What are Boy Scouts?
The Boy Scout program is a youth organization designed to teach boys useful skills, such as leadership, citizenship, first aid, swimming, camping, hiking, fire building, and much more! They will make many friends and have a great time along the way. It is open to any boy who is finishing up 5th grade all the way up to their 18th birthday.
A Boy Scout troop is not run by the adult leaders -- it is run by the boys! The leaders are there to help teach the necessary skills and make sure everybody stays safe. However, the campouts, events, and activities are all chosen by the boys. So, what you get out of Scouting depends on what you want to get out of it.
Troop 99 is chartered by the Hilton Fire Department, and they provide us with support and facilities for some of our troop meetings, committee meetings, and other activities. We are part of the Lighthouse District which oversees the Boy Scout troops, Cub Scout packs, and Venture crews from the northwest suburbs of Rochester. The Lighthouse District is part of the Seneca Waterways Council, the organization in charge of all Scouting in Rochester, NY. This council is part of the Boy Scouts of America.
Troop History
Troop 99 can trace its origins all the way back to 1913, not long after the founding of the Boy Scouts of America:
The first Boy Scout troop in Hilton was known as the "Lookout Mountain" patrol 2 of Monroe County. It consisted of the following boys: Albert Wood, Court Lee, Carlyle Newcomb, Champney Lee, Willard J. Lee, Fenton Coakly, Harry Daily, Richard Clapper, Fred Turgon, Kenneth Smith and Arthur True, all of whom, having memorized the Scout Motto, Scout Oath, and Scout Laws, were sworn in as members in January 1913, with the Rev. Harry G. Greensmith (pastor of the First Baptist Church on West Avenue) as Scoutmaster. By March of that year, a full company of three patrols had been organized under the leadership of Scoutmaster Greensmith. Patrol leaders were: Wolf Patrol, Carlyle Newcomb; Fox Patrol 2, Willard Lee, and Eagle Patrol 3, Fred Turgon. The Lookout Mountain Patrol 2 was reorganized in 1916 by the Rev. MR. Greensmith, as Troop 99, Boy Scouts of America. J. Walter Way was the next scoutmaster in 1917, followed by John Crook, Lucius Bagley and Lewis Archer. Under Mr. Archer's leadership, Troop 99 held the record in the district for the most merit badges awarded at any Court of Honor. Also through his expert teaching, archery (the most practical weapon up to the time of firearms) was introduced to Troop 99. Although Lewis Archer organized and developed some of the most successful Boy Scout troops in the Rochester area during his long experience in Scouting, his most outstanding contribution to Boy Scout activities was the sponsoring of archery in his own troops. His stories about archery (a sport that bears his name) syndicated through the national press, helped revive that almost unused skill among the Boy Scout troops of the United States. Troop 99 has since flourished under the capable leadership of many outstanding scoutmasters. However, Frank Pickett is noted locally as being the "father" of Boy Scouting, due to his active participation in the administrative phases of Scouting for more than thirty years, a record unequaled that has endeared him to many. In 1958, Mr. Pickett was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, a National Council Award for Distinguished Service in Scouting. Troop 99 has been sponsored since 1945 by the Hilton Fire Department, as is Cub Pack 99, organized under its sponsorship in 1951 with Archie Rowland as first Cubmaster.1
1 - "Hilton - U.S.A.", by Leith L. Wright.