Re: Were you a member of a Scout Troop?

11/12/09 - posted by patrick

Will, Camp Lilienthal was in the hills above downtown Fairfax. It was a fun, rustic place with tent cabins, main dinning/Rec hall and a swimming pool. It was not far from St. Rita's church because on Sundays members of our Troop 15 walked to church and back. My dad was Scout Master of St. Anne's Troop 15 from 1943 to 1958 and active with Pack 15, the Cub Scouts. The meeting hall was the basement of the old wooden church on Irving St. Initially Scouting was a way for us to break into team sports. We had a Scout base ball team, did quite well in a City League and from that St. Anne's CYO participation started. St. Anne's had no CYO participation prior to this for reasons... He coached numberless CYO baseball and basketball teams through the many years. There were a gazzillion camping trips, snow trips, athletic events and educational happenings. He continued in Scouting long after I moved on. He was instumental in getting Cub Pack softball started. He founded, trained and played in the St. Anne's Drum and Bugle Corp made up of kids from Troop 15 and Pack 15. They marched and performed all over the City and beyond. There were many Scoutarama's about the state but the one in the Cow Palace had Troop 15 operating a model Post Office under my dad's guidence (he was a P.O. supervisor). Letters, commemorative stamps and envelopes etc. became collectors' items around the world. About the time a guy hit the 7th/8th grade Scouting for many became unfashionable and they moved in other directions. My dad received the Archdiocese, St. George Award for servive to youth. Through the years I have met so many guys that say things like "Yea, I remember your dad great guy, great coach. He taught me so many life positive things". Quite an Ole Man. I miss him.