Boy Scout Troop 86 spaghetti dinner is this Sunday

Boy Scout Troop 86 will hold its annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the St. John’s United Church of Christ on Wooster Avenue in Dover. The dinner is one of two major fundraisers the troop holds each year to finance its operations and programs.

“We have sit-down dining if you want to come in and eat,” said Mark Perry, Scoutmaster. “We have carryout dining if you want to walk in, carry it out and take it home. And we also offer a drive-thru pickup service if you just want to drive through, get it and take off.”

Whichever way you take it, dinners include spaghetti, a salad, bread and butter, and a dessert and are $9. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Those who choose to dine in also will get a beverage.

Perry, who has been involved with Scouting since 1976, said two Scouts are still trying to earn their Polar Bear Badges.

“Mason Tidrick and Kayden Pringle still have one more campout in freezing temperatures to earn their badges,” Perry said. “I was a Boy Scout as a youth. I left the area, went to college and came back as an adult. Another adult member of this troop said he was struggling to find leadership and asked me to be his assistant. He turned the trip over to me as Scoutmaster, and I’ve been Scoutmaster twice for a total of about 24 years.”

Once they earn their badges, the entire troop will have earned Polar Bear Badges, which requires them to camp in 32 F or lower in canvas tents or open canvas or an Adirondack open building, not a cabin.

“Currently, the troop has seven Scout members and 14 leaders,” Perry said. “We’re heavy on leadership, and that’s rare in Scouting. It’s a good thing because some troops have trouble getting enough leaders to even register a troop.”

The spaghetti dinner and a fall popcorn sale help fund troop activities such as camping at the Seven Ranges Campground in Carroll County and tobogganing at Strongsville Toboggan Chutes and Chalet.

According to Perry, Scouting teaches leadership and life skills. “You have to be 11 years old or 10 1/2 and completed fifth grade. A senior patrol leader runs the troop, and from an early age, they’re learning leadership skills. We’ve had kids here that were important members of their band in high school or they ran for student government.”

Perry said a lot of former Scouts come back as leaders. “And we’ve got some that left the area and then came back with their own sons and got involved.”

Jim Dreher said, “One of our former Scouts actually worked in Washington, D.C., and others have gone on to military academies or college and taken on leadership positions in industry and in their communities.”

Those wishing to attend the spaghetti dinner should get there early or plan to wait a bit, as the annual event typically draws about 300 diners.

Troop 86 is always looking to attract new members. They meet every Monday from 6:30-8 p.m. at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 409 N. Wooster Ave., Dover.