Boy Scout troop marks 50 years of impacting the Las Vegas Valley community

Boy Scout Troop 102, part of the Bighorn District, marked its 50th anniversary Sept. 24 with a special celebration at Westminster Presbyterian Church, its home since 1966.

In the lobby of the church at 4601 W. Lake Mead Blvd. were displays of Boy Scouts through the years: a 1968 copy of the Patrol Leader Handbook (priced $1); commemorative stamps from 1950 and 1960 (3 cents and 4 cents, respectively); Norman Rockwell prints showing Boy Scouts in various activities; old uniforms from when the shirts were a mossy shade of green (today’s are khaki-colored); and a commemorative neckerchief from the 1993 National Scout Jamboree.

Glen Cox has been a scoutmaster for Troop 102 for the past five years. He said scouting provides a foundation for the rest of one’s life.

In the last 20 years, he said, the inclusion of females age 14 or older (called the Venturing Crew) has changed scouting, along with “the high adventure and society advancing forward.”

“(Also) the dropping of the stigma with the same-sex business,” Cox said. “I’m glad that’s gone because it was time. I don’t care what your orientation is; you’re still going to get out, roll around in the mud and come back with stories to tell. You’re going to try to cook chicken, and it’s going to stick to the aluminum pan, and it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.”

Today, Scouts earn badges through a plethora of activities — many of them outdoor — but also for sports, crafts, science, trades, business and future careers. There are more than 135 merit badges. The troops are known for campouts and learning basic outdoor survival.

The last two years saw Troop 102 participate in the Mountain Man Rendezvous, most recently held in Beatty.

“It’s a full 18 hours of what it was like to be a mountain man,” Cox said. “They learned black powder rifles, tomahawk throwing, atlatl throwing, archery … between you and I, it’s like going back 80 years in time to what Scouts used to do.”

Much of the Boy Scouts’ traditions revolve around outdoor activities, so hiking and camping and being in nature are regularly scheduled. Trips to Mount Charleston for camping are a given, but so are other destinations: Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Canyon and the Catalina Islands off the Southern California coast. Some destinations can be as far away as 200 miles.

Bob Hahn, 89, was involved in the troop as an adult volunteer when his boys were young. His son, Karl, now 64, was the first Eagle Scout in the troop, earning all 21 merit badges.

The elder Hahn recalled taking the Scouts on a hike to Mary Jane Falls on Mount Charleston and camping in the snow. He also helped take the boys to Grand Canyon South where they trekked for three days. There was also a trip to Zion where the boys left their tents before breakfast and were scurrying around without bothering to tie their shoelaces.

“One of the boys tripped and fell, and he was 5 feet from the edge,” he said. “After that, we had everybody sit down, tie their shoes and get a buddy to check them.”

Troop 102 began with 13 boys, mentored by several adult volunteers. Since then, hundreds of youths have been part of the program. Today’s troop numbers 23.

Jacob Johnson, 13, has been in Troop 102 since he was 7. He wore a number of merit badges: swimming, camping, first aid, rifle shooting, chess, canoeing, and entomology. His favorite, he said, was learning to weld.

Johnson said if he wasn’t in the Boy Scouts, he’d likely participate in more sports.

But not watching TV or playing video games?

“Probably that, too,” he conceded.

Today’s Boy Scouts are co-ed. Destine Denning, 15, is one of the girls in Venturing Crew, joining about a year ago.

“They’re into things that are more girlie-girl,” she said of the Girl Scouts. “I like outdoor adventure stuff. … We can go with the boys or plan our own activities.”

The “outdoors stuff” includes activities such as scuba diving, something she plans to do for her next summer camp.

The accomplishment of the troop can still be seen in the Las Vegas Valley in the form of Eagle Scout projects. There are hiking trails that have been established or maintained. There are area parks with amenities that have been maintained or enhanced by the projects.

Back when Phillip Dwyer was tasked with an Eagle Scout project in the mid-1990s, he was about 15. He chose to help Habitat for Humanity by constructing its first building. He raised roughly $3,500 to buy building materials and gathered about 180 people to help with the hands-on work.

“I was an ambitious kid who wanted to do a project that would make a (difference),” Dwyer said. “The foundation was poured, but I raised money so we could put up the studs and trusses, which we did in one day.”

The Habitat building, in Henderson, stands as a testament to his coordination and leadership skills learned in the troop. Such accomplishments can bring on emotions.

“Every time I see one of the Scouts walk in, and I know he’s about to enter the adventure of his life, I smile,” Cox said, tearing up. “The summer camp we went to this past year was chosen out of the blue. The Scouts chose where we’d go; all we (adults) do is make sure everything is safe and that we’re teaching them how to do things in the right way. We let them fail in a safe environment.”

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To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.