Mount Vernon’s Boy Scout Troop 40 is celebrating 100 years. The Troop, originally known as Troop 1, predates the formation of the Hawkeye Area Council.
“At the time the Hawkeye Area Council was formed, their were two troops in Linn County, one in Cedar Rapids and one in Mount Vernon,” said Denny Dietrich, Troop 40 Scoutmaster. “Cedar Rapids troop got to maintain Troop No. 1 and Mount Vernon’s been Troop 40 ever since.”
The Troop will be holding a Meet and Greet to celebrate their 100 year anniversary Saturday, July 8, at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church from noon to 3 p.m. Alumni can come and meet current Scouts and view memorabilia and artifacts from the Troop. Attendees are encouraged to use the entrance to the Fellowship Hall off of Third Avenue. Water, lemonade and coffee will be served at the event.
The troop has had 80 Eagle Scouts, with the first Eagle Scout being awarded in 1929.
For former Scoutmaster Beth Jonson and Dietrich, that is one of the aspects that is important is the number of Eagle Scout projects in the community of Mount Vernon.
“Citizenship is an important facet of Scouting and the Scouts who are working towards their Eagle do great things for our community,” Johnson said. “They alos learn that they can do important, positive things even at their young age.”
Dietrich noted that if you look at any of the parks in Mount Vernon, many of the shelter houses have been projects of Eagle Scouts. At Nature Park quarry, they’ve worked on the dock and boat ramp projects. Trails around Nature Park, the flag display at Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department. All from Eagle Scouts projects.
Many picnic benches have been taken built or taken care of by the scouts.
Johnson served as scoutmaster for one year, and been involved with Troop 40 for eight years.
“I have enjoyed not only working with the Scouts, but also getting to know the outstanding adult leaders who have been involved with the Troop over the years,” Johnson said.
Dietrich has been a Scoutmaster for the troop since 2007, and Rich Yoder was Scoutmaster before him through the 1980s.
“My favorite part has been working with Scouts to progress them through their Eagle Scout journey,” Dietrich said. “I’ve also loved taking trips to Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota many times.”
He’s also enjoyed spending time with the boys and girls on the troop and their outings. In fact, the interview here was completed as Dietrich was one of the adults chaperoning the Troop at Boy Scout camp for a week.
Dietrich said some of his other favorite memories have been going to three national jamborees with the troop and one as part of an introspective matter.
Dietrich said that Scouting, especially working with kids, has remained the same. Some of the merit badge requirements have changed as technology has improved.
“If you look at the requirements for something like the computer merit badge from the early 1980s, the difference in computers has really changed,” Dietrich said.
“We see changes to curriculum every few years with updates to Merit Badges that take into account evolving technology,” Johnson said. “I think many of the changes try to keep up with the times to give the Scouts an interesting array of choices. Citizenship in Society is the newest Eagle required Merit Badge, and it allows an opportunity for the Scouts to reflect on their place in society, now and in the future.”
Tents and the equipment used by Scouts have also improved in the many years in Scouting.
Johnson said one of her favorite events was Scout Sunday, where the Scouts would wear their uniforms to church services at United Methodist Church.
“The Scouts also had an opportunity to help lead the service, and we would incorporate a recharter ceremony when the Methodist Church was our Charter Organization,” Johnson said. “The old charters were beautifully ornate documents that had the names of the Troop leaders from the 1930s and 40s, and many of the last names I recognized. There were also members of the church who had been involved in scouting when their children were young. It really let me see how rooted scouting is in our community.”
Johnson said the merit badge she has instructed most often has been the First Aid Merit Badge. It’s one required of all Eagle Scouts.
“One of my sons is currently working at Philmont Scout Ranch in the wilderness, and he has used that knowledge repeatedly to help the crews be safe,” Johnson said. “I would say that merit badge has also helped me in my own life by prompting me to brush up on wilderness medicine, which I never had to do from my office in Cedar Rapids.”
Johnson said that she has loved seeing Scouting being opened up to everyone, with the troop inviting girls since 2022.
Jamie Hromi, leader of the female troop and advancement chair for the boy’s troop, said that group started in 2022 with three founding members. The group does all of the same requirements and campouts as the boys troop does.
Cait O’Connor, senior patrol leader from the girl’s troop, started with the Scouts because she wanted a chance to learn more outdoor skills and to participate in more adventure activities. She also wanted to beat her brother to earning Eagle Scout rank and is excited to put Eagle Scout on her college job applications and the scholarship opportunities it will provide.
Will Huebner is senior patrol leader for the Boy Scouts. He is in the troop because he wanted to learn useful skills and have fun making new friends.
He is also looking forward to the scholarships available to Eagle Scouts and higher rank he could if joins the military.
“Scouting has really offered opportunities for my sons (Preston and Ben) through leadership and self-sufficiency,” Johnson said. “They are both currently working for the entire summer at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. They work in the backcountry (wilderness) running camps for the visiting crews to enjoy an activity and pitch their tents. One of my sons told me his day-off plans for his next day off that involved an eight mile hike. Philmont Scout Ranch is one of the high adventure camps the Boy Scouts run. Evan Tvedt is working there also for his third year, and Zach Vig worked there at least three years. To have four Scouts from our relatively small town work there is a pretty good indication of the strength of our Troop and the fun that scouting can be.”
Boy Scout Troop 40 celebrating 100 years
July 6, 2023
Current members of Troop 40 include (front row, from left) Quinlan O’Connor, Quinten Kluesner, Christopher Schneider, Nicholas Schneider (row two, from left) Cait O’Connor, Joey Latta, Seamus O’Connor, Tommy Ferguson, Conner Payton (row three, from left) Carlton Latta, Brock Chapman, Jackson Bartlett, Matthew Bradybury, Theodore Bradbury, Lucas Curtis, (row four, from left) Dennis Dietrich, William Stevenson, Jr., Angela Cannon, Jamie Hromi, Luke Stephens, Shaun Bradbury, (back row, from left) Isaac Stevenson, William Stevenson, Sr., Robert Curtis, Beth Johnson, Will Huebner. Not pictured — Owen Brade, Jacob Cannon, Adam Cooklin, Jaks Lee, Aida Smith, Milo Smith
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.