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Boy Scouts Of America In Houston


Vertigo58

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I found my big brothers Boy Scout handbook the other day and wondered if there was a topic here, if there is go ahead an merge.

My bro was a scout around 1967 and I barely remember going with him and mom to the meetings. We have just a few pics of them in some sort of silly play. My bro would die of embarassment if I ever showed them but if any one was memories to share like where your specific group was located and especially if you have old photos to show. That would be great!

Can anyone still recite the oath? What about small tokens or items of interest while you were a member?

Oh yes, and if anyone knew anyone in the Girl Scouts or Brownies too join in!

Original-1910.jpg

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Can anyone still recite the oath? What about small tokens or items of interest while you were a member?

On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country,

And to obey the scout law

To help other people at all times,

To keep myself physically strong,

Mentally awake,

and morally straight.

A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpfull, friendly,courteous, kind, obedient, cheerfull, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Troop 191, Wolf patrol 1971-1975. I was a Cub before that but its a little blury.

Be prepared,

joe

P.S. I remembered without the help of google thank you very much.

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My hand prints are still in the concrete of the Scout House behind Shearn Elementary on Stella Link. There were two Scout camps that were just out in the boonies - Camp Hudson way out on Memorial Drive and Camp Strake north of Houston. I've got 8 mm movies of both. Camp Hudson is now Hudson on the Bayou Condominiums. Cub Scout 58, Boy Scout - almost got to Explorer.

Thanks for The Motto.

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My hand prints are still in the concrete of the Scout House behind Shearn Elementary on Stella Link. There were two Scout camps that were just out in the boonies - Camp Hudson way out on Memorial Drive and Camp Strake north of Houston. I've got 8 mm movies of both. Camp Hudson is now Hudson on the Bayou Condominiums. Cub Scout 58, Boy Scout - almost got to Explorer.

Thanks for The Motto.

When we were in scouts around '73, our scoutmaster volunteered his son and I to go to a bowling alley that had donated a couple of hundered used bowling pins and take them to Camp Hudson for the Cubs to use for crafts. By then Camp Hudson was a day camp only used by the Cubs. Man those things are heavy when you load and unload them into the back of a truck. I wondered what happened to the camp after it was sold.

joe

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I was a Boy Scout at the South Main Baptist Church troop from '69 to '71. The head of the troop was Ralph Mills.

Every year our patrol would compete against against other patrols in a large Houston area scouting competition called Camporee (I think). It involved basic scouting skills like knot tying, etc. It was held at a scout campground somewhere right outside town.

Anyone remember these competitions? I may have the name for them wrong...

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My brother was in the boy scouts for about 3 months back in 1965. He said he got out because he liked fast cars and girls a lot more than camping and bisquick.

LOL! Sounds like my experience in the Girl Scouts circa mid 70s. I found it slow and boring. And hated, hated the cookie selling. A couple of things stick out--going to Almeda Mall with my mom to the special Scout clothes section at Foley's to buy the outfits. My mom complained non-stop about the expense for such cheaply made stuff. Our big overnight camp was down near Bay City. Cooking mixed veggies in a coffee can over a fire, wow. Not exciting for a kid who went camping with the family already. It was torture. And the sweaty, buggy cabins while the troop brass got to sleep in the air-conditioned house across the way. That little taste of rank and authority left me jaded early on. I was probably 11 and was becoming more interested in boys/older kids and sneaking out. I would have gotten whacked by Jason at Camp Crystal Lake for sure.

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LOL! Sounds like my experience in the Girl Scouts circa mid 70s. I found it slow and boring. And hated, hated the cookie selling. A couple of things stick out--going to Almeda Mall with my mom to the special Scout clothes section at Foley's to buy the outfits. My mom complained non-stop about the expense for such cheaply made stuff. Our big overnight camp was down near Bay City. Cooking mixed veggies in a coffee can over a fire, wow. Not exciting for a kid who went camping with the family already. It was torture. And the sweaty, buggy cabins while the troop brass got to sleep in the air-conditioned house across the way. That little taste of rank and authority left me jaded early on. I was probably 11 and was becoming more interested in boys/older kids and sneaking out. I would have gotten whacked by Jason at Camp Crystal Lake for sure.

Hilarious just mentally picturing that. A good name would have been Camp Crunch-tastic!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned going to Lake Livingston or Huntsville State Park! Whole new topic I guess. I have many photos of our family outings at those places circa 71-73ish.

Sure wish I was doing a cannonball right now!

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I was a Boy Scout at the South Main Baptist Church troop from '69 to '71. The head of the troop was Ralph Mills.

Every year our patrol would compete against against other patrols in a large Houston area scouting competition called Camporee (I think). It involved basic scouting skills like knot tying, etc. It was held at a scout campground somewhere right outside town.

Anyone remember these competitions? I may have the name for them wrong...

I remember them well. They were held at Camp Strake just south of Conroe. Man that seemed like it was so far out of town back then. We competed in fire building, tent pitching, signaling with flags(a long forgoten art) and orientering which was my favorite among other things.

You have it right it was the Camporee, the big one at the Astrohall was the Jamboree.

joe

Edited by texianjoe
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On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country,

And to obey the scout law

To help other people at all times,

To keep myself physically strong,

Mentally awake,

and morally straight.

A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpfull, friendly,courteous, kind, obedient, cheerfull, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Troop 191, Wolf patrol 1971-1975. I was a Cub before that but its a little blury.

Be prepared,

joe

P.S. I remembered without the help of google thank you very much.

That's why I never was a Boy Scout. Nobody could ever (and still can't) trust me to be loyal, helpful, friendly and obedient. I've always been a coward. I've always thrown money away. And I'm a filthy heathen (well, I'm reverent to Satan).

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I will have a real treat for you guys tomorrow. I have some pictures that I will download onto here. I would do it today. Unfortunately, I am a knucklehead and left my camera at work, because I was taking pics there. It will be worth the wait though.

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I found my big brothers Boy Scout handbook the other day and wondered if there was a topic here, if there is go ahead an merge.

My bro was a scout around 1967 and I barely remember going with him and mom to the meetings. We have just a few pics of them in some sort of silly play. My bro would die of embarassment if I ever showed them but if any one was memories to share like where your specific group was located and especially if you have old photos to show. That would be great!

Can anyone still recite the oath? What about small tokens or items of interest while you were a member?

Oh yes, and if anyone knew anyone in the Girl Scouts or Brownies too join in!

Original-1910.jpg

Yea, I was a cub scout, and then a boy scout. Both in Kansas, and then here in Houston.

We used the scout house which was at the park next to Parker Elementary School.

"Appx Mullins and Willowbend". It's been so long, I forgot what our number was..

I think I made it to "Star" if I remember right, never made Eagle..

Myself, I always liked the camping, but was not much on merit badges, etc..

To this day, if I'm out camping with people, I'm usually the one that starts the

fires... :/ I could always start a fire with just one match.. We used to practice

that all the time.

I never had the patience to use flint, etc though.. :(

I'd been to Strake a few times. We used to have one up in Kansas we went

to also, but I'm forgetting the name offhand..

I remember once up in Kansas I was at a campout, and our site got hit

by a tornado. We were all in the usual army style tents.. I remember

watching our coleman stove which was on a stand fly away, never to be

seen again. Then the sides of the tent starting flapping, whoop, whoop, whoop,

and I thought it was gonna go too, but it finally passed over and we were left

intact. No one was hurt, but all the parents were called, and we went home

early.

We also used to camp in the winter too. I remember once it was 5 below zero,

heavy snow, etc.. We came through ok, but I remember my feet almost freezing

off about 5 am in the morning.. I had to get up early to warm them up..

Naturally, I restarted the fire myself being I got up first...

It had just enough buried coals from the night before that I was able to relight it

with only kindling.

I remember one time at Strake , some of the scoutmasters brought their rifles,

guns, etc to give a show and tell about firearm safety..

We had some kind of safe back drop or whatever they were shooting into.

They were actually shooting big elephant rifles out there.. BOOOOOOMMM!!!!

Overall, I remember my scout days as generally being pretty fun.

BTW, as far as I know, that parker school scouthouse is still there. At least

it was the last time I looked.

Also..That scout manual looks kinda old.. Older than 67 unless I'm confused..

I had one about that time, or close, and seems mine looked different, and

maybe more modern.. Been a long time though.. They also had the magazine

"Boys Life" or whatever it was that they sent out about every month.

MK

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I was in Scouts from 1954 to 1962, ages 6-14. I don't remember my Cub Scout pack number but it was in Lindale Park and the Den Mother was Mrs. Ruth Derrick. We met once a week after school at her house. Mrs. Derrick hauled us 6 or 7 little brats all over town in her 1951 Chevy on field trips. We went to the zoo, the Houston Post, the Police Station, and Mrs. Bairds Bread that I can remember. We did a lot of craft type stuff that her husband, Monroe Derrick, did all of the work on. I still have a bread basket and a cutting board that I made in Cubs. Mrs. Derrick was a true saint.

In fifth grade, I joined the Boy Scouts, Troop 239 that met at Oaks Christian Church in Oak Forest. We went camping about once a month and it was a blast. We'd often go to Stubblefield Lake and to a county park on Clear Lake. We did a lot of events at Camp Hudson. I spent my 12 year old and 13 year old summers getting Merit Badges. The first Merit Badge I earned was for Bookbinding, the counselor was Hilda Holiday, who was a librarian at Heights Library. I made Eagle at age 14. By that time most of my friends had already dropped out of Scouts and I just sort of faded out by ninth grade.

Over the years I've done a lot of stuff, a lot of it VERY UNSCOUT like, but some of my very best memories are from the BSA.

The Houston Public Library has a large collection of Houston Boy Scout records. I've never looked at it but it is on my things to do on a cold winter Sunday afternoon list.

Any old Eagles out there may be interested in this. You are, after all, an Eagle for life.

http://www.nesa.org/

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I can only say that in this day and age its nice to know that there were or maybe still are some organizations that at least make effort to make children understand that a person has to have some good morality and good ethics in life.

The oathes everyone listed above are touching to say the least. We as adults need to let it sink in even today. Sometimes we need to stop and read between the lines. Ok, now I'm getting ver clempt! :blush:

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I'm an Eagle Scout.

The weekly meetings got tedious through junior high and high school, but I never got sick of the monthly camping trips.

I spent many, many weekends up at Camp Strake (which did seem waaaay out in the middle of nowhere, even in the mid-1980's). We spent several summer camps (1 or 2 weeks?) up at Camp Strake and at El Rancho Cima near Wimberley. Other places I can think of are Karankawa, Brazos Bend, Stephen F. Austin State Park, canoe trips on Village Creek, Lake Livingston, Galveston, Matagorda and who knows were else.

The best trips ever were two trips to Philmont Scout Ranch in northern New Mexico. As I recall, those were 10-day trips (long bus ride, btw). Both times we did the easiest hikes, which were 50-milers, but both times were quite an adventure.

While some of the stuff is a bit hokey, I do have to admit that the program was a great way to give both outdoor and life skills to young boys and men. It's a good organization that teaches the value of community service, leadership and self-reliance. Those are good skills to have no matter where you go in life.

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I found my big brothers Boy Scout handbook the other day and wondered if there was a topic here, if there is go ahead an merge.

My bro was a scout around 1967 and I barely remember going with him and mom to the meetings. We have just a few pics of them in some sort of silly play. My bro would die of embarassment if I ever showed them but if any one was memories to share like where your specific group was located and especially if you have old photos to show. That would be great!

Can anyone still recite the oath? What about small tokens or items of interest while you were a member?

Oh yes, and if anyone knew anyone in the Girl Scouts or Brownies too join in!

Original-1910.jpg

Your brother was using an awfully old handbook even for 1967! I was a Scout from 67 - 69. Some fond memories:

Summer camp and camporee's at Camp Stake.

Camp outs at Double Lake, Jones Forest and Lake Stubblefield.

Everyone dumping their canned food into one pot. No matter what you put in it - it always tasted the same.

Climbing the Jones Forest fire tower.

Scout Fair at the Coliseum.

My favorite - Order of the Arrow

Still have my uniform...

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I was cub scout 64-65, and the one cool thing we did was march across the astrodome field in robot costumes. Mine was a cardboard box painted silver, with no holes for my arms. Thank God I didn't trip, I wouldn't have been able to get up.

Couldn't stop thinking about this one over the weekend, made me laugh just imagining the scene. :lol:

Reminded me of the Munster's episode where Eddie Munster got a robot for a little brother. Hysterical!

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I was in Cub Scouts, never made it to Boy Scouts. Pack 189. I was in for three years. Each year they promised we'd go camping. We never did, so I quit.

I liked the Pinewood Derby, but that was the only real activity I remember. I won one year because instead of making a sleek, light racing car I made a big fat pick-up truck. The extra weight helped my vehicle speed up at the end of the ramp.

Pack 189 was pretty disorganized. I remember one week the meeting was canceled. But they never got the message to my parents. My father dropped me off at the people's house and I went into the basement through the side door like usual, but nobody else was there. So I just sat there for an hour and listened to the domestic fight upstairs. Maybe that's why the meeting was called off. Then my parents came to pick me up and we went home. I never told them.

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Ok Fellow Scouts. As promised, here are a few goodies from the 50's and 60's when my oldman was getting all his Merit Badges. I have the sash somewhere, when I find it, I will post it also. I am very proud of my Father for the time and effort he put in to this wonderful organization. I hope you like these rare items also.

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1358456018_6f34eb7ed1.jpg1358438178_56615cab27.jpg

1358438184_38911bfa7e.jpg1358438226_63c0f37a25.jpg

1358438202_f19a575f9e.jpg1358438210_e10475699f.jpg

Sorry for the long post.

Edited by TJones
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  • 13 years later...

I was a Boy Scout sometime around 1967- 70 I Don’t even remember the troop number??? So does anyone remember the Boy Scout Troop that was sponsored by Fulbright Memorial Methodist church 215 W. 27th Houston, Texas 77008?  I remember Wayne Gum as scoutmaster. Assistant scoutmaster Mr. Tink?  Remember several weekend camp outs in Spring Creek Park Tomball, Texas along with several big deals like Jamborees held at Camp Strake just south of Conroe, Texas.  If anyone has any photos of memories of this troop? 

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  • The title was changed to Boy Scouts Of America In Houston
  • 7 months later...

Randomly came across this thread while searching for something else, but wanted to contribute as someone from the Rosenberg-Richmond area.

I remember starting out in the early 90s in Den 8, Pack 1309, which was sponsored by St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The Den meetings were at a family's home near my house. For whatever reason they regularly left the TV on during the activities and it was when Star Trek: TNG was still on - so it was hard to focus sometimes. Did a lot of activities for folks in the community even at this early stage. Remember making regular decorations and gifts for the senior citizens at Leisure Lodge.

We'd have a regular pack meeting that was fairly well attended in the middle of the week when it was held. 

We also restored an old home on the St Paul's grounds at the corner of 5th Street and Avenue K and turned it into the scout house for the pack after years of being a glorified storage facility. It was named the "Walter Meyer Scout House" in honor of a former scout master who had passed away while I was in the pack. I think they may have sold it in later years. 

They held day camps for a week in the summer on the grounds of the Knights of Columbus hall on the south side of town. Friday night was the night you could bring your tent and actually camp overnight on the grounds and wake up to breakfast made there by the campfire the next morning. I think the push of suburbia is only now starting to encroach on the land the site occupies.

We also had a booth at the Scout Fair at the AstroHall then AstroArena and those were so much fun to go to and blow out a ton of energy on. Also came back with tons of swag. Pretty sure I kept most of the programs from each of the years that I attended in the 90s.

I took part in the pinewood derby, space derby and rain gutter regatta that they did each year for several years and worked my way up to the Arrow of Light. A number of our events (including the space derby & rain gutter regatta) were held at Brazos Bend State Park. Always enjoyed that because of the park itself, and then they'd have amateur astronomy nights we could take part in at the George Observatory. Actually remember seeing Jupiter from there around the time Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacted with the planet. Don't think I'll ever forget that.

Moved into Troop 801 afterward, and the scout house for that group was on the KC grounds. We had weekly meetings and had a lot of fun learning different things. Loved doing camp outs in different places that family members had owned on various weekends. We ended up around Moulton one time and somewhere up near Chapell Hill another time. Summer Camps were a mix of different places - El Rancho Cima out in Central Texas, Sid Richardson northwest of Fort Worth, and a few others. Lots of great memories of just getting out into the wild with friends, hiking and exploring.

A number of my friends today are the ones that I made during my scout years - forever glad to have had those experiences.

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I was a Boy Scout, went all the way to Eagle with palms. Troop 656 at Park Place Lutheran Church in the mid 70's to early 80s. That troop had a long history going back into the '40s but when I was in it, we had a mix of folks and some kids from the rough neighborhood there. I saw my first mugging happen while at a scout meeting. Overall, we had an awesome troop and it was a great experience.

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