The Eudora Scouts are celebrating a milestone of 80 years, and they got here with the same slogan they’ve always had: “Do a good turn daily.”
The Scouts have many long-term dedicated supporters who made the long journey possible.
Glenn Jackson has been involved with the Scouts for nearly 60 of those years, starting when he was a Cub Scout himself.
He joined in 1967, then continued on to Troop 64 and “stayed there the rest of my life” he said.
Jackson became an Eagle Scout in 1971, then became an assistant Scoutmaster then a Scoutmaster for over 20 years.
Now, he is a commissioner for the troop, meaning he is in charge of making sure all of Eudora’s troops are getting information from the professional and district staff. He’s also on the troop committee.
He’s seen changes over the years, but what sets Eudora apart is the smaller troop size, allowing for more troop members to shine, he said. Being a smaller troop doesn’t stop them from doing the things all the large troops do, he said. If there is a national place they want to go, they make it happen, Jackson said.
The core values and and the reason for Scouts existing hasn’t changed, though, he said.
“The point is to make good, knowledgeable, useful citizens that are gonna be running the place in a few years,” Jackson said.
Even with decades of experience with the organization, he’s still learning new things, he said.
“I still find it fun to go out and enjoy myself in the outdoors and to learn new things, even at my age, even though it’s not merit badges, even though it’s not stuff I did when I was a teen, you know, when I was young,” he said. “It’s still the companionship, camaraderie with people of similar interest to pass on the enjoyment that I had in the program in the next generation.”
Seeing how traditions get passed on through the years has made his experience all that more enjoyable, he said. It’s so much more than camping, and has expanded what kids are exposed to over the years, like STEM-related offerings.
Scouts in Eudora first started in 1929, then had some stops and starts within the timeline. The Scouts only count the anniversary as long as it’s consecutive, so the most recent stint is 80 years for Troop 64. The Cub Scout pack is celebrating 68 years.
Overall, Eudora’s Troop 64 has had 71 Eagle Scouts over the years. Jackson said their average of those receiving their Eagle Scout is about 11%, whereas the national average is only about 5%. This is impressive, he said.
Several years ago, Jim Lord took over as the Troop 64 Scoutmaster, although he’s been involved for about 15 years in some capacity.
The 80-year anniversary signifies the impact they’ve had on the community with service hours and Eagle projects, he said.
“I think it highlights that it’s a foundational pillar in the community here,” he said.
He feels it’s important to stay involved because of the large influence Scouting had on his life. It was a source of fun and made him friends he’s had for life.
“I want to teach a lot of skills and stuff that they don’t teach in schools necessarily, and I want to share those skills with youth and try to bring up well-rounded youth that make good adults in society,” he said.
Eudora also has an all-girl troop as of five years ago when Lord helped start it up.
Abby Aronhalt became an Eagle Scout at just 14 in May, making her the youngest Eagle Scout in Eudora.
Aronhalt has been in Scouts since third grade. She decided she wanted to join after watching her older brother go to meetings, before girls were allowed to join.
“As soon as girls were allowed to join, I hopped up and made a girls troop with some of my friends, and ever since we started it, it’s been really active,” she said.
Scouts has given her a place to become more confident, she said. She’s also more comfortable trying new things and being able to have shared interests with those in the troop.
Practical skills like first aid and camping skills have also been something she’ll take with her forever, she said.
“The Scout motto is be prepared, and I think that that’s a good thing to carry throughout your entire life, regardless of if it’s in Scouts or in school or just in general,” Aronhalt said.
They’ve done a lot of campouts, even going to the Omaha zoo to camp. They’ve also collaborated on trips with other troops from around Kansas, she said,
For her Eagle Scout project, Aronhalt created a giant checkerboard outside the middle school. She picked the project in hopes of bringing some more fun to their outdoor area and giving clubs something to do in their free time.
Eudora’s troops are organized, active and inclusive, she said, so it makes sense the original troop is celebrating 80 years.
“I think that we’re very open to new people and open to ideas that people have for what we do,” she said.
The troop is about 10 girls led by Aronhalt’s mom, Emily.
High school senior Andrew Lord started in Cub Scouts his freshman year. He’s seen the major impacts it’s had on his life, he said.
Lord became an Eagle Scout in 2022. Being in Scouts has taught him leadership, life skills and responsibility.
“We really take pride in our leadership, and I can actually say that, you know, I’ve had a little bit to do with it, just because I’ve had to take on a lot of important roles,” he said.
One piece of advice he has is “stay connected, stay committed.”
Though Scouts are not for everyone, it can help shape lives of future leaders and build a lot of character, he said. Not only has it taught practical skills, it’s been a relationship builder.
“Especially when I want to be a teacher in the future. It really helps with that. I think just being a servant leader,” he said.
Eudora’s troops are special because of their ability to keep kids active and motivated, Lord said.
“I would just say I highly recommend it to people who are unsure about it, or, you know, are still thinking about it. I highly recommend it,” he said.
A Scouting in the park event from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 9 at Lucy Kaegi Park will get prospective Scouts the chance to learn more about the organization, play games and join if interested.
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Grayson Stauffer talks about the importance of reaching out to recruit more Scouts at future events.
