Troop 1051 - Allen Park, Michigan
John Dam, Charter Organization Representative
Traditional scouting experience for youth in the fifth grade through high school. Service, community engagement and leadership development become increasingly important parts of the program as youth lead their own activities and work their way toward earning scouting's highest rank, Eagle Scout.
Our Mission
The mission of the BSA is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Troop 1051B - (boys)Boys (Grades 6-12) 11-17 years old
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Troop 1051G - (girls)Girls (Grades 6-12) 11-17 years old
Rob Vaillancourt, Scoutmaster
Keli Vaillancourt, Assistant Scoutmaster Andrew Johnson, Committee Chair |
Cub Scouting Boys and Girls (Grades K-5) 5-10 years old |
Cub Scouting is fun for the whole family. In Scouting, boys and girls start with their best right now selves and grow into their very best future selves. It’s fun, hands-on learning and achievement that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today – and for life.
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Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Scout Oath
"On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight."
Annual Haunted Forest at D-Bar A Scout Ranch
The camp is about 1700 acres, with three man-made lakes, 28 heated cabins, 11 tent sites, Adirondack shelters, yurts, and a family RV park with full hookups and private bath house. True to the name, it actually has horses, donkeys, and a small herd of long horn steers. In addition to operating as a traditional Scout camp, and working cattle ranch, it also hosts school and church camps, Learning For Life, and many other youth groups. Other unique features include a handicapped accessible nature trail, and a small observatory.
Troop 1051 - A Long, Rich HistoryThe first recorded history of Boy Scout Troop AP1 (later 1051) was its formation on April 25, 1930 by Everette G. Rutledge. He served as scoutmaster until 1933. Others on the committee included C.F. Colling, Floyd B. Norton, Wilford H. Riley, and C.H. Esford. Rutledge was also one of the first elders of the fledgling Presbyterian Church (1932), was brother-in-law of Allen Park Police Chief Riley, and had previously scoutmastered a troop in Brock, Nebraska in 1916 to 1918. Rutledge was living in Lynwood, Washington, when he died in 1985. The troop met in Lapham School which eventually became North Junior High School. The first scouts included D. Colwell, A. Colwell, V. Collins, C. Collins, P. Chamberlain, W. Hollum, J. Kane, H. Lindeman, G. Lindeman, R. McKenny, L. Reach, and V. Taylor.
After Rutledge, the troop apparently dissolved until it was revived in 1938, which is generally regarded as the founding year since it has been continuously active ever since. Soon after, James Shaw led an effort to procure a campground. They purchased land from Robert L. Moore on May 12, 1941 for $2100. Jim Shaw and Al Rogers signed the deed. Genn Dougty, Jim Shaw, Joe Campbell, Al Rogers, Al Carmen, Bill Meikle, and George Fairall signed for a $1400 loan from the Ecorse Band and they are regarded as the founders of the camp. Also on the scout committee were Normal Alley (A.S.M.), Stanley Fairall (A.S.M.), and A.G. Aldrich.
The boys and their families worked hard collecting papers and tin cans to raise the money and pay off the loan. Since scout troops are not allowed to own property, the United Presbyterian Church agreed to hold the property in trust. Whenever a truck as needed, George Fairall supplied one and the boys originally rode up to camp in the back of ones of these trucks. In 1942, the troop started meeting in the newly-built church, largely under the leadership of “Doc” Carlos Speck. One of his recruits, Evio Biagini supervised a great deal of the construction.
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Early in 1953, the scouts had a contest to name the “Boy Scout Camp.” A new scout, Carlton Speck (Doc’s son), won with the name Camp Wakanda. It derives from the name used by the Dakota Indians (which includes the Sioux tribes) for the spirit that resides in all living things. Other names with the same meaning are Wakan-Tanka, Wakan, or Wakonda. In 1961, Troop AP1 became Troop 1051. To read more about the camp: CAMP WAKANDA
In 1970, the charter date slid from October to the following April making it the longest year. Also in 1970 (Feb. 22) the trust agreement for the ownership of the camp was legally dissolved. The Presbyterian Church legally assumed full responsibility of the camp because maintenance and improvements to meet the increasingly stringent health and fire codes became too great a burden for the scouts. Since then the camp has been used every summer for a continuous series of programs involving hundreds of kids, and the scouts of Troop 1051 still go there, and the end of each camp is marked by a Court of Honor rich in Indian lore.
"Known" 1051 ScoutmastersEverette Rutledge: 1930-1932
Karl D. Smythe: 1938-1939 Albert N. Carmen: 1940-1943 Karl D. Smythe: 1944-1945 F. Milton Redick: 1946-1947 Ferand O. Sherman: 1948-1950 James C. Harry: 1951 Robert A. Larabell: 1952-1954 Victor Evans: 1955-1960 Marvin Dymot: 1961 J. Cowan/R. Chartier/M. Davis: 1962 Albert R. Juterbock: 1963 Frank R. VanWulfen: 1964 Edward R. Lehecka: 1965 John O. Copeland: 1966 Harold H. Zantop: 1967-1974 Ernest Holewinski: 1974-1975 Daniel Burdick: 1975-1982 John M. Clark: 1982-1985 Tom Shinkle: 1985-1986 Dan Burdick: 1986-1989 David Oakley: 1989-1991 R. Broglin: 1991-1996 R. Gentner: Dan Lepalm: 1996- Ray Tessier, Jr.: 2000 John R. Dam, Jr.: 2000-2007 John Marchand: 2007-2011 Erik Marlin: 2011-2013 Robert Morton: 2013-1016 Andrew Johnson: 2017-2023 Rob Vaillancourt 2022-present David Tamsen 2023 - present |