Breckenridge Texan

Local Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts recruit new members at rally

Local Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts recruit new members at rally
September 18
08:24 2018

On Thursday night, local Boy Scout Troop 63 and Cub Scout Pack 81 held their annual recruitment rally at South Elementary School. One thing that was different this time, however, is that it was the first time they’ve recruited girls.

Matt Wunsch, Pack 81 Cubmaster points out the different parts of the Cub Scout uniform, worn by his son, Matthew Wunsch III, at the Recruitment Rally at South Elementary, Thursday, Sept. 13. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Mark Conrad, Scout Executive for the Texas Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which includes 18 counties, was at the rally Thursday night and said this year the Cub Scouts have started accepting girls in their packs.

“We’re not holding anything back; they can join if they want to,” he said.  “Most of the packs and troops are allowing them to come in.”

In October 2017, the national organization, Boy Scouts of America, announced that it would be expanding its programs to include girls. The group’s plan involves allowing girls to join Cub Scouts this year. Next year, girls will be allowed to join the older troops when the Boy Scout troop program changes its name to Scouts BSA. According to information from the national organization, the name of the overall organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.

Existing packs may choose to establish a new girl pack, establish a pack that consists of girl dens and boy dens or remain an all-boy pack. The local pack has invited girls to join.

Conrad said the Cub Scout dens are not co-ed. Boys and girls will meet separately, except for once a month when they come together for a pack meeting. He said although they hold activities and work on badges separately during their den meetings, the badges and activities that the girls work on are exactly same as the boys.

“We’re real excited,” Conrad said. “We all had our reservations at first about how it would be received, and it’s being received extremely well in this council, West Texas.”

There were 16 new Cub Scouts and two new Boy Scouts signed up at Thursday night’s rally, according the Breckenridge Troop 63 Assistant Scoutmaster Brian Kight.

Local troop continues to grow

Assistant Scoutmaster Brian Kight talks to Sherry Morgan and her son,  Jacob Morgan, about joining the Boy Scouts during the recent registration rally at South Elementary. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Conrad said they are happy that local Boy Scout Troop 63 has been restarted again and expect it to continue to grow because there’s a tradition of scouting in Breckenridge.

The troop, which was restarted back in June after having been dormant for several years, had a long history in Breckenridge under the leadership of former Scoutmaster Frank Pellizzari.

In June, at Cub Scout Pack 81’s Blue and Gold Banquet, when the restarting of the troop was announced, George Niebling, District Executive for the Old Comanche Trails District of the Texas Trails Council, said Pellizzari was renowned for his ability to help boys along the trail to Eagle Scout, successfully complete the Eagle process and receive the highest Boy Scout award.

Conrad also said Pack 81, which he started back up in 2013, was doing very well, also. “I recruited two fantastic volunteers,” he said. “At that point in time, they kept it going until Matt (Wunsch, current Cubmaster) got involved. Yeah, they’re doing real well.”

Fall Scouting activities

Conrad said during the fall they try to make sure every kid gets the promise Scouting gave them when they signed up, which was to have fun outdoors, camping, fishing, swimming, etc.

For example, he said, in October they will hold their Haunted Forest at Camp Tonkawa, just south of Abilene. He said all the troops in the council, about 900 people, will camp out for a weekend and enjoy all the fun activities.

“It’s a haunted theme that night. They have a little haunted hay ride,” he said. “Of course, during the day, they shoot the bows and arrows, BB guns and they do all the crafts and they participate in all the programs that we have. We have about eight or 10 different programs that we participate in during the day.”

Kids can still sign up for Scouts

Conrad said that although they like to focus on recruiting kids for Scouting at this time of year since school is just starting and the Scouts have their fall activities coming up, kids can join anytime during the year.

To learn more about the local Scout groups, visit the Old Comanche Trail District Facebook page.

Mark Conrad, right, Scout Executive/CEO for the Texas Trails Council, and Matt Wunsch, Pack 81 Cubmaster, speak to parents and kids at the Cub Scout and Boy Scout recruitment rally at South Elementary on Thursday, Sept. 13. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

 

Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan

Cutline, top photo: Matt Wunsch, Pack 81 Cubmaster, speaks with a parent and child about scouting during the local Cub Scout and Boy Scout recruitment rally on Thursday, Sept. 13, at South Elementary. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

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