Introduction

The task of compiling a history of Boy Scout Troop 64 has been a challenging one. Records at the Council Office seemed to go back only to 1945 even though we knew there was a Scout Troop in Carversville in the 1920s and again in the 1930s. Until recently the only references we could find about these early years were in the minutes of the Carversville Church and from two men who were Scouts in Carversville in the 1930’s. When Ned Harrington compiled his extensive history of the Carversville Church a few years back he read through all the minutes of the Church and he very kindly copied me on any references to Scouting. The late Harvey Walton was a Scout in Troop 64 in the 1930’s and his father served as Committee Chairman. Harvey remained active in Scouting all his life and I got to know him as a Scout Leader. He attended Troop 64’s 35^th Anniversary in 1980. Clarence Overpeck and his wife, Joyce, have been friends of Troop 64 for many years. Clarence was a Scout in Troop 64 in the 1930’s and his father served on the Troop Committee.  Recently we asked Clarence to attend one of our Scout meetings to talk to our Scouts about what it was like to be a Scout in the 1930’s. He gave a very interesting presentation and had a good memory of others who were involved in the Troop. After that I pursued the search for early records of Troop 64 at the Council Office. Eventually they were located. The records had been misfiled, perhaps over 50 years ago.  The information contained in this booklet is taken from a combination of Council records, Carversville Christian Church minutes, Troop records, interviews and correspondence with former Scouts and leaders, news clippings from the New Hope Gazette and other papers, and photos.  Any additional information or corrections would be appreciated.

The Early Roots of Scouting in Carversville

The earliest record of Scouting in Carversville goes back to August of 1921 when the Rev. Charles Gerlinger and Harry Foster of the Carversville Presbyterian Church took the Boy Scouts to “a camp at Uhlerstown for a week’s outing.”  How long the Troop was active in the 1920’s we don’t know.

On March 28, 1931 “A group of Citizens of Carversville” agreed to sponsor a Scout Troop. At that time small groups of Scouts were often considered “Tribes of Lone Scouts” if they weren’t large enough to be a Boy Scout Troop. The group was chartered as “Carversville Tribe No. 1.” The paperwork was marked BSA Region 3 (the Northeast Region), Council 777 (Bucks County Council’s number) and Tribe 64. We would presume that this group was the 64^th Tribe or Troop to be chartered in Bucks County. In other years they were referred to as “Carversville Troop No. 1″ and “Lone Scout Tribe No. 64″ on the same paperwork. The Troop last re-chartered on June 21, 1937. Sometime during the next year the Troop was disbanded, along with over 6,000 other Scout Troops, due to a shortage of leaders brought on by World War II. In all, 29 boys were listed on the rosters during these seven years. When they met at the Carversville Church they had to fire up a generator if they needed lights and they had to build a fire in the pot bellied stove if they needed heat. They would hike and camp locally. Twice they went to Camp Buccou, the forerunner to Camp Ockanickon, located near Flemington, New Jersey. Annual events included decorating the Veterans graves in the Carversville Cemetery and participating in a Memorial Day observation in Carversville. One of their more ambitious projects was in 1933 when they collected two truckloads of food and provisions for Hoxie’s Philadelphia Harmonica Band for their week long camp at Deer Park, near New Hope. The Scouts camped here and were there for the concert along with 2,500 other people. The Buckingham and Rushland Harmonica Bands also participated in the grand event.

Organizing Troop 64

On October 3, 1944, the Rev. Philip Sailor made the following report: “A roster of boys has been secured who are now candidates for becoming Boy Scouts.  The full organization of this group awaits our sanction and sponsorship as a Church.  Thus, it is my hope you may see fit to vote at this meeting.  Mr. DuBree, who has had wide experience in work of this kind in Philadelphia, together with Mr. Tomlinson, stand ready to lead the group of boys in their enterprise.  My desire to have the Church sponsor this movement is strengthened by the fact that a group of young people just a little older than this group has almost completely been alienated from us through influences with which we seem to have failed to find a successful way to cope.  This, as will be readily recognized, constitutes a problem such as I had in mind when I began this report. The group which we failed up to now to influence for good, needs the heartiest cooperation of all the forces available to us, such as the public school and the home to enable us to correct as far as possible our failure.”  Earl Blair made a presentation about the principles of Scouting.  After some discussion, it was voted that the Carversville Church would sponsor the organizing of a local Scout Troop.  A committee was appointed which consisted of Rev. Sailor, Charles Hargens, Henry Wendte, Harvey Overpeck, Eli Hunsburger, Frank Magill, and James Walton.

The first Charter listed Albert Dubree as Scoutmaster and Charles Hargens as Committee Chairman.  However, Mr. Dubree wasn’t able to continue in the position for long, so Frank Tomlinson stepped in as Scoutmaster until a replacement could be found.  Harvey Overpeck took over for a while, then Clarence Ruth, a hired hand on the Magill farm, was recruited as Scoutmaster, but he moved from the area before he ever started in the position.  Charles Hargens took over the reigns of the Troop as Scoutmaster from 1946 to 1952 and brought an element of stability that firmly established Troop 64.

The Hargens years

Troop 64 excelled and grew under the leadership of Charles Hargens.  They attended Camp Ockanickon each summer where the Troop earned the coveted Honor Troop Award in 1948 and 1949.  Troop Record Books indicate that Troop meetings were well attended and that there were regular activities such as camp-outs and hikes.  On April 5, 1949, Charles Hargens reported to the Church that there were 27 Scouts including four Eagle Scouts.  On January 8, 1952 he reported 30 Scouts and 15 Cubs, from the recently formed Pack 64, ready to join.  A number of Charles Hargens’ Scouts served as models for his illustrations.  Troop or Patrol meetings were sometimes held in his studio.  By October of 1952 when Charles Hargens stepped down as Scoutmaster (at the age of 59) six Scouts had earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

On January 5, 1953, Lester Pitman presented an interesting and thought provoking report on behalf of the Church sponsored Scouting movement.  “High tribute was paid Mr. Charles Hargens for his untiring, continuous, and sympathetic efforts as Scoutmaster for the past eight years.”  Although he stepped down as Scoutmaster, he continued to be involved in Scouting.  We have a picture of Mr. Hargens at Camp Ockanickon in 1954 with Mr. Charles Kaufmann.  In 1957, he helped lead a basic training program for Cub Scout Leaders.  Charles Hargens also served as a Neighborhood Commissioner (similar to a Unit Commissioner today) for about 10 years.  He attended Troop 64 Courts of Honor and other special occasions throughout the 1960’s.  He attended Troop 64’s 35th Anniversary Dinner in 1980, even as he was preparing to leave on a trip to France early the next morning.  He painted two large murals for the Bucks County Council, Boy Scouts of America.  One was of Washington crossing the Delaware.  It was used for several National Scout Jamborees, most recently at the 1973 National Scout Jamboree held at Morraine State Park near Pittsburgh.  It was also used as a backdrop at the Camp Ockanickon campfire site for a number of years.  Today it is on display at the Council office in Doylestown.  The other was of William Penn sailing up the Delaware.  We have a preliminary drawing of that mural, but the disposition of the original is unknown.  Charles Hargens was awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Bucks County Council in 1953.

The 1950’s

H. Walter Miller took over as Scoutmaster for about a year after Charles Hargens.  Then Charles Kaufmann, an Assistant Scoutmaster, became Scoutmaster and held the position from 1953-1956.  Church records indicate that Jack Wright may have also served as Scoutmaster for a short time.  Earl Nichols had recently moved to the area and was approached by Institutional Representative Mahlon Pritchard to become Scoutmaster.  Church records indicated a lack of leaders at this time.  The only way Earl Nichols was able to get Mahlon Pritchard to leave was to say “yes”.  He served as Scoutmaster from 1956-1961.  By 1955 Scouting had caught on in the area and there were three other Troops in the area competing for members.  A Troop and Cub Pack had been established in New Hope and Cub Packs and Scout Troops were in the process of being formed in Solebury and Point Pleasant.  Lester Pitman attended the 1953 National Scout Jamboree in California.  There was a number of community fund raising projects such as bake sales and auctions to help earn the needed funds.  James Hake represented Troop 64 at the 1957 National Scout Jamboree.  One Scout was sent to the 1960 National Scout Jamboree in Colorado Springs.  During this time, the Troop would often hike the Appalachian Trail or go to Hawk Mountain.  They also used a campsite on the Tinsman’s property.  Camp Ockanickon continued to be the choice of Troop 64 for summer camp.  Some of the other leaders and committee members included Bill Tinsman, Ira Chilton, Doug Magill, Eric Murrill, Charlie Whitehead, Dave Burd, Henry Wendte, Abe Hake, Al Roberts, Willard Heckman, John Shiffer, Jerry Handshu, Richard Roe, and the Rev. Anderson.

The 1960’s

In 1961, Joseph H. Feindt, Sr., took over as Scoutmaster.  He was initially assisted by Troop 64 Alumnus Denis Michener as an Assistant Scoutmaster.  By the mid 1960’s, William R. Tompkins and Fred Troutman were assisting.  The Troop was active during this time having regular campouts, attending summer camp, District and Council Camporees, and other activities.  In the summer of 1965 Troop 64 sponsored Scout Owen Lewis from London, England.  While he was visiting the United States the Troop took him to visit the World’s Fair and to Canada.  In 1966 this hospitality was reciprocated when Jeff Mays of Troop 64 was selected to visit England for the summer.  In 1967 when Joseph Feindt stepped down as Scoutmaster, Fred Troutman took over for a year followed by William S. Clark, Jr.

The 1970’s

In 1969, William R. Tompkins assumed the position of Scoutmaster.  Troop 64 celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 1970 with a banquet held at the Carversville Church.  Troop 64 participated in the District and Council activities and attended Camp Ockanickon each summer.  The Troop camped at Franklin Howes’ farm and at the Troop cabin regularly during this time.  A rather unique fund raising project helped the Troop earn over $1600 in the early 1970’s.  The Troop was given 80 tons, or about half a dozen tractor-trailer loads of empty Lavoris mouth wash bottles to recycle.  The first couple of trucks were unloaded and the cartons were stored in Franklin Howes barn.  Other cartons were stored in a barn owned by the Burd’s.  Ken Davis provided a tractor-trailer dump truck for the Scouts to dump the bottles into and crush before being taken to a recycling plant and sold.  Some of this money was used to purchase a canoe, some tents, and other camping equipment for the Troop.  A used trailer was purchased by Tony Canike of the New Hope Diner and given to the Troop.  It was used for about ten years to store and transport equipment for the Troop.  Some of the leaders assisting during this time included Denis Michener, Richard Knower, Earl Nichols, and Ken Davis.  Boards of Reviews for Scout advancement were regularly conducted by Abe Hake, Joseph Feindt, and Franklin Howes.

William R. Tompkins stepped down as Scoutmaster in 1973, but continued to stay active in Scouting.  He served as a Unit Commissioner, Assistant District Commissioner, District Commissioner, and District Scout Chairman.  He also designed Bucks County Council’s first Council shoulder patch, the Delaware Canal Trail patch, several patches for Camp Ockanickon, and other District and Council patches.  In 1976, William R. Tompkins was awarded the Silver Beaver by the Bucks County Council.

Troop 64 Alumnus Denis Michener became Scoutmaster in 1973.  The highlight of his tenure as Scoutmaster was the trip to the 1973 National Scout Jamboree at Morraine State Park near Pittsburgh.  This was the last National Scout Jamboree that a troop could attend as a Troop.  While at the Jamboree, Troop 64 was filmed at the wheelbarrow race event.  This footage later aired on the “Go Show” hosted by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding.  Troop 64 was the only Troop on the show to be identified along with their home town.  Perhaps the most memorable moments of the Jamboree were the opening and closing ceremonies in the large arena.  It took about three hours for 35,000 Scouts and leaders to march in six abreast and fill the arena with red jackets and red berets, the official hat for the Jamboree.  Troop 64’s gateway was in the shape of a keystone, for Pennsylvania, and suspended a large painted version of Bucks County Council’s first Council shoulder patch.  The painted shoulder patch was later presented to Camp Ockanickon where it welcomed visitors at the Camp entrance for many years.  Denis C. Michener was also one of the leaders for a trip to Adventure Unlimited canoe base in 1972.

Kenneth B. Davis served as the Troop’s next Scoutmaster from 1974 to 1977.  The Troop was active and camped out often.  The District Camporees and Klondike Derbys were always attended.  Camp Ockanickon was attended by the Troop each summer.

By 1977 the Troop was down to eight members, but Pack 64 was thriving with over 30 members soon to become Scouts.  Dean C. Messick stepped in as Scoutmaster for a year, but stepped down suddenly in 1978 just before the Troop was to go to Camp Ockanickon.  The Troop attended camp as a provisional unit, but it was not an ideal situation as most of the Scouts were first year campers.  David Hewlett agreed to serve as Scoutmaster for a year with help from Ted Nichols.  There was a good nucleus of Scouts to work with and more were coming from Pack 64.  Due to the bad experience some of the Scouts had at camp the previous summer, the Troop  had to look for other options for a summer activity in 1979.  Troop 64 learned of a week long Jamboree being held near Toronto, Ontario in July of 1979.  Thanks to Bill McCleary, who was working in the International Division of the BSA National Offices in New Brunswick, Troop 64 was put in touch with Joe Kuhn in the Morris-Sussex Council, New Jersey.  Joe Kuhn had chartered a bus to go to this Jamboree and had just enough seats for Troop 64 to travel with him.  The Jamboree was a huge success.  Friends were made at the Jamboree such as Tony Shepperd and Bob Lewis who we still visit and camp with in Stoney Creek, Ontario the first weekend of June each year.  Ted Nichols became Scoutmaster about two weeks before leaving on the trip to the Greater Toronto Region Jamboree in Brantford, Ontario.  By the end of 1979 the Troop was up to 22 active Scouts.

The Traveling Scout Troop

In 1980, Troop 64 attended its first Stoney Creek International Weekend in Canada.  Most years since then, the Troop has returned for this Camporee where they have become known for making donuts.  After the Saturday evening campfire, Troop 64 makes several batches of donuts and shares them with other campers.  We even met a tourist in Alaska in 1993 that had heard of our donut making at Stoney Creek!  In 1980, Troop 64 had a successful week at Camp Ockanickon, but future summer plans for Troop 64 were about to take a change.  In 1981 the Troop planned to attend the Canadian National Scout Jamboree (CJ-81) in Calgary, Alberta.  Original plans were to buy plane tickets and fly out, but that changed when Troop 64 was offered a school bus that was being retired by Emmanuel Reformed Episcopal Church of Four Brooks, Pipersville.  Troop 64 invested the money that would have been spent on plane tickets into overhauling the bus and buying insurance.  The first test drive for the bus was a six thousand mile trip to Calgary, Alberta.  The Canadian Jamborees still allowed whole troops to attend; Troop 64 had two patrols at the Jamboree.  The trip also included visits to the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, the Calgary Stampede, Glacier National Park, Banff, Lake Louise, and the Columbian Icefields.  Leaders for this trip included Ted Nichols, Earl Nichols (who did most of the work preparing the bus), Bob Keely, and John Parks.  Travelling by Scout  Bus   was the way to go!

Troop 64 continued to use the bus and traveled to New England in the fall of 1981, then to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 1982.  Troop 64 traveled to Toronto to participate in a parade celebrating 75 years of Scouting in Canada.  In the summer of 1982, Troop 64 took their bus on a 7,000-mile trip through the southwestern states visiting the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Hoover Dam, Mesa Verde, Pikes Peak and more!  Leaders for this trip included Ted Nichols, Earl Nichols, and Rick Werkheiser.  Later in the year, the Troop visited the 1982 Worlds Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee.  In 1982 Troop 64 traveled over 10,000 miles through 22 States.

“Illegally impersonating a school bus”?

In 1983 Troop 64 embarked on yet another journey with its bus.  This time it was a 9,000-mile, three and a half week, trip to Alaska.  The Troop traveled up the Alaska Highway, which at the time was only about half paved.  Soon after arriving in Alaska, a State Trooper pulled the bus over and gave the Troop a ticket for driving a yellow bus.  It seems they have a law up there that doesn’t permit a bus to be yellow unless it is transporting students to and from school.  Troop 64 had seven days to “paint the bus or leave the state”.  The trip continued without event until the Anchorage Times ran a story and photo on page one stating that the Scouts were charged with “illegally impersonating a school bus”.  Troop 64 became an overnight celebrity.  The wire services picked up on it and everywhere Troop 64 went people had heard about the problem.  Even USA Today and the National Law Journal reported the story.  Once in Juneau (after the seven days were up) Troop 64 met the mayor of Juneau, who offered his assistance if the State Police gave them a hard time.  John Gambling of WOR Radio in New York was in Juneau at the time and interviewed the Troop.  On the return trip Troop 64 visited the XV World Scout Jamboree in Calgary.  Ted Nichols, David Barclay, and John Bell were leaders for this trip.  This year the Troop traveled over 12,000 miles by bus and 700 miles by ferry to make it a very eventful and memorable year.

In 1984, the Troop attended Camp Ockanickon.  This year Ted Nichols got married and opened his own photography business; therefore he didn’t have as much time to travel with the Troop.  There was also a shortage of other adult leaders at the time.  The bus was stored at Franklin Howes’ farm and run periodically, but it wouldn’t take any long trips for another five years.  In 1987 Andy Zeek brought a den of Webelos from the Danboro Cub Pack and gave the Troop a good shot in arm.  The Troop continued to grow and in 1989 the bus was put in shape for a trip to the Canadian Scout Jamboree at Prince Edward Island.  After the Jamboree, the Troop visited Nova Scotia and Newfoundland before returning home.  Ted Nichols, Andy Zeek, Kurt Spence, Bill Bentrim, and Tim Nichols served as leaders for this trip.  With the contacts made at this Jamboree, the Troop was invited to attend the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Jamboree in 1991.  Ted Nichols, Andy Zeek, Richard Thomas, and Craig Forbes were leaders for this trip.  As expected, Troop 64 made lots of donuts at each of these Jamborees.  In 1991, Don Woodling brought his Webelos Den from Danboro to Troop 64 and became active with the Troop.  In 1992 Troop 64 traveled with its infamous yellow Scout bus to the southeastern United States, including New Orleans, Florida, Cape Hatterus, and Williamsburg.  By the end of this trip the bus had been in every state, except Iowa, Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

The Big One

In 1993, Troop 64 embarked on its most ambitious trip ever.  This would be a five and a half week, 13,000-mile trip to CJ-93 in Calgary, and then back to Alaska for the second time via the five states through which the bus hadn’t yet traveled.  In addition, the Troop traveled to Dawson City, Yukon, then up the Dempster Highway, above the Arctic Circle to Fort McPhereson in the Northwest Territories where the sun barely sets during the summer.  On the return trip, Troop 64 visited the U.S. National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.  Leaders for this trip included Ted Nichols, Don Woodling, Bill Woodling, Kurt Spence, Gary Fuller, Andy Zeek, and Tim Nichols.

What’s Next?

Now that the yellow Scout Bus has visited all 49 Continental States, the District of Columbia, all ten Canadian Provinces, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories, it is time to look for a replacement.  Ned Harrington would like to see us take the bus to Hawaii for one last trip, but we weren’t able to find a freighter or a military transport plane that is willing to take the bus. These trips add up to about 60,000 miles that Troop 64 has traveled with the bus.  The opportunities and experiences the Scouts have had on these trips are educational and memorable.  The Scouts have always worked together well on these extended trips and demonstrated leadership.

New Bus

 In 1995, Charles Hargens allowed Troop 64 to reproduce his painting of Chief Joseph Whitebull in a signed and numbered edition of 300 prints. In 1996 he allowed the Troop to reproduce his painting of The Lamplighter in an edition of 200 signed and numbered prints. Charles Hargens was 103 years old when he signed the Lamplighter prints. A reception was held at the Carversville Church when each of these prints was released. Charles Hargens was our honored guest and many of his former Scouts and members of the community attended these events and purchased prints.

On the Road Again!

In 1997, Troop 64 located a suitable bus that had been very well cared for and garage kept since new. It was painted green, not yellow, so it wouldnot be a problem to take this bus to Alaska. The bus was purchased in June of 1997 and within two weeks the Troop was off to CJ-97, the Canadian National Scout Jamboree in Thunder Bay, Ontario. After the Jamboree the Troop traveled to Mitchell, South Dakota, where they delivered the first box from Charles Hargens studio to the Friends of the Middle Border Museum, now known as the Dakota Discovery Museum. The museum has since built a new 30,000 square foot building that houses Charles Hargens  studio in a post and beam barn built on the second floor of the building. The studio was built to replicate Charles Hargens  Carversville studio.

In 1998, Troop 64 toured the southeastern United States. From the Smoky Mountains to Stone Mountain and from Colonial Williamsburg to the French Quarter of New Orleans, the Scouts saw many different landscapes and sampled a variety of foods. The dinner and jazz cruise on a sternwheeler on the Mississippi River gave the Scouts an opportunity to try some alligator jambalaya and blackened catfish. The also visited Cape Kennedy Space Center, Fort Sumter, and the Andersonville Civil War prison camp. One of the highlights of the trip was when they met former President Jimmy Carter in Plains, Georgia.

In 1999, Troop 64 traveled to Newfoundland to attend the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincal Jamboree. The Newfies always put on a great Jamboree and the Troop is always made to feel so welcome each time we visit. The Scouts also visited the Viking ruins in L=anse aux Meadows and took a ferry to Labrador and drove to the end of the road at Red Bay, an old whaling village. They also took a ferry from Fortune, Newfoundland to St. Pierre, France for a day trip.

In 2000, Troop 64 toured the southwestern United States. Highlights of the trip included Pikes Peak, the Air Force Academy, Durango & Silverton Railroad, Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, the Alamo, and Graceland. They even walked across the bridge from Texas to a Mexican border town.

In 2001, Troop 64 attended CJ-01, the Canadian National Scout Jamboree held on Prince Edward Island. The Jamboree was divided into ten subcamps, each one hosted by a Canadian Province. Troop 64 was in the subcamp hosted by Newfoundland and camped near many of their Newfie friends. Troop 64 continued its tradition of making donuts one evening during the Jamboree. They are always a hit and it was especially fun for our Scouts to have their friends from Newfoundland helping to make the donuts.

In 2002, Troop 64 traveled across country to the Pacific Northwest. Their first stop was in Mitchell, South Dakota, where they visited the newly constructed Middle Border Museum (now the Dakota Discovery Museum) and viewed Charles Hargens= studio and paintings. Then it was on to the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Salt Lake City, the Oregon Trail, Mount St. Helens, the Pike Place Market in Seattle, and Yellowstone National Park.

In 2003, Troop returned to Newfoundland to attend the Newfoundland & Labrador Provincal Jamboree. Our Scouts did a lot of activities with their Newfie friends from 1999 and 2001. Buddy Wasisname, a popular Newfoundland entertainer even stopped by Troop 64’s campsite at the Jamboree. The Carversville Scouts were planning to sing one of his songs at the talent show that evening, so he got out his guitar and rehearsed with the Troop. Our friends from Newfoundland couldn’t believe that Buddy Wasisname stopped by the Jamboree to visit a group of Scouts from the states! Maybe next time they will invite him to perform at the jamboree.

In 2004, Ron Norton led the Troop on a week long canoe trip down the Susquehanna River.

This summer Troop 64 has a group of Scouts attending the US National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill, Virginia, in July and a group going on a wilderness canoe trip at the BSA Northern Tier Canoe Base in western Ontario in August.

Camp Ockanickon plays an important part in Troop 64=s summer program. Each summer the Troop spends a week at camp in addition to any other bus trips or other activities planned. A number of Troop 64 Scouts have served as Camp Counselors over the years.

The new Troop 64 Scout Bus has now traveled through 47 continental states and the eastern provinces. That leaves North Dakota and Alaska and the western Canadian provinces. Troop 64 hopes to make its third trip to Alaska in the next few years. Some Troop 64 Scouts have signed up for the 2006 trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, sponsored by Bucks County Council. Other major events coming up include the Canadian National Scout Jamboree to be held in Ottawa in 2007. This Jamboree will mark the 100^th Anniversary of Scouting in Canada. The next Newfoundland Jamboree will probably be held in 2008 or 2009. You can be sure Troop 64 will be there.

Post 64

Any discussion of Troop 64 would be incomplete without mentioning Explorer Post 64.  On August 26, 1949, the Carversville Church voted to sponsor an Explorer Post.  At this time Explorers were basically Senior Scouts (age 14 and up) who held Post meetings to continue working on Scout advancement and have more challenging outdoor activities.  In 1951, Post 64 built a cabin on the towpath south of Lumberville on the property of William Taylor, Sr. They used the cabin to hold their meetings.  In 1955, the cabin was moved by floodwater to its current location and it was no long usable for Post meetings.  A year or so later, they were able to jack it up and secure it on new footings.  The cabin continued to be used by both Troop 64 and Post 64.  In the 1970’s and 1980’s the cabin was used by the Troop regularly and some repairs were made.  However, today it stands in poor condition and is in need of major work to make it usable.  In the 1970’s, the Exploring program was revised and Posts could elect to be career oriented or high adventure, with the later being more like the traditional Explorer program.  Exploring also became co-ed.  Scouts who joined high adventure Posts could continue working on Scout advancement until they reached the age of 18.  For a while Post 64 was considered an emergency preparedness Post, although it basically remained a high adventure post taking canoe trips on the Delaware and to Adventure Unlimited Canoe Base in Quebec.  The Post has been kept alive on paper although it hasn’t been very active for a few years.  Some of our Scouts are dual registered with the Post and take part in an Explorer volleyball league.  Post 64 is one of the oldest Posts in the Bucks County Council.  The J. Walter Livezey’s, both junior and senior were active in running the Post in the 1950’s.  Clarence Keating served as Post Advisor for about a year, resigning in 1960 when he moved.  Bill Tinsman then served as “temporary” Post Advisor until a replacement could be found.  In 1963, after assisting Bill Tinsman for two years, Dave Hewlett took over and served as Advisor for more than 20 years.  Dick and Norma Knower followed him.

Adventure Unlimited

Dave Hewlett took his first trip to Adventure Unlimited wilderness canoe base in Quebec back in 1953 or 1954 with a Post from Doylestown.  He knew Homer Hicks who was establishing this high adventure camp.  The first trip was about two months long and required a week of travel time each way.  They had to take all of the food they would need with them as there was no place to buy food.  There would be plenty of fish and lots of clean water.  Those who went on the first trip missed the first few weeks of school in September.  During the 1960’s Dave Hewlett took groups up almost every summer.  Leonard Lee Rue was the legendary guide at the camp.  Indian Charlie would come to base camp each summer and build a birch bark canoe or a birch bark tepee.  Our own Todd Mays, later served as a trail guide for Adventure Unlimited.  By the 1970’s it only took 18 hours to travel from Carversville to Lac Landron Base Camp; If you didn’t have any flat tires or run out of gas.  The last two groups to travel to AU were led by Dick Knower and Doug Hake in 1972 and 1978.  Although Dave Hewlett continued to travel there most summers, his health was not up to taking a group out on the trail.

A typical week at Adventure Unlimited started with a swimming test in the VERY frigid Lac Landron at Base Camp.  Before leaving base camp you learned to eat with only a bowl and a spoon.  If you wanted a drink you would have to rinse out your bowl and fill it with tea or water.  After eating you would take your bowl and spoon to the sandy shore and use a handful of sand to scour out the bowl, then take it back and rinse it with hot tea and lay it out to dry.  Once out on the trail, the scenery was tranquil and unspoiled.  The fishing was good and occasionally you might see a bear or other wildlife.  There were often berries at the campsite to pick and have with your oatmeal for breakfast or with your pudding for dessert.  The rapids were always a challenge.  Once back at base camp, you were treated to a feast the night before heading home.  Often there would be a fire in the tepee Charlie built to take the chill off the evening breeze.  One clear night the group lay on the beach at Lake Farbus and were dazzled by the dancing colors in the sky from the aurora borealis.  There were also shooting stars and satellites visible since there were no lights in the sky for hundreds of miles.

The New Hope Auto Show

Troop 64 and Post 64 got involved with the New Hope Auto Show in 1969.  The first year each Troop had a separate booth and sold something different.  Albert Hake had a vision for a more coordinated effort between the various Scouting units and worked to bring everyone together under one tent.  Initially the food concession was split five ways between Troop 34, Troop and Post 43, and Troop and Post 64.  Today just the 3 Scout Troops are involved.  With the joint effort each unit was able to earn $1,000 to $2,000 most years depending on the weather conditions.  After Abe Hake stepped down as the representative from Carversville Norma Knower stepped in and has been faithfully arranging and coordinating the Scout’s food tent ever since.  Troop 64 is appreciative of the 18 years Pat Livezey (wife of Troop 64 Eagle Blair Livezey) spent as Chairperson of the New Hope Auto Show before her death in 1994. With the demise of the New Hope Auto Show Troop 64 made contacts with the new, smaller one day long Buckingham Auto Show and have successfully been running a food concession there for about the last five years.

Community Service

Perhaps Troop 64’s first service project was part of the War effort.  The Troop was assigned shifts for watching for enemy aircraft in a 40 foot tower in a field at Solebury School.  If they saw anything or heard anything there was a button to push that called an Army hotline.  Scouts remember Charles Hargens wearing an Air Police ID button.  Over the years numerous other service projects have been carried out by the Troop as a whole or as Eagle Scout service projects benefiting the Church, the local community, and other organizations.  Two Eagle projects that benefited the Carversville Church include the walkway between the back parking lot and the front parking lot and the restoration of the old cemetery behind the Church.

Teddy Bear

Ted E. Bear became Troop 64’s mascot in 1979.  Brad Cannon and Shanti Amagasu purchased him at a rest stop on the New York Thruway on the way to the Toronto Regional Jamboree.  When Troop 64 returned from the Jamboree, Hope Pratt made a uniform and sleeping bag for Teddy Bear.  He is a registered Scout and has earned the rank of First Class.  Teddy Bear became an international collectors item when the Troop had a pin made in his likeness several years ago.  Troop 64 t-shirt designs include Teddy Bear.  As well as traveling all over North America with the Troop, Teddy Bear also attended the World Scout Jamboree in Australia with Jason Neely and Deniz Davis.

Donuts