by Jamie Crosier

Six active Scouts remain in Boy Scout Troop 39 in Sullivan, while the community’s Cub Scout Pack 39 is currently unable to hold meetings after it was unable to renew its charter with Scouting America because of insufficient adult leadership.

The two situations are connected. Cub Scout Pack 39 has traditionally provided a path for younger Scouts to advance through the Cub Scout ranks before moving into Boy Scout Troop 39. Without an active pack, the troop loses that source of future members.

Eric Bettinger, who has been involved with Scouting for 14 years, said his own son has been out of Scouts for four years. Bettinger continued his involvement and had been serving as Cubmaster in an effort to keep Sullivan’s Cub Scout program going.

    Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.
The pack lost several leaders last year. While other adults initially expressed interest in taking on leadership roles, they ultimately declined, leaving Pack 39 without enough leadership to renew its charter.

The pack could be restarted, Bettinger said, but adults would first need to step into several positions. Those include a chartered organization representative, committee chair, Cubmaster and den leaders. Sullivan AMBUCS serves as the charter organization.

Adults do not need to have children involved in Scouting to become leaders. The process is the same for all adults and includes completing an application, submitting to a criminal background check, completing Safeguarding Youth training and paying an associated $65 fee. The process is completed online.

While the Cub Scout program is unable to meet, Boy Scout Troop 39 continues with six active Scouts.

One of those Scouts is currently working on an Eagle Scout project. Three more are expected to begin working toward Eagle Scout around the middle of September and will have, at most, about a year and a half to complete the process.

Bettinger said he plans to end his duties as Scoutmaster after that period. The remaining two Scouts are approximately four to five years away from reaching Eagle Scout, and there is currently no one available to fill the Scoutmaster role when Bettinger steps away.

“Usually another leader is born from leading Cub Scouts with their child or children,” Bettinger said. “That is how I got to where I am currently.”

The loss of Pack 39 complicates that leadership pipeline as well as future membership for Troop 39.

Troop 39 can hold recruitment nights to bring new Scouts directly into the program, but Bettinger described the results of those efforts as marginal. He said competing extracurricular activities have been one of the biggest challenges to Scout participation.

Bettinger is unsure exactly how long Sullivan’s Scouting programs have been in existence, though he said the original portion of the Scout cabin at Wyman Park in Sullivan has been there for many decades.

Restarting Pack 39 would require working with the district executive for Sullivan’s area within the Scouting America council and having the necessary adult leaders in place.

Those interested in helping restart Sullivan Cub Scout Pack 39, becoming involved in leadership or learning more about the local Scouting programs may contact Eric Bettinger by text at 217-454-2358 or by email at yellowfever1972@yahoo.com.