TYLER — Boy Scout Troop 335 could not have lasted 80 years if it had not maintained its values and core and advanced in different directions, John Webb, a longtime Scout leader and former scoutmaster, said.
Through all those years, Webb said, the troop has kept its values, figured out the best way to go and advanced in different directions.
“Boy Scouts is one of the best organizations for young guys,” Webb said.
Boy Scout Troop 335 could not have lasted 80 years if it had not maintained its values and core and advanced in different directions, John Webb, a longtime Scout leader and former scoutmaster, said.
Through all those years, Webb said, the troop has kept its values, figured out the best way to go and advanced in different directions.
“Boy Scouts is one of the best organizations for young guys,” Webb said.
Troop 335 exposes them to a different form of leadership than they get by participating in other organizations because Scouts have to adapt to different situations such as camping in the woods, he said.
O’Sullivan, who has two boys in Scouting, has been a Scout leader in different positions over 12 years and attained the Eagle rank himself when he was growing up.
“I enjoy helping the young men," he said. "You see the progression of the young men from kindergarten all the way up through whatever age they Eagle out at.”
Each year, from six to eight members of Troop 335 earn the Eagle rank, the highest rank, according to David Anderson, charter organization representative.
Troop members range in age from 11 to 18. They move from Tenderfoot rank to Second Class, First Class, Star rank, Life rank and Eagle Scout.
Bill Cox, Troop 335 scoutmaster from 1985 to 1989, said, “Boy Scouts of America has a great program. If we follow that program, it does a world of good for these young men. It teaches them self-confidence, responsibility and leadership skills.”
At 39, Curt DeWitt looks back on his days as a child in Troop 335, having started as a Cub Scout and gone all the way to become an Eagle Scout, which took several years.
“It takes a lot of hard work," he said. "To stick with it and make it to Eagle is an incredible achievement.”
DeWitt said Scouts get discipline, learn perseverance and self-respect as well as receive respect from their elders and their peers.
“I can’t put my finger on one thing, but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t use some skill that I developed and honed in Boy Scouts," DeWitt said. "I work with other people. It is collaboration. Problem-solving is a huge part of that. A lot of things they taught me to overcome in Scouts I still use till this day.”
