Troop History - From 70th Anniversary Celebration

As every Scout has been taught, the Scouting movement was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in England during the early years of the 20th Century.  It was brought to this country in 1909 by an American Businessman, W.D. Boyce, and incorporated in 1912.

Only two years later, Charles L. Pollard, a naturalist, brought the idea to Ramsey.  He and a "Group of Citizens" organized what was known as Troop 1 and a charter was granted, with the Reverend A.S. Van Orden, Pastor of the Ramsey First Presbyterian Church as scoutmaster.  This charter has been renewed year after year, and as far as can be determined, only one other Troop in the United States has been in continuous existence for a longer period of time.  Please note that in 2000, it was confirmed that Troop 31, was indeed the 52nd oldest Continually Active Troop.

IN those years, Ramsey was a farming community with fewer than 2000 residents; the townspeople engaged in businesses that supported the outlying dairy and strawberry farms and apply and peach orchards.  There were a harness shop, a feed store, and a pharmacy among other stores, a local newspaper, the Ramsey Journal.  Community life centered mostly around the church, so it was natural that the Pastor should be the Troop's first leader.  He trained other young men as his assistants, and some of the first boys in the Troop became Scoutmasters in the later years.

The records show that William R. Sleight was the second Scoutmaster, followed by George Plaskett, George Price, and H.M.S. Woodward; as war service took each in turn the years 1917 and 1918.  These men were outdoorsmen who passed on their love of nature to the boys and started a camping tradition that is still strong in the troop.

An ordinary day hike, at the time, would leave Ramsey by way of Darlington Avenue, to Ramapo Valley Road, and proceed across the river up to the upper lake.  Then the way would lead down the dirge and to the area of Bear Swamp where Camp Yaw Paw is now located, back across the river, and across Campgaw Mountain, and then back to Ramsey.

William Lightbody served as Scoutmaster for over a year, and was followed by Earl Sargent and then Abram Harris, who went on to serve as District Commissioner.  It was during Mr. Harris's administration that the Troop was changed from Troop 1 to Troop 31.

Pretty much as today, scouts were uniforms, and worked on advancement - First Aid, cooking over an open fire, use of knife and axe, and star identification.  Overnight campouts were usually into the Ramapo hills and mountains that surrounded Ramsey.  Surplus World War I tents and equipment were often used.  A sleeping bag was made with several blankets and some large safety pins.  The number of boys involved in the troop continued to grow.

Herbert "Hub" Metzger, who died in 1981, served for many years.  James Van Benschoten was another key leader this time, as was Lorin D. Hay.  It was in 1928, that the George Hemion Post No. 112 of the American Legion took over sponsorship of the Troop from the "Group of Citizens"

During this time and through the 1930's the Borough of Ramsey changed its character as it grew in population from a farming village to a commuter town.  The carriage shops gave way to garages for automobiles as roads were paved and streets laid out for building plots.  There were so many families that the original High School (now Dater School), our meeting place; its architect Charles Sleight, father of our second Scoutmaster, had to be enlarged several times until a new school was built in the mid-thirties.

John Y. Dater, who was a charter member of the troop in 1912, became Scoutmaster in 1937, and also served as neighborhood and District Commissioner.   It is to him that we are indebted for most of this history.  He was followed in 1940 by Irvin Hansen, a former Eagle Scout, was was called into military service soon after.  Hub Metzger came back to take care of the Troop during the war years.  He was followed in 1946 by Bernard Winter, Keith Williams, Winter and Metzger again, until Ralph Soule took over in 1950.

Scouts, then and now, participated in many community activities: scrap collections in World War I and II; the collection and repairing of toys for needy children during the depression years; as well as participation in the Memorial Day parade every year.  Tough many of the hikes were still local, some were to what is now Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain, and occasionally to Camp NoBeBoSco.

In the Ramsey of the post-war era, a number of good men came forth to lead the Troop; among these were Henry L. Meyer, Dennis Loxton, and George Messenger.  That they did a good job in motivating the boys is reflected in the list of six Eagle Scouts between 1948 and 1951, and two more in 1960: Dennis Marden and Michael Adams, both still well known in Ramsey.

There were summer camp weeks at NoBe during these years; Hub Metzger often went along.  Over night trips to Minisink, and to a spot in Fardale, then still undeveloped; it was a favorite place that was still close enough for a day hike.  There were memorable outings to Lakehurst Naval Air Station, and to the New London Submarine Base.

The sixties saw the first summer camp canoe trips.  Eugene Piersel, Charles Murphy and Art Keys were the leaders.  Charles Bilello, as representative of the American Legion Post, was the glue that held everything together in those years, seeing that the leaders got support from the Committee.  Local camping was at Yaw Paw, Tamarack, and Alpine in those years, and there was one memorable trip to Lake George.  In the summer of 1969 Troop members participated in two weeks at Floodwood which included an 87-mile canoe trip.  The following year there was a January Weekend at Ten Mile River, where the troop encountered two feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures.

In the early 70's Bill Simpson, Richard Winkler, and Bruce Mullin were Scoutmasters.  There were more canoe trips at Floodwood in the Adirondacks, 68 miles in 1970, 71 in 1971, and 100 miles to Canada in 1972.  Seven boys and three leaders went to Philmont in 1970.  Some weekend outings in 1971 included a hike at Jockey Hollow, one to Wharton Forest, and a rainy visit to Mystic Seaport, when some of the camping gear was stolen from the campsite, while everyone was visiting the ships.

This was also the time of several February trips to Lake Placid, where the Troop slept in a church hall.  There were summer canoe trips on the Delaware in 1973 and the years following, and a 200 mile trip all the way to Trenton to celebrate the nation's Bi-Centennial.    An unusual troop activity was the painting of the rebuilt barn behind the Lynch's house.   Troop equipment was kept in the barn.

During 1976, Bob Jordan took over as Scoutmaster; he was followed by Alex Ghiz, John Urinyi, and Ernie Larrat.  An active Troop committee supported "operating management", and the boys themselves did much of the scheduling of the monthly outings.  Back packing was added to canoeing as a popular actvity.   As was the case a generation earlier, the names of Alpine, Tamarack, and Yaw Paw turned up as regular camping sites.

There were also high adventure, wilderness summer camps at Floodwood, and canoe trips (including portages) in the Adirondack mountains, as well as other canoe trips on the Delaware, and another visit to Philmont.  C.B. Young, former Committee Chairman, has continued to lead the troop.

In 1977, the Hawthorne Fortitude Lodge No. 200 F&AM, Ramsey became the sponsoring institution, after the local American Legion Post 112 disbanded.

With an outstanding schedule of events each month of the scout year, Troop 31 has had many memorable trips.  With the continuing support of the sponsoring institution, the Committee, the Borough of Ramsey, parents, and most of all the boys themselves, the troop will continue to grow for another 70 years.