George Schmit, Scoutmaster, shared responses to the following questions for the June edition of the Community Connections column.

What is your mission?

Troop 18 of Cazenovia implements the basic aims of the Boy Scouts of America: character development, citizenship training and mental and physical fitness. Troop 18 is boy-led; driven by teamwork, communication and accountability; and is committed to excellence — we “Do Our Best.”

 In what ways does your organization apply its mission in Cazenovia?

Troop 18 of Cazenovia stresses the values of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law in daily life. Our treks ask the scouts to challenge their limits. Troop 18 has canoed in Algonquin Park, Maine, and Pennsylvania; hiked the Finger Lakes Trail and backpacked sections of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Virginia; and biked from Buffalo to Albany and Pittsburg to Washington, DC.

Scouts develop their leadership skills as they progress from assistant patrol leader to senior patrol leader; they attend BSA’s National Youth Leadership Training, first as participants and then as staff. Service to community culminates in an eagle leadership and service project; the Scout demonstrates his planning and leadership skills while completing a service project to benefit a community non-profit or governmental organization.

Please share your history/legacy and how it informs your future.

Troop 18 was founded on July 17, 1917, and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this July. The Cazenovia Civic Club was our sponsoring organization for 90 years, 1926-2016. Our present sponsor is American Legion Post 88.

The highlight of the troop’s first 50 years was Arthur Evans, the driving force for more than 40 years; he served as Scoutmaster and Committee Chair of Troop 18, Civic Club member and Legion Post 88 member and commander.

The last 50 years was marked by the renovation of the Lewis Loyster Memorial Lodge on Riverside Drive. The building, originally a foundry built in 1825, was donated to Troop 18 in 1932 by Mrs. Loyster in memory of her son. In 2003, volunteers began a needed renovation from foundation to roof to make the building safe for Scouting and fitting for its neighborhood.

Troop 18 will continue its association with American Legion Post 88 and its citizenship in the community.
What are your primary funding sources?

We have fundraisers for the scouts and for the troop. Proceeds from scout fundraisers, such as the popcorn sale and Apple Fest clean-up, go to the individual scout’s account to be used for camp fees and gear. Troop fundraisers, the can and bottle collection with CazCans and the spring pancake breakfast at the American Legion Hall, support awards and equipment replacement.

What is an achievement of which you are most proud as an organization?

The obvious answer is every one of Troop 18’s Eagle Scouts. The better answer is every young man, regardless of rank, who has experienced the Scouting program and became a productive citizen in our community and nation.

Please share a bit about your current leadership.

Scouts elect the senior patrol leader and the patrol leaders; these become the members of the Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) who plan the year’s program after brainstorm with the troop about the previous years “thorns and roses” and about the ideas for the coming year.

This plan has to pass three checks: 1. the Health and Safety of participants is considered; 2. the Eight Methods of Scouting are met; and 3. KIS-MIF: Keep It Simple-Make It Fun. The Troop Committee, chaired by Melvin Stearns, approves the yearly plan.

The PLC meets monthly to evaluate the previous month’s program delivery, prepare for this month’s meetings and plan in detail next month’s program.

If you were given a blank check with no restrictions on how it would be spent for your organization, how would you envision it being used?

“I would pay for every Scout to attend summer camp,” said Scoutmaster George Schmit. “I would also send every Scout to a National BSA event: Philmont for backpacking, SeaBase for scuba diving or sailing, the Northern Tier High Adventure Base for canoeing, or the Summit for National Jamboree.”

Camping is the heart of Troop 18’s program: at least once a month, every month, Troop 18 camps.

Interested in being the featured organization in the monthly “Community Connections” column? Email your responses to the questions above to Kelli Johnson at [email protected]. Also, visit cazenovia.recdesk.com to find art, culture, recreation, and education opportunities in the Cazenovia area.