From Boy Scout Troop 99

This year local Boy Scout Troop 99 of Washington celebrates its 80th anniversary. The Boy Scouts of America had only existed for 28 years when the First United Methodist Church first chartered the troop in 1938. It is rare for a troop to maintain its charter, continuously, for 80 years, making this troop among the oldest in the state, if not the country.

The list of the troop’s 44 Scoutmasters (adult leaders) since its beginning includes a name familiar to many WDN readers – Bartow Houston. The troop records reveal Bartow Houston was the troop’s Scoutmaster from 1945 – 1946. That leader happens to be the father of the Bartow Houston who now writes the “Write Again” column for this this newspaper. The columnist remembers accompanying his father on scout activities even before he, himself, was old enough to join. He officially joined the troop in the early ‘50s. “It was a simpler time,” he recalls. “It was a simpler world.” He fondly tells of attending competitive camping events, known as camporees, adding “We were off to win blue ribbons. How sweet it was.”

Daniel Garcia, current band director at Northside High School, remembers learning lessons about leadership and responsibility during his time with the troop. “My experience taught me the difference between being a leader or simply being in charge,” Garcia says. Once Mr. Garcia started attending summer camp, he never stopped. Over the past 15 years, he has progressed from being a camper, to camp staff, to Camp Director during the summer at Camp Boddie (formerly Camp Bonner) in Blounts Creek. He earned his Eagle in 2010, the year that Boy Scouts of America celebrated its centennial, and has stayed with scouting since his youth.

Regardless of what scout rank a boy achieves or what volunteer position an adult holds, the aim of camping outdoors and learning teamwork is to produce honest people of good character who work hard and give back the community. The troop regularly performs community services projects in Washington and Chocowinity.

The troop will be having an 80th Anniversary Dinner, and invites all who have ever been a part of the Troop 99 family to attend and share good times. Current boy scout, Matthew Taylor, is in his second year with the troop and says he thinks it would be nice for new scouts and scouts from past years to get together at the dinner “to see what they have in common.” He reports his favorite thing about scouting is “the hands-on activities and the camping.” His favorite activities today resemble the same activities Mr. Houston says he remembers enjoying with the troop over 60 years ago.

The dinner will be held at First United Methodist Church in Washington on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Food will be catered by Carryout by Chrislyn. Chrislyn Wedderien, herself, has employed several of the troop’s Eagle Scouts to work in the local eatery, and her own son, Blake Beresheim, achieved Eagle this year.

Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance. Tickets may be purchased from Carryout by Chrislyn or a check may be mailed to First United Methodist Church. Money must be received by Sept. 24.

People are encouraged to bring old pictures, patches and artifacts from their scouting experiences. An awards ceremony for boys will be part of the festivities.

Daniel H. Stevens is a former scoutmaster of Troop 99.

SCOUTMASTERS OF TROOP 99

1938 — WB Carter

1939 ‑— AO Latham

1940 — BL Goodwin

1941-42 — HR Mitchell Jr

1943-44 — Nelson Banks

1945 — Bartow Houston

1946-48 — HR Mitchell Jr

1949 — RC Whitaker

1950 — Carl Fancher

1951 — Nelson Banks

1952 — Haywood Broome Jr.

1953 — John C Whitley Jr.

1954 — John Morgan

1955-56 — Jon Singleton

1957-61 — RB Modlin

1962-63 — Don Wilkinson

1964 — Corbett Leggett

1965-67 — JL Koonce

1968 — Lewis Leggett

1969-71 — John Whitley Jr.

1972 — William Steele

1973-76 — George Sullivan

1977-79 — SA Hackney III

1980 — J Alan Overton Sr.

1981 — Charles Somervell

1982 — James Vosburgh

1983-84 — Frederick Howdy

1985 — John Gray

1986-88 — Curtis Brookshire

1989 — John Gray

1990 — Howell Miller

1991 — Curtis Brookshire

1992 — Frederick Howdy

1993-97 — J. Douglas

1998-2001 — Patrick Griffin

2002-2004 — Norman Hiatt

2004-2005 — Douglas Davis

2005-2013 — Dal Newbold

2013-2014 — David Landing

2014 — Josh Ingram

2014-2018 — Daniel Stevens

2018-Present — Robbie King

 

EAGLE SCOUTS OF TROOP 99

1941 — Richard Kennedy

1943 — Sidney Wells

1954 — James Hackney

1955 — Hackney Hodges

1959 — Butch Howell

1963 — Richard Chestnutt, Hall Michael, Keith Hackney

1964 — James Koonce, Jimmy Boyd

1965 — Dewey Clagett

1966 — Al Gerard, Teeny Jones, William Culler

1967 — William Koonce

1968 — Robert Hackney

1969 — Fredrick Howdy, Larry Smithwick, W. Andrew Wells, Brian Steele, Robert Keys, David Whitley,

1971 — Patrick Wood

1972 — Leon Peele

1973 — George Runion

1976 — Randy Woolard

1977 — Marshall Hall

1978 — Milton Brown

1979 — Edward Paul

1982 — Seth Edwards, Jeffrey Rumley

1983 — Howard Walt Finch

1984 — Carl Smith, Michael Benfield, Samuel McClure

1985 — Franz Holscher

1985 — Eric Seale, Larry Harris

1986 — Brian Johnson, William McLaughlin, John Gray, Thomas Blount, Carter Edwards, Donald Vosburg

1987 — Thomas Mitchell, Charles Motteler

1989 — Marc Brookshire, Roger Seale

1995 — Fredrick Howdy III

1998 — John Thomas

1999 — Kevin Skinner

2000 — Aubrey Taylor, Phillip Vann, Christopher Sawyer

2001 — William Alligood, Thomas Griffin

2002 — James Harriett

2003 — Corey S. Mayer, Christopher Hiatt

2004 — Thomas Womble, Zachary T. Swanner

2005 — Thomas W. Alligood, Zachary T. Ware, Cornelius Partrick, Andrew Tingen, Joshua Carter, Douglas (Craig) Davis

2007 — Graham J. Martin, Jonathan D. Coburn, Justin Sawyer, Mark C. Hamblin, Graham J. Martin

2008 — Ryan Rowe

2009 — Jordan Arnold, Christian A. Hamblin, Davis L. Rumley, Jeffrey C. Swanner

2010 — Kenneth G. Peedin III, Gregory M. Williamitis, Daniel Garcia, Michael Hollis, Wendell Main III

2011 — Charles Pfeiffer, Gavin L. Call, Jeremy A. Alligood, David Talley

2012 — Anderson C. Rish, Steele C. Whichard, Trenton E. Davis, Ryan Cowell

2013 — Luke Rosario, Dwight C. Rish, Morgan L. Peedin, Josh B. Ingram,

2014 — Jacob C. Edwards

2015 — Michael D. Asby, Austin L. Hanchey, Kyle Pontieri, Thomas McKeel

2016 — Michael W. O’Kelley III, Ethan Rish, Simon S. Harris

2018 — Blake Beresheim, Jeremy Jarvis, Remy Huggins, Kevin White