by Hank Hulme, Mt Olivet Historian

"Lack of a scout troop at Mount Olivet has not given Cub graduates ready opportunity to enter scouting. It is hoped many of our graduate Cubs will join the troop new being formed at Mount Olivet." Paul McDonald, Mount Olivet Church Institutional Representative for Cub Scout Pack 167 included this remark in his report dated February 12, 1952 to the Boy Scouts of America.

For months, the members of Mount Olivet had been gathering forces to create a Boy Scout Troop. At the September 17 meeting of the newly created Mount Olivet Men, the Project Committee submitted a list of projects to be undertaken. One of those projects was the creation of a Methodist Men Scouting Committee headed by Lt Col L. P. Jacobs.

As the committee proceeded with its work, the Civitan Club expressed interest in co-sponsoring the Scout troop and offered several of Civitan members as Scoutmaster and Asst Scoutmaster. There is no evidence that the Methodist Men needed to accept the Civitan offer. Sidney C. Martin, Methodist Men president reported on the progress of the troop organization.

At the January 22, 1952 meeting, he announce a scouting get-together for boys ages 11- through 14 at 8pm on January 29, and he invited everyone interested in Scouting to attend. He said that the organization was coming along fine, but men were still needed to "work with these boys."

The results of the January 29 meeting and the organizing efforts were reported at the February 26 meeting of the Methodist Men. Paul McDonald gave a report on the formation of a Scout Troop 167. Colonel Alan Foreman, Methodist Men member and who dad been elected the first Scoutmaster for the troop reported that thirteen boys had signed up as charter members. He asked for a free will offering to cover the initial Boy Scout expenses. His request yielded $40.45. U.S. Representative Wingate Lucas, a member of Mount Olivet, donated a flag to the new Scout Troop.

At that same Methodist Men meeting, Colonel Foreman as the Projects Committee chairman, presented a recommendation concerning the Methodist Men's support of the Scout Troop. They had noticed that the experience in Arlington Count shows a high mortality rate among Boy Scout Troops due primarily to the lack of continuity in the position of Scoutmaster. In order to provide for the uninterrupted leadership of troop 167 it was recommended that: a) an alternate Assistant Scoutmaster be designated and that their names be furnished to the Methodist Men's President and b) that immediately after an alternate Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster assumes position in the troop by virtue of a created vacancy, the vacated alternate position be filled. The recommendation was accepted.

The next monthly meeting of the Methodist Men, March 25, 1952 was a father/son banquet. In tribute to the Boy Scouts present, the entire assembly repeated the Scout Oath. I feel certain tthat they also repeated the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.