Riverview Scout troops recomissioned with American Legion post numbers
By YVETTE C. HAMMETT
Youthful excitement filled the Collins Elementary School cafeteria May 17 when local scout troops met for a special ceremony – the recommissioning of their troops under a new number.
Boy Scouts of America Florida is changing the numbers of all troops sponsored by the American Legion to match the legion post numbers. So, Cub Scout Pack 606 is now Pack 1481. Alafia Post 148 sponsors the pack, along with Boy Scout Troop 1482 and a new Girl Scout Juliette co-op.
The girls in the Juliette co-op, as it is known, all have brothers in the pack or the troop.
Numerous American Legion members, along with representatives from the Tumucua Boy Scout district and Hillsborough County schools looked on as the boys and girls conducted the ceremony and bridged over to higher ranks.
Among those “flying up” to the Boy Scout troop were fifth graders Asher Hewett, Nathan Hewett, Lucas Gephart, Ryan Craig and Dominic Malo, who all earned the Arrow of Light and the Super Nova, an award for their work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. These boys were the only ones of 850 Cub Scouts in the Timucua District to earn those awards this year.
“The American Legion has chartered Boy Scout units since 1919 and this particular Boy Scout unit, they inherited a Cub Scout pack 606 back in the 1990s,” said Rick Hewett, a scout leader who helped organize the event. “They have now retired Pack 606 that’s been around for 20 years and activated two brand-new units.
The Panther Trace group in Riverview also set up the Girl Scout Juliette Cooperative. It’s not a troop,” Hewett said. “These are individual Girl Scouts that are siblings of Cub and Boy Scouts.”
The girls meet at the same time and same place as the boys and can work on individual projects or camp and do other projects with the boys. It is a way to keep families from running from one meeting to another, said Julie Hewett, charter organization representative for Post 148.
Julie Hewett has two Boy Scouts, one Cub Scout and three Girl Scouts.
“It makes life real simple,” said her husband, Rick Hewett. “This way we can do a family activity for the entire family on the same night.”
The American Legion is focusing on fortifying the family — the entire family — so this program fits right in with their goal, said Post Commander George King.
“And by them working with the veterans, I am absolutely certain they have a better understanding of veterans,” King said. “And a good majority of the scout leaders are military retirees or active duty who do, in fact, support the veterans and the post. As Rick pointed out, the scouts are an integral part of the post and one of our numerous programs and community activities.”
American Legion Post First Vice Commander Claude Gates commended the youngsters for their accomplishments and greeted them warmly.
As parents and grandparents watched the youngsters cross the bridge and unfurl banners with their new troop numbers, Julie Hewett read the scouts’ names aloud as they accepted their various badges and honors for the year.
Each, she said, has shown courage, strength and the desire to continue in scouting.