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If St. Paul the Apostle’s Boy Scout Troop 728 of Richardson had a "vision statement", then "Troop of the Past – Troop of the Future, Building Character one Scout at a time" would sum it up nicely over the last 50 years.
Richardson Boy Scout Troop 728 was chartered in February 1958 by the St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church Men’s Club to accommodate the youth of Pack 728 chartered in 1957. To raise funds for the new Troop, Cubs and Scouts sold home fire extinguishers door-to-door in their community.
In early 1962, Troop 728 had it’s first Eagle Scout, Douglas Vaughn, and has since added 61 more Eagle Scouts to its Honor Roll, in its 50 years of history as a Troop. In 1966, the Troop accomplished it’s first "50 Miler Award" by hiking over 60 miles to Lake Texoma along Farm to Market Road 544, which is now referred to as Preston Road. In the early 70’s, the Troop acquired a building from the Richardson Parks Department, had it moved to Saint Paul the Apostle, poured a foundation, and renovated the building as a Scout Hut complete with a Scoutmaster’s Office, and two bathrooms. Fast-forward to the 21st century and we find the Troop still going strong; serving the Richardson community, active in advancement of its youth, in District, Council, and National BSA programs, participating in high adventure treks, and starting Venture Crew 728, a BSA co-ed program for older teens.
To mark this historical milestone, Troop 728 spent months in planning the event, researching the Troop’s earliest history, locating former Scouters and Scoutmasters, including the Troop’s 1st Scoutmaster, Joe Starr, and inviting them as special guests to attend a 50th Anniversary Court of Honor on January 25th. The event began with a reception of guests and displays of Troop memorabilia from the last 50 years, followed by dinner and a slideshow before presentations. Presentations of the Troop 728 Eagle Scout Honor Roll and the Troop’s 50 years history were made by speakers Joe Tavares, and Dr. Daniel Carrier before recognition of the current Scout’s Advancement and Ranks.
The Troop’s recent history is just as robust as its beginnings. The Scouts have earned many awards as a Troop in recent Summercamp & Wintercamp competitions, and Scouts Adam Davis, Robert Delcambre and Lucas Skaras have been nominated for the BSA National Heroism Award for their roles in a lifesaving response. Adult participation has always been key to a Troop’s success, and many adult leaders were honored as well; Lora Davis –Y.E.S. Award, Pete Ineich – District Award of Merit, Stephen Carpenter, Dr. Daniel Carrier, and Joseph Tavares – President’s Volunteer Service Awards, and Mark Carpenter – the Troop 728 Cup.
From Scouters of past, to Scouters of the future, all would enthusiastically agree that Troop 728 has a proud heritage, and the bar has been set high for others to follow for the next 50 years.
For more information on Troop 728, its accomplishments, activities, and its history, visit us at www.troop728.net
