BOY SCOUTS … Chad Baus (right), Archbold Boy Scout Troop3 committee chair, gave Archbold Rotarians an update on the community’s Boy Scout troop that will celebrate its 80th anniversary this year. Troop 63 was chartered in 1944 with LaChoy as its community sponsor. Since then, the Archbold Commercial Club (forerunner of the Archbold Chamber of Commerce) was its sponsor from 1953 to 1964 and the Archbold Lions Club has been its sponsor since 1964. The program was arranged by Rotarian Matt Mello (left), a former Boy Scout himself. (PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
Archbold Boy Scout Troop 63 has been helping young men develop lifelong skills and values for 80 years. Formed in 1944 with LaChoy as its community sponsor, some 50 scouts have earned scouting’s highest honor – Eagle Scout.
Chad Baus, who is Troop 63’s committee chair, shared some of the highlights of the troop’s 80-year history recently with Archbold Rotarians.
He confessed that he wasn’t a scout growing up. However, once his young sons brought information home from school about becoming a Cub Scout, he quickly decided to get involved himself.
And he’s been involved in one way or another ever since – even after his sons were too old for scouting themselves.
Baus explained that boys can be part of Cub Scouts from kindergarten through fifth grade and then become Boy Scouts through the age of 18. He noted that Troop 63 currently has seven members.
The COVID-19 years were tough on scouting as so much of scouting revolves around the activities that the troop does together.
From learning skills that younger scouts are taught by the older scouts to camping and other outdoor activities and their weekly meetings every Tuesday at the Scout Cabin in Ruihley Park, scouting is hands-on.
Group activities didn’t occur during COVID, Baus explained, and Zoom meetings just weren’t the same. He noted that girls can now participate in the Boy Scout program; however, they would need a separate troop. Unfortunately, Archbold doesn’t have a girls’ troop he said.
Troop 63 wasn’t the first Boy Scout Troop in Archbold. Baus said there were two earlier troops; however, each only lasted a few years.
Recently, when the troop needed new adult leadership, Baus and others immediately stepped up.
“Scouting has done so much for our family,” he explained. “It’s too valuable, too important not to step up when leadership is needed.”
Many Rotarians acknowledged that scouting played an important role in their development. Some were even Eagle Scouts.
Baus encouraged Rotarians and others to consider helping the scouting program.