Happened in Crawford County: Scout Troop 40 memories - fire, D.C., handbills and workouts

Boy Scout buddies share a lifetime of memories. The charter for Bucyrus Troop 40 was presented to Scoutmaster Donald E. Scheerer on June 8, 1959. Bob Wells later became the key assistant Scoutmaster. It continued on until 1966 with a yearly average of about 40 members.

The group was sponsored by Woodlawn United Brethren Church. Jim Phillips organized the following guys for this story − Howard Naufzinger, Don J. Scheerer and Bob Laipply. Unable to attend were Tom Holtshouse, Roger Wells and Sam Stauffer.

Bob Laipply’s clearest memory concerned Jeff Wells, son of the assistant Scoutmaster, and a camp fire.

"The fire was in the center of a campsite filled with our brand-new tents. Jeff didn’t think the fire was hot enough and he squirted charcoal lighter fluid directly on the fire, then flung the hot can into dry leaves. It was almost a disaster," Laipply recalled.

The Mohican River was nearby and the Scouts formed a bucket brigade to extinguish the fire.

Fond memories of a trip to Washington, D.C.

Don Scheerer, son of the Scoutmaster, remembers a trip to Washington, D.C. Randy Rasnake drove the troop bus and stops were made at various sites, including Gettysburg. Congressman Jackson E. Betts arranged for the Scouts to stay at the Washington Naval Yard for $1 per night, which included breakfast.

They visited the Capitol Building and the office of Sen. Frank Lausche. They also saw George Washington’s home, changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery and all of the national monuments.

Jim Phillips remembers the God and Country part of the Scout oath and weekend camping trips. On several occasions while out of town on Sundays, 30 to 40 Scouts in uniform would attend small churches unannounced. They usually sat in the back. Laipply said they didn’t sing very well. The Scouts also respected their country and the flag.

Phillips said the troop didn’t realize at the time what their Scoutmasters did for them by giving up so much personal time. They were lucky to be in the troop led by Donald Scheerer and Bob Wells. They were both former WWII veterans and wanted to impact the lives of young boys.

Scheerer was a Marine in the South Pacific theater and Wells served in Greenland with the U.S. Army. Phillips said Scheerer was built like “Popeye the Sailor Man.” Bob Laipply thought Wells was about 8 feet tall. Other Scout troops might go on trips once a year, so they were amazed by all of Troop 40’s activities. It was an exceptional troop.

Fundraising by distributing handbills

Howard Naufzinger remembers the trip to D.C. and how money was raised. The troop was contracted by Cussins and Fearn to distribute advertising handbills. Bundles of “ads” were picked up by Scoutmaster Scheerer. Troop members gathered during the week to place rubber bands around the handbills.

Then, on Saturdays, Scoutmasters and parents drove Scouts around in Bucyrus, Galion, Upper Sandusky, Shelby, Willard, Norwalk and other locations. The Scouts walked door to door. More than one was bitten by a dog. Roger Wells commented about how well the troop ate on camp outs. That was because the Scoutmasters were great cooks and the handbill contract provided the funds.

Don Scheerer, Bud Ricker and Charlie Holtshouse were good at getting assistance and donations. When the advisers met at the Scheerer home and finished the business meeting, they played cards until wee hours of the morning. Don Jr.’s mom, “Sis” Scheerer, always wound-up playing cards with them. She was “mom” to some 60 Scouts over the years. The Scheerer’s boxer dog, “Jiggs,” was Troop 40’s mascot.

The Scouts hiked, ran, swam and were usually in great shape. Scoutmaster Scheerer learned about the Century Club patch − an award given for hiking at least 100 miles. He scheduled at least five sanctioned 20-plus mile hikes in one summer. Before each long hike, they "toughened up" by taking five-mile hikes on a couple of Saturdays.

Marching in parades, weekend campout, rafts and racing

Laipply recalls marching every year in the Memorial Day Parade in Marion − from downtown to President Harding’s Memorial. “It was a long march," he said.

One time, on a weekend campout, they even built log-and-rope rafts and raced them. The troop was divided into two groups. Each group gathered their downed logs and assembled the two rafts. Each team selected one guy to ride and propel their raft. The finish line was the old swinging bridge on the Mohican river. Team members ran along the riverside path and cheered on their “driver.” Troop 40 Scouts knew how to compete and were taught the values of teamwork.

Go online for more of Mary Fox’s stories and photos on bucyrustelegraphforum.com. If you are interested in sharing a story, write Mary Fox, 931 Marion Road, Bucyrus, OH 44820 or email littlefoxfactory@columbus.rr.com.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Members of Bucyrus Scout Troop 40 share memories of those days gone by