Troop 99 – Marceline, Missouri
The Boy Scout movement in Marceline began in 1911 with the Rev. J. D. Mendenhall as Scoutmaster of Troop #1, sponsored by the Methodist Church.
Leaders in this movement through the years have been Rev. E. V. Claypool, Rev. Fred J. Smith, Rev. F. E. Edwards, Rev. George P. Sturgis, and later Dr. P. L. Patrick.
During the winter months of 1929 the Theodore Roosevelt Post No. 264, The America Legion, Marceline, with their sons growing up, believed their boys should benefit from the Boy Scout Program. Therefore, the American Legion Post authorized Charles F. Strickel, one of their members to organize a Boy Scout Troop under their sponsorship.
In about six months everything was completed and the registration forms sent in. Troop 99, Marceline became an official member of the Central Missouri Area Council.
The following is a list of Scout Leaders since that date: 1930-1940 Charles F. Strickel; 1940- 1941 Charles W. Blackwell; 1941-1944 Earl E. Eyler; 1944-1950 Raymond Jones; 1950-1951 Robert L. Downing; 1951-1952 Wilbur O. Ralston; 1952-1956 H. W. Stauffer; 1956-1957 Howard Deering, Jr,
In 1957 the scout troop disbanded until February, 1961.
History of Troop 99
In February, 1961, the Marceline Rotary Club became the sponsoring organization for Boy Scouts, Troop 99, which had been inactive since 1956. James Adair, Scoutmaster, organized Troop 99 and registered forty boys, with four adult leaders. The First Christian Church provided a meeting place for the Scouts. During the year, nine more boys were added to the roster. Several overnight hikes were taken during the summer of 1961.
Lyle Armstrong became scoutmaster on April 13, 1962. The active membership of the Troop had fallen to 20. During the year we have earned a National Camping Award, which requires over 50% of the troop to spend at least 10 days and nights camping. Of the original 20 scouts enrolled 13 are still active and 11 additional scouts have been added.
Fifteen scouts and Scoutmaster Armstrong attended a 3 day (work) Camporee at Camp Thunderbird near Cairo, Missouri, during May. Twelve scouts and Assistant Scoutmaster Adair attended summer camp at Camp Thunderbird for one week during July, 1962. These 12 scouts, while at camp, earned a total of 24 merit badges. Three scouts were qualified for membership to “The National Rifle Association.” Three scouts were awarded special awards for the one-mile swim. Eight of the 12 advanced one rank. One scout, Phillip Malone, was chosen for a national award, The Order of the Arrow.
Our troop now consists of the following: 7 Tenderfoot, 7 Second Class, 3 First Class, and 7 Star Scouts.
During 1962 to March 1963, 76 merit badges have been earned. This represents a lot of hard work on the part of the scouts.
Vascoe Caswell has been added as an assistant scoutmaster as of October, 1962. Four of these scouts are now engaged in service to their church and their minister toward earning a God and Country award, a religious award which takes a year or more to achieve.
Plans are being made to attend Camp Thunderbird again this summer. Two scouts, Phillip Malone and David King, are making plans to go to Camp Philmont in New Mexico for a week in June. Phillip Malone will attend the National Order of the Arrow at the University of Illinois in August. Looking toward the summer of 1964, the boys have embarked on the earning of funds so they can go on a 6-day canoeing trip into Northern Minnesota and Canada.
Dr. G. T. Malone, chairman of Troop Committee, has been a member of the committee since 1961, and has given his help many times and is always willing. The troop committee men are Jack C. Wrenn, treasurer; Verne Milam, James Farris, Harry L. Porter. James Adair is institutional committee representative.
Marceline has had a fine record of Scouting in the past years and the hopes and aims of the scoutmaster are that the record may be equaled if not excelled. It can be accomplished with the help from the men of the community. There are plenty of boys- more than just one or two men can take care of and there is no better organization for young men than the Scouts.
Rover Crew 99
In the late 1930’s, after ten years active Boy Scout work with Troop 99, it was found that the regular troop and the Explorer Troop were not enough to take care of a situation that had arisen. A number of the early members of the troop were now “old men” in their 20’s and wanted an organization of their own. After a thorough investigation of Senior Scout groups, it was decided to form a Rover Crew of men over 18 years of age, if the necessary leadership could be secured.
The problem was solved by securing a new scoutmaster, Chas. W. Blackwell, for Troop 99 while the former scoutmaster, Chas. F. Strickel, became Rover Leader with Arnold Fawks as first Captain of the Crew.
It was not difficult to secure members for the new organization. In a very short time a charter was obtained and Rover Crew No. 99 was on the way.
The Crew was just getting started when World War II came and almost to a man the members entered the service.
For three years the Crew did not hold a regular meeting. It was seldom that more than three or four members were in Marceline at the same time.
The organization boomed. Perhaps more than any other reason this was due to a quarterly bulletin sent to every Rover wherever he might be. The letter listed every man and gave his address. Some were rather vague listings, but to the men in the service they gave a lot of information and many were the reunions in far-off lands.
Then the casualty reports began to come in. Arnold Fawks and Paul King were lost at sea. Milton Bellis and Junior Mathews were shot down with their planes; Grit McGee was killed in an accident, Five Rovers lost their lives and seven were wounded. It was almost impossible to believe.
The war ended and Rover Crew 99 began to have meetings again. Attendance was rather scanty but it was a beginning.
Membership reached over a hundred. During the first seven years of the organization not a member dropped out and even today renewals run over 95% annually.
Rover Crew 99 members are serving actively in various capacities in the Boy Scout picture throughout the land. Some 62 of them have had responsibilities ranging all the way from Assistant Scoutmaster up to District Chairmen. Many are active with troops in their own communities and – we expect – are modeling their own troops after the old bunch in Troop 99.