The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916, is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.
Troop 158, chartered by the First United Methodist Church in Tullahoma, TN, has been fulfilling this mission for over 50 years. We meet on Tuesdays, from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m., upstairs in the Henry Center, 201 W. Lincoln St., Tullahoma.
We want to thank the church for providing us with leadership, the facilities where we meet and for financial assistance. If you're interested, the church has a web page.
We have a strong outdoor program, including hiking, camping, canoeing, and white-water rafting, while putting a strong emphasis on advancement. Under our current Scoutmaster, our troop has consistently had a percentage of boys earn Eagle, the highest rank in Scouting, at a much higher percentage than the national average (80% of boys who stay with the troop until the age of 18 earn Eagle).
Our Troop is very active in the outdoors and the community. To see some of the things we've done in the past, read our blog. At least every other year, we take a super trip lasting about a week. Previous super trips have been to:
- The USS Alabama at Mobile and Pensacola, FL, and to Pascagoula, MS for a day trip on the guided missile cruiser USS Ticonderoga, CG 47.
- Chicago
- This year we're going to Washington, D.C.
One of our boys' favorite activities is broom hockey. When all of the boys in the troop have advanced a rank or earned a merit badge, we reserve the church gym and spend an entire meeting playing hockey using brooms, a soft homemade puck and makeshift goals.
We also serve the community through service projects and participation in ceremonies. Past opportunities we've participated in have included:
- Raised the American Flag and lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Kiwanis Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show
- Helped our sponsoring church, the South Jackson Civic Center, and the local Alzheimer's Association chapter with service
- Flag retirement ceremonies
Our Scoutmaster is Frank Steinle, Jr. You can reach him through the Contact Us page of this website.