taught by Mr. Ernest A. Smith. This class was organized about 1908. The boys had such a good time that they formed their class into a social club and continued to meet. As time went on they felt more in need of a program of activity, and when the Rev. Walter H. Commons, pastor of the Congregational Church, East Weymouth, read the Boy Scout Handbook, edited by Gen. Baden Powell, it was decided that a scout organization would provide valuable training for these young men.
On January 22, 1911 they voted to organize their class as a Boy Scout troop and immediately applied for a charter. Reverend Commons asked Mr. Smith to assume the role of scoutmaster.
Original scouts of the troop at our founding wereJohn T. DizerJulian MerchantHarold GardnerAlton BlanchardDonald CanterburyVincent RobinsonHoward DierschElmer SampsonWilliam RixMerton RixRoderick EllsFrancis DennisonArthur RussoRalph ChaseHarold MorseRobert GayWilliam SavageReginald BatesParker BatesNorman Dizer
These boys were led by Ernest A. Smith, who served from April to June 1911, followed by Rev. Walter Commons from June 1911-Sept 1913. Rev. Commons is remembered as a very active outdoorsman, who led the troop on many five mile hikes on the road to Plymouth. He also led the boys on summer campouts in the Blue Hills and to Forty Acres in Weymouth. Mr. Smith continued to serve the Troop for many years, and is seen in numerous photos from the 1930’s and 1940’s enjoying summer camp and participating in our 35th anniversary observances.
Troop 2 was officially chartered and organized formally as a Troop on April 16, 1911, holding their first scout meeting on Saturday, April 22, and the first hike on May 20th.
To mark our anniversary our Troop will be celebrating for the entire year. So far we've done the following:
In January we announced the plans formally to the Troop, and distributed our new unit numeral patch to all Scouts. This observance recognizes the point in 1911 when we got our start. To commemorate Mr. Smith's contribution, and the continued contributions of those men who have volunteered to serve as Scoutmaster, we've created a banner with their names and dates of service, which hangs in the Weymouth Heights Club.
In February we began work as a group on the Scouting History Merit badge, which included learning about the history of Boy Scouting in America, as well as about the contributions of historical figures, common games and activities from the early years, and the history of our own Troop. Included in our badge work was interviewing of several adult leaders who had been involved in scouting as young men, and it was quite interesting to compare and contrast their experiences with the way scouting is done in the 21st century.
In March we finished up the Scouting History merit badge, and we've added many historical exhibits to the hall in the Weymouth Heights Club. At this time over 8000 photos from the troop's archives have been scanned, and can be viewed in the three electronic picture frames in the hall. We've also assembled photos of our scoutmasters, including Ernest Smith, Walter Briggs, Franklin Pratt, Ron Parry, Jim Hamilton, Charlie Clancy, and Jim Kelley. When possible we've included photos of the scoutmasters when they were young men in the troop as well. Many of the photos have been featured on the Troop BLOG at http://troop2weymouth.blogspot.com as well as part of the Our History feature.
In April we marked the anniversary of our chartering as detailed previously. In May we’ll mark the grave of Mr. Ernest A. Smith, which is located in the North Cemetery, during the Memorial Day flagging program, and in June we're planning observances for the 5 year anniversary of Scoutmaster Ron Parry's death. The 10 AM mass at Immaculate Conception Church, East Weymouth, will be offered in Ron's memory, and we'll have a short collation at the Parish Center following the mass. The drum and flag corps will proceed to Fairmont Cemetery to visit Ron's grave for a brief ceremony. We will also place a wreath on Mr. Pratt’s grave at that time which is nearby.
Finally, we are hosting a homecoming event with light refreshments, September 10th and 11th at the Immaculate Conception Parish Center. All alumni and friends of the Troop and the general public are invited to join us at this event, to catch up with old buddies, view pictures and memorabilia from 100 years of Scouting in Weymouth, reminisce about their time with Troop 2, and learn more about scouting
Please check our website at www.troop2weymouth.com and the Troop 2 BLOG at www.troop2weymouth.blogspot.com for further information, articles and information about our history, and photographs from our collection of over 10,000 images of our scouts in action over the past 100 years.
If you have any questions, memorabilia to share, photos, or suggestions send us an email message via the "Contact Us" link on the Troop website, or call the Weymouth Heights Club at 781-331-6006.
