Troop 68: Friendships formed and bonds made

They wanted to soar with the eagles, but first, they had to learn to fly.

The assignments took time. The process required courage and resolve. Things didn’t always go according to the blueprint.

Yet ultimately, it was “mission accomplished” for Wooster’s Tom Hilt and his son, James. Both buckled down, followed the comprehensive flight plan offered by the Boy Scouts of America and ascended to the rank of Eagle Scout.

“It’s something we’re both proud of even today,” the 70-year-old father of two said as he reflected on the merits of Scouting.

A former Scoutmaster, Hilt said despite the assortment of challenges and interests that confront today’s youth, the perks of the program are as relevant as ever.

“I still think that outside of what students get in school, Scouting teaches kids to learn on their own and to think on their own. They learn so many skills of life,” the senior Hilt said. “All you have to do is look at the number of astronauts, presidents and military leaders who have been Scouts. Just look at the leadership in this country. You’ll find a lot of former Scouts. I think it’s the best youth movement we’ve ever had.”

Hilt has enjoyed a 23-year association with BSA Troop 68, one of several Boy Scout organizations in the immediate area. He got increasingly more involved when James, now 37 years of age and a resident of the Cleveland area, joined up.

Troop 68, with James Norris serving as the current Scoutmaster, may not be the biggest of the local troops, but it’s the second oldest at age 91. The troop’s charter organization is Church of the Cross United Methodist, under the guidance of Rev. Kris Patt. The Scouts meet each Monday night at that location.

Hilt said Troop 68 and all Scouting organizations have endeavored to adjust to the times, especially during the last 15 months of the coronavirus outbreak. COVID-19 has made for some tough sledding in terms of fundraising, recruiting, and the scheduling of activities and meetings. The Zoom platform has become one of the primary tools of communication.

“I’m very proud of what has come out of our (Buckeye) Council when it comes to changing with the times,” Hilt said.

Part of the evolution of Troop 68 was the inclusion of girls beginning four years ago. At present there are five boys and seven girls in the group.

Hilt said this major international transformation came to light when he attended the World Jamboree in West Virginia two years ago. “In the rest of the world, Scouting is both boys and girls,” he said. “This was an eye-opener for me.”

As for fundraising, Hilt said the troop has had to “re-invent the wheel” to keep money coming in. To that end, the group has successfully conducted a pancake dinner and a drive-thru fish fry. Most recently, the troop held a drive-thru steak dinner. Patrons were able to stay in their cars to pick up their pre-ordered dinners.

Over the years one of the Scouts’ major fundraisers has been its parking operation at the Wayne County Fair. Though this revenue was lost last fall because of the pandemic and the reduction of the fair’s overall scope, the Scouts are hoping for a robust return to parking duty come this September.

“Truthfully, our recruiting the past few months has pretty much been limited to word of mouth,” Hilt said. “The pandemic made holding meetings and recruiting new members extraordinarily difficult.”

One of the ongoing benefits of Scouting will always be the friendships formed and bonds made. Hilt said that’s always been a hallmark of the effort. He likens the relationships to those formed in a fraternity.

“My son and I keep in touch with many people we’ve met in Scouting through the years,” he said. “In Scouting it’s always been said that if you get one kid, they’ll bring a friend. And if they don’t have a friend, they’ll find one.”