Ducktown Troop 14 from Polk County
March 20, 2025
This week's history blurb is from a longstanding troop from Polk County!
In 1928, Ducktown Troop 14 first registered with the Cumberland Council, moving to the Chattanooga Council in 1931. There is also some evidence of Scouts in Ducktown earlier. They were under the leadership of Lamar Weaver, who helped build a swimming lake with cabins outside Ducktown that was named in his honor, “Lake Lamar.” With frequent swimming practice at Lake Lamar, Copperhill and Ducktown Scouts often won competitions at Lake Winnepesaukah all through the 1930s-1950s. James Howell was Troop 14’s first Eagle Scout in 1931, and since then they have boasted over 25 Eagles. Into the 1980s, scouts took part in tree planting programs to remediate the environmental damage of the mining that led to the infamous “red hills.” With proximity to vast acres of National Forest, Scouts of the Copper Basin had exceptional wilderness experiences, many remembering long trips up Big Frog Mountain. They carried on an almost 100 year tradition of wearing wide brim campaign scout hats, which you may recall the late scoutmaster Phil Sheffer always sported. Sadly COVID and other factors caused the troop to have to disband, close to their 100th anniversary, but their memory lives on!
Credit for much of this information goes to former Troop 14 Scoutmaster John Eberle, and former Troop 10 Scoutmaster William Snell, who collaborated to collect and preserve Ocoee District scouting history.
23rd Annual Friends Of Scouting Luncheon Held Feb. 24
Aiden Castellanet - Student Body President from Signal Mountain Middle High School Interview from CityScope Magazine
The Adventure Begins!
100 years ago in 1925, the Chattanooga Council built their second scout camp, Camp Tsatanugi, the namesake of Boy Scout Road in Hixson. It served as the summer camp for 25 years, and was used for other activities for even longer. Two of the buildings from this camp still stand, now owned by the Highland Sportsman Club, which has done a great job of preserving them. The largest building is Patten Hall, which was given by the sons of John A. Patten in his honor. It served as the dining hall for the camp.
The Original Scout Camp Mascot - Carranza the Mule
Chattanooga's First Scout Camp - Boulder Nook
The Cherokee Area Council's Scout Service Center
The number of new families joining Scouting jumped 148% over the prior year, as parents seek a safe refuge from rising digital risks through authentic outdoor adventures. The number of new families joining Scouting eclipsed the number of those who joined in both 2024 and 2023. Local officials expect that hundreds of boys, girls and families will be welcomed into Cub Scouts as the weather cools. “Every great leader, athlete or innovator can trace their success back to those first, formative steps,” said Jared Pickens, scout executive and CEO of Chattanooga’s Cherokee Area Council, Scouting America. “In Cub Scouts, we empower young people with the courage, curiosity and skills they need to confidently embrace every new challenge and opportunity ahead. And I’m thrilled to be personally involved in the program as both a parent and volunteer.” Cub Scouts is known for offering a fun, welcoming and structured environment where all boys and girls can try new things, build friendships and discover their strengths. It’s more than hiking and camping, it’s about helping kids be prepared for life, Pickens said. Cub Scout programming is calibrated to help kids learn critical real-world skills including teamwork, problem-solving, empathy and perseverance. The program is designed to transform wide-eyed beginners into leaders capable of tackling any challenge with a “can-do” mindset. Over the last year, local Scouts have: ● Delivered 1,874 pounds of food to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank through the “Scouting for Food” drive and over 120,000 pounds of hurricane emergency relief supplies were collected, loaded, and shipped; ● Decorated 58,500 graves of veterans with an American Flag for Memorial Day; and ● Contributed 9,750 hours of community service on their path to Eagle. 58 young people earned the rank of Eagle Scout including 6 girls. Girls now represent 24% of local youth membership. As a parent of a scout, Pickens said he understands that balancing school, sports and other activities can be a challenge. That’s why the organization offers flexible programs that fit into busy schedules. This fall, parents can visit www.BeAScout.org to find a local pack and start their Scouting journey, he said. About Local Scouting Cherokee Area Council, Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost outdoor youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.” Scouting America welcomes all youth into its programs throughout 11 counties across Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. Join Scouting today by visiting www.BeAScout.org . https://www.clevelandbanner.com/news/local-families-join-cub-scouts-at-record-rates-for-august/article_331e3fb3-f792-53b0-a4e9-b1b9869422ae.html https://www.chattanoogan.com/2025/9/17/508705/Local-Families-Join-CubScou ts-At.aspx
Troop 10 Scouts out of Cleveland load up and head out onto the open water, ready for the 100 mile trek ahead. The group spends the week before the six-day trip making sure their skills were ready. "All the scouts on the water had to pass a swimming test. You have to make sure everybody is a proficient swimmer to do something like this," Troop 10 Scoutmaster Shannon Ward said. Ward said the troop has been an aquatics-based group for more than 100 years. "A lot of our scouts are scuba certified. They do a lot of canoeing," she added. The group started on the Ocoee, went through the Hiwassee and ended at Brown's Ferry Marina on the Tennessee River. Boston Heier is a youth leader for the group. He said there were times when the water's currents were challenging. "I definitely think going down the Ocoee was the hardest part. At times, whenever I was taking a break or I wasn't paddling for whatever reason, we would actually go backwards," Heier said. Abby Ross agrees, but said the challenges on the water taught her an important lesson in perseverance and teamwork. "We did a lot of miles. That was a little difficult. Sometimes the big boats would drive by and make waves that we would have to go over," Ross said. The older leaders of the group also had to learn how to work with the younger scouts and different experience levels. "Leading them was definitely a challenge and I definitely learned how to cooperate with them and make sure everyone had a good time," Heier said. A ground team of adults made sure the scouts had campsites and food ready at the beginning and end of each day. But Ward said, the overall goal was for the group to overcome and persevere together, building a bond that's long lasting. "The kids, they know that they make or break this troop. It's all about them. It's all about what they can achieve," Ward said. https://www.local3news.com/local-news/making-a-difference/making-a-difference-local-scout-troop-makes-history-with-100-mile-canoe-trip/article_b2ec1fe8-e80a-4430-aa06-c864a7390ded.html