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Frequently Asked Questions
A Short History of Scouting in Richmond
Troop 324 was chartered with the Kansas City Area Council, April 18, 1925 with 20 scouts. The first Eagle Scout of troop 324 was, Gerald Lillard, in 1930. The first Scoutmaster was, H. Clyde Brown. Dick B. Dale, Sr., held the office of Scoutmaster the longest of any other leader, serving for eight consecutive years from 1927 to 1935. In 1939, Troop 324 registered 58 boys.
Robert Daniel the 21st Eagle Scout of Troop 324 in 1941, was the first Eagle Scout to become the Scoutmaster of the troop. He has served in that post on three different ocasions since 1950. In 1955, the troop registered 52 scouts. This marked the first "split" of the troop membership.
Over the years, four of the Scoutmasters of Troop 324 have received the Silver Beaver, scouting's highest adult award for service to scouting. Those leaders include; Robert Daniel-1976, John Dickson-1988, Larry Maxwell-1990, and McDavitt Rogers-1994.
One of the most infamous Scoutmasters of Troop 324 was Captain John Testrake. He was the TWA pilot who's aircraft was hijacked in the Beirut crisis in the early eighties. He was Scoutmaster of Troop 324 from 1968 to 1970.
Presently, Scout Troop 324 is the only scout troop serving the Richmond youth. Troop 324 has graduated more than 130 Eagle Scouts.
Scouting has always been a big part of Richmond:
- Scouting has been present in the city of Richmond since about 1920, or earlier. News articles about scouting have appeared in various newspaper archives during that time.
One such article that appeared in the Richmond News headlines, January 11, 1922, reads, "SCOUTS RE-ORGANIZED with 32 boys." It goes on to report that Captain Cecil M. Farris was elected the scoutmaster, and that Ivan Weber and H. E. Roark were elected assistants. All three men saw action on foreign battlefields during World War I. The article comments, "They will be able to teach the boys a strong lesson in endurance."
Though the Kansas City Council was formed in 1910, it only took in troops within the Kansas City proper. Troops in the rural areas did not have troop numbers or council charters. Therefore, even though scouting was present in Richmond prior to the first charter of Troop 324 in 1925, no other records exsist other than archived newspapers and other such historical data. It can however be speculated, if scouting came to Kansas City in 1910, it most certainly came to Richmond about the same time.
- Troop 324 was split in numbers and Troop 424 was formed in 1956. Carl O. Smith, was troop 424's first scoutmaster. In 1961, Troop 424 graduated it's first "group" of Eagle Scouts; Dewey Garrett, Robert Hill, Franklin Weary, Bob Jones, Steve Lillard, C.E. Mohn and Edward Wuttke.
Troop 424 was at its peak during the sixties and seventies, and graduated a total of approximatley 48 Eagle Scouts. In the late seventies, scouting numbers declined and eventually Troop 424 dropped it's charter on January 10th, 1980.
- The first "black" scout troop, prior to formal desegrigation in scouting, was Troop 391. The scoutmaster was C.D. James. His troop turned out Richmond's first black Eagle Scout, Ronnie Collins, in 1962.
- There have been at least two other splinter troops throughout the years in the Richmond area. Troop 465 was one of those troops. Though short lived in tenure, these troops did give service to scouting, and contributed to the scouting history of Richmond. There are about six to eight Eagle Scouts from those troops. Troop 465 dropped it's charter in 1982, making troop 324 the only scout troop in the Richmond area.
- Please email any historical data and comments to me by selecting the contact page on the side bar. I am compiling as much as I can on the history of scouting in Richmond and I can use any help given to me. Updates and corrections (if needed), will be made as new data is revealed.
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