Gilbertsville Boy Scout Troop 36 are celebrating 80 years of service to the community this year. The troop will continue its efforts at the Boyertown Parade this Saturday, collecting canned goods.
Formed in 1934, the original Troop 36 was sponsored by the Gilbertsville Fire Company. In 1939, Gilbertsville Sunday School began sponsoring them. Today, they are sponsored by St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, where they meet every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m.
“The troop has been a member of the district since 1934,” said Roy Geiger, Troop Charter Organization Representative.
Geiger has been involved with Troop 36 for 72 years, an original Boy Scout from the age of 12.
“I am the oldest in age and oldest in service,” said Geiger. “I stay involved because there is no other program like it for boys. We help build these youth, and we work with the boys, their parents and their schools.”
The goal of Troop 36 is to help their Scouts grow into men, learning leadership and responsibility through exercises and activities in the community.
“We have 35 Scouts,” said Steve Volpi, Scoutmaster of Troop 36. “I’ve been Scoutmaster for three years, and a leader for six. Scouting is a great experience. We have a lot of good Boy Scout troops and packs in the area, so I encourage families to give it a try.”
Volpi’s troop is involved in the community, participating in events like the Perkiomen Watershed’s Clean Stream Campaign and The Boyertown Parade. The Scoutmaster will be stepping down this December after four years to spend more time back in the fire service with Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue and taking his last son through the scouts.
“At Troop 36, we try hard to keep it a boy led troop as much as possible so they will learn leadership roles and also learn from their mistakes,” said Volpi.
Geiger added that keeping the boys involved in school is important to their success.
“We make sure to work around school schedules, sports and activities because we believe it takes these things to help them grow into men,” said Geiger.
Since its 1934 beginning, 67 Eagle Scouts have come out of Troop 36. Geiger himself received the Eagle Scout Award in 1945 and is Chairman of the Eagle Scout Review Board for 40 years.
A large part of the troop’s success comes from parent involvement.
Tom Then, father of 12-year-old Boy Scout Eric Then, stays as involved as possible.
“I help out where I can,” he said. “The more a parent is involved, the more the kid gets from it. You get out what you put in.”
Then’s son has been a part of Troop 36 for more than three years.
“He has become more outgoing,” said Then. “He’s had a chance to be a leader and also to be a follower, so he knows what it takes to work with others. I like the idea that it creates camaraderie among the boys and gives them something to do.”
In service to their community, the Boy Scouts of Troop 36 came up with an idea two years ago to hold a food drive at the annual Boyertown Halloween Parade.
“Last year we collected over 1,000 items,” said Volpi. “We are setting a goal of 2,000 items this year, which will be given to the Boyertown Area Multi Service to help those in need.”
The Scouts can be found at this Saturday’s parade, pushing shopping carts for donation collection.
“The Boyertown Jaycees helped us make this food drive a reality and do all they can to help,” said Volpi.
The parade will begin at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 18.
For more information on Gilbertsville Boy Scout Troop 36, visit www.36scouts.org.