03/07/2024
100 years ago, on March 7, 1924, Boy Scout Troop 53 in Castleton-on-Hudson was Chartered. Back then Castleton was a thriving riverfront community. It had factories and retail stores bringing people into the village during the week. And on weekends the 7 Churches (3 on Main Street and 2 up on the hill), stores, and bars brought people in from the surrounding farms. Calvin Coolidge was the President, Alfred Smith was the Governor, Franklin Roosevelt was the Lt. Governor, and Christian Peter was the Mayor. The Castleton Cut-off railroad bridge across the river had just been built and the Castleton Union School Free School #10 (today it’s CES) had just opened in the fall (moving the school out of the Village Hall on Main Street). In that community, 3 individuals sponsored Troop 53, and 20 years later a Cub pack was formed. A lot in our village, town, state, country, and indeed the world, and the Scout program has changed since then. But the traditional values of scouting have endured.
Scouting was formed to supplement the various existing educational agencies and to promote the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others.
If you were ever in Troop 53 or if you know someone who was. Share this post with them. We are planning a celebration for the Memorial Day weekend. There are several ways you can reconnect with Troop 53. Go to https://bsatroop53.com/index.html or on Facebook we have a Troop 53 Centennial page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550093638626
Happy Birthday, Troop 53.
This page is about the Troop 53 Centennial activities.
