Troop 129 in Creston to celebrate 80 years

On one of the walls of 83-year-old Bob Jungst’s house hangs a plaque painted with a cartoonish Native American. Suspended below it are rows of cedar medallions, arrowheads and canoes, each marked with a date and a location.

Jungst calls this his “tired brave” plaque, and each of these momentos represents a Boy Scout campout he volunteered at during the ‘60s and ‘70s.

The momentos, which trail downward for at least three feet, total more than 50.

Back in Jungst’s day, Creston Troop 129’s scoutmaster, Orville Lines, awarded these plaques and medallions to each adult who stayed overnight on a campout. It was a tradition that Creston scoutmasters began before Lines became scoutmaster, and it’s a Troop 129 tradition that still goes on today.

Jungst is one of many in a line of “tired braves” who have guided Troop 129 over the years. On Feb. 23, he will be one of the many Troop 129 members, past and present, coming to celebrate the troop’s 80 years in partnership with the Creston First United Methodist Church.

80 years, 100 Eagle Scouts

Gary O’Daniels, former Troop 129 scoutmaster and current assistant scoutmaster, has compiled two books on the history of Boy Scouting in Creston. He said 80 years is a significant length of time for a chartered troop in this region, and it’s the troop’s quality leadership that has led to its longevity.

“We have a lot of dedicated leaders,” O’Daniels said. “They’re willing to put forth the time and the effort to keep the troop active and keep the boys involved.”

In his book on the history of Troop 129, O’Daniels writes that the troop actually had its beginnings 86 years ago, in 1928. The troop’s first Eagle Scout, Wayne Strong, had his ceremony in November of 1929. But in the early ‘30s, Troop 129’s original charter partnership ended.

The United Methodist Church then began chartering the troop in 1935, and it has remained Troop 129’s partner to this day.

In December 2014, 85 years after the first Eagle Scout ceremony, Troop 129 hit another important milestone: 100 Eagle Scouts. The hundredth ceremony belonged to 17-year-old Kiernan Norton.

Family connections

With a history as deep as Troop 129’s, several members in the long list of Eagle Scouts represent multiple generations of the same family.

Paul Boden, Union County building and grounds director, made Eagle Scout in 1966 at the age of 15. His four brothers, Carroll, David, Greg and John, all became Eagle Scouts through Troop 129, too. Boden then returned as an assistant commander when his sons joined Troop 129. In 1993, Paul’s son Chris made Eagle Scout, and his second son Adam made Eagle Scout in 1997.

Boden said scouting has been an important part of his family because of the adventure and education that comes with it.

“It’s the learning experience,” he said. “You get to do things that you don’t normally get to do.”

Jungst’s and Lines’ sons were Troop 129 Eagle Scouts, as well. Lines’ son Tom became an Eagle Scout in 1970. Lines’ other son, John, and Jungst’s son, Kevin, became Eagle Scouts in February 1974.

That February was a record-setting month for the troop, as 12 boys became Eagle Scouts, more than any other single month in troop history. In fact, the ‘70s was also a time when Troop 129 reached as many as 80 members at once.

All grown up

Both Jungst and Lines hold the Silver Beaver Award, the highest rank in adult scouting. And now, years later, they are proud to see where several of their former scouts have ended up.

“I’m still in touch with some of the boys that we had in the troop 40 years ago or so,” Lines said. “One of our scouts is an orthopedic surgeon in Des Moines, and he replaced both of my knees.”

Looking back on their days leading such a large troop, both Jungst and the 86-year-old Lines can recall many humorous stories, as each former Troop 129 scoutmaster likely can. Jungst especially remembers the time he and Lines discovered several boys—including their sons—had snuck out of a campout to visit some girls at a malt shop, leaving their rolled-up blankets in their beds. He also laughingly remembers the time one of the boys wouldn’t go to sleep because he wanted to wait until the Northern Lights were “turned on.”

Even after 40 years, Jungst and Lines are still involved with the troop. Jungst houses the Troop 129 canoe on the second floor of his barn.

And Lines—he’s still cutting out the medallions to adorn those tired brave plaques.