When I talk to older black men about Scouting, many of them immediately raise the three-fingered Scout Sign and rattle off the twelve points of the Scout Law:
A Scout is
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean, and
Reverent
Delighted that they remember all or most of it, they continue with tales of the fun and fellowship they found in Scouting. “Where did you camp?” I typically ask. Some say Breyer, a former training area in Elkins Park. Others say Camp Hart in Pennsburg, PA. Looking back, it seems that every few blocks, a Philadelphia congregation was sponsoring a Scout Troop.
The number of Scouts and units has been diminishing for decades, but those that remain are doing vital work in building the problem-solving skills, positive civic values, and love of adventure that the Scouts of yesteryear experienced.
Interestingly, when the Scouts from First United Methodist Church of Germantown (FUMCOG) walk down Germantown Avenue, we hear remarks such as, “Are Scouts still around?” and “My dad, uncle, granddad used to be a Scout.” What we seldom hear is, “My son, grandson is a Scout.” FUMCOG has been key to changing that dynamic in our corner of Philadelphia.
About 15 minutes after the birth of my son, Eric, I knew I was on track to become a Scout Mom! Sure enough, at age 7, Eric became a Cub Scout (Overbrook Presbyterian), and I was on my way to becoming a Den Leader. We transferred to First Presbyterian Church in Germantown (Pack 91) and later to Chestnut Hill Presbyterian (Pack and Troop 221), where Eric became an Eagle Scout, and I became Scoutmaster.
After many successful years as Scoutmaster, I stepped down in 2005 to become a leader of a National Jamboree troop, but I missed having a local troop. In 2011, I approached my home church, FUMCOG, about sponsoring a Boy Scout Troop. At the time, you may recall, gay boys and gay or lesbian leaders were excluded from membership, and times were even trickier for lesbian or gay parents who wanted their sons to be Scouts. If you know anything about FUMCOG, you know how we approached this conundrum…we pushed past the rules. With the blessing (literally) of the then Senior Pastor Michele Bartlow and the Administrative Council, Troop 1719, enrolling boys ages 11–17, was formed. I think we started with 5 boys (one boy with lesbian parents) and five adult leaders.
I was determined that “my guys” would have the best gear available. We raised money and purchased new tents, new cook sets, new camp stoves, and coolers. Because uniforms were and still are expensive, we accepted donated shirts and pants. With the enthusiastic support of the congregation, we stepped out proudly into Germantown to show that, indeed, Scouting—Black Scouting—was still around.
We camped, we cooked outside, we saw the stars, we splashed in pools and creeks, we watched deer grazing, we set up stands to sell popcorn, we learned first aid, and we agreed to live by the code of honor known collectively as the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Scouting in Troop 1719 was more about providing positive adult role models, never feeling like second-class citizens, and bringing home adventure stories to tell our families. Ranks and merit badges gradually materialized, simply by doing lots of Scout stuff.
In 2015, the Boy Scouts of America reversed course on gay and lesbian members and leaders. With those policies in place, a few more local families were willing to enroll their sons and grandsons in Scouting. It also helped that the BSA’s legal quagmire, due to past allegations and instances of abuse, was finally out of the everyday news. (Scouting now requires background checks and mandatory top-tier youth protection training for all direct-contact adults, including parents, and has an outstanding safety culture.)
In 2016, we expanded to a Cub Pack for boys in first through fifth grades, which later fizzled during the COVID-19 years, was brought back to life a few years after the pandemic and is now under the fantastic leadership of Cubmaster Ms. Deiana Johnson. The newly reconstituted Pack 1719 will host a District Pinewood Derby in April at FUMCOG. We can’t count the Cubs…over 20 are enrolled and more join every week.
Troop 1719 has faced challenges that were common to most city troops: a lack of a legacy of Scouting. Most of our youth came from households headed by mothers and grandmothers, few with any familiarity with Scouting. Alongside this is the allure and hope that a shining career in professional sports was the ticket to future success.
Germantown boys play ball; they don’t sleep in a tent where there might be bears. The biggest hurdle has been swimming. Philadelphia has closed many neighborhood pools, and parents struggle to find and afford swim lessons. The swimming requirement is the key that unlocks higher ranks and is a required merit badge for Eagle Scout.
In 2018, the BSA opened all of its programs to girls and young women. Shortly thereafter, the Boy Scouts of America changed their name to Scouting America. Few people realized that girls had been in Exploring and Venture Crews for decades, which made this a major controversy.
The strongest proponents of starting a “linked” troop for girls at FUMCOG were parents whose sons were in the program; their daughters wanted to do the “fun stuff” too. In 2019, Troop 1313 formed and very soon, we had three sisters of current boys. The founding members had a choice: share the 1719 number or differentiate themselves with a new one. If you look closely at our numeral, you’ll see a faint colon in 13:13. This represents First Corinthians 13:13: “But the greatest of these is love.”
Finding a female leader for the girls’ troop required someone with previous experience in Scouting’s unique model of trained volunteer leadership. Ms. Stacey Bryant, mother of an Eagle Scout and former Venture Crew Advisor, filled that role.
FUMCOG continues to directly charter three units (Troop 1719B, 1313G, and Pack 1719), forming a partnership and bond that endures. Troop 1313 will soon celebrate one of the first black female Eagle Scouts in our Council, and the first from Germantown! There are two more girls expected to make Eagle soon. To date, Troop 1719 has seven Eagle Scouts with two more boys in the pipeline.
We have other milestones to celebrate. In 2017, five boys went to the BSA National Jamboree at its permanent home near Beckley, West Virginia. In 2023, two girls and one boy attended the Jamboree, while one former Jamboree Scout worked with me on staff at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea. This summer, two girls and one boy will be headed to the 2026 Scouting America National Jamboree.
Other Scouts have come and gone, but all have been touched by the love and mentorship of dedicated adults and the support of an inclusive and generous congregation.
Scout Sunday at FUMCOG has become a strong tradition because of the congregation’s enthusiasm in showering love on these young men and women and their families. Very few youths in either Cubs or Scouts have been members of our church, but everyone has felt the love and pride in FUMCOG’s Scouting ministry.