La Verne Scouts Call Out the Troops to Celebrate 80th Anniversay, Oct. 3

Scouts honor!

 

This Saturday, Oct. 3, Boy Scout Troop 411 in La Verne will celebrate its 80 anniversary – and you’re invited.

At 2 p.m., Troop 411’s storied Scout House on the grounds of the United Methodist Church on D Street across from Bonita High School will be open for tours. There will be displays of troop memorabilia and photos along with special games and activities. At 5 p.m., a delicious tri tip dinner and accompanying program are featured.

All summer, Scoutmaster Marcia Townsend, now in her 19^th year, has been contacting former scouts for memorabilia and memories from the past 80 years. (Coincidentally, the Boy Scouts of America will celebrate its 100^th anniversary in 2010.) In preparation for Saturday’s event, she pored over a rich trove of digitized photos of group hikes, cookouts, and Eagle projects, the best of which will appear in a slide show as part of the celebration.

Although Troop 1 (later renamed 411) started in 1929, the boys didn’t move into their “new” quarters, an old barn or carriage house on the Packard-Evergreen Ranch, until 1959. The first scout to enter their new home was La Verne Mayor Don Kendrick.

Scouting old timers will be tickled to see Troop 411 Scouts are still roughing it the way they had to. There is still no bathroom, kitchen, heating or air conditioning in the barn. Patrols (groups of eight to 10 young men) sit on long, hard benches. The floors and support beams are creased and lined with history going back to 1886 when it was built.

“We’re Boy Scouts,” Marcia said in mock protest. “There is a bathroom over at the church. We’ll unlock it, and they can use it. We don’t need it over here.”

If the Scout House gets really cold in winter, there’s a fire ring out by the metal shed around which members can gather and make a fire.

Marcia took over the Scoutmaster role on a temporary basis. That was 19 years ago. She got roped in when one of her boys brought home a flyer from Roynon elementary school. When she attended the introductory meeting, she learned that Roynon didn’t have a Cubmaster, so she volunteered. All three of Townsend’s sons – Ryan, Kim, and Sean — eventually crossed over to scouting and became part of Troop 411’s rich and colorful history.

That history includes excursions to South Dakota’s Black Hills, Idaho’s Island Park and Montana’s Yellowstone National Park and literally hundreds of other high-adventure outings from Holcomb Valley in Big Bear to Cherry Valley on Catalina Island. The Scout House also served as the location for one of the “Bubble Boy” films . The barn was converted into a wharf-side Niagra Falls building that had a shark sticking out it. Of course, the United Methodist Church is the site of the iconic last scene from “The Graduate,” released in 1968.

Townsend has heard and endured proposals over the years to move the historic and creaky Scout House, perhaps to Heritage Park or the back of the classrooms on the grounds of the United Methodist Church to make room for a cul de sac of new homes. As frail and old as the Scout House is, one could only wonder if it could survive the move.

On Saturday, only one thing will be on Townsend’s mind: Welcoming the community to the 80^th celebration of Troop 411 and the long rich tradition of scouting in La Verne. No doubt, the gala will be grand step back in time because Townsend has always lived up and taught Scouting’s No. 1 motto: “Be Prepared.”

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 years old and younger. For more information, visit www.troop411laverne.com ^[1] or contact ScoutmasterT411@aol.com ^[2] or (909) 243-2272.