100 Years of Scouting
100 Years of Scouting
by Stephen Wolbach
I come from a Scouting family, so I knew that I would join Dawson’s Troop 83 once I finished with Cub Scouts. My grandfather, Charlie Wolbach, was involved in Scouts as an adult. My father, Steve Wolbach, was involved in Scouts, both as a youth and as an adult, and later my younger brother, Jonathan, was also a member of Troop 83. In spring 1995, I joined Troop 83 at the age of 11. It was six years later when I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2001. Scouting taught me how to be prepared, how to lead, how to interact with adults, how to face adversity through difficult situations, and how to work diligently toward a goal.
It is an honor for me to share some of the storied history from Troop 83's first 100 years. Troop 83 was officially recognized as a Scout Troop in 1926. Initially, the Troop was sponsored by the Shades Valley Civic Association and met on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. in Edgewood. That same year, the towns of Rosedale, Edgewood, and Grove Park voted to incorporate as one city under the name Homewood. Mr. Charles Rice served as Homewood's first mayor, and Mr. Rice’s son, Charles Jr., was an early member of Troop 83.
In the 1930s, Troop 83 was noted as one of the outstanding troops in the district, having more than 50 members in the Troop. On November 25, 1933, a marksmanship shooting competition was held at Edgewood Lake as a fundraiser. The money received from the event was used for improvements on the troop building and for other troop needs.
The Early Years
Dawson’s involvement with Troop 83 began in November of 1934, when Edgewood Baptist Church began sponsoring the Troop. Dr. L.O. Dawson’s son, Andrew Lewis Dawson, was the Troop’s first Scoutmaster with Edgewood Baptist Church as sponsor. At that time, Lewis was a coach at Phillips High School. W.I. Pittman, a very prominent figure at Edgewood Baptist in the early years, also served on the Troop Committee.
Beginning in 1935, Troop 83 met at the old Scout Hall. This building had originally been the Town Hall for Edgewood prior to the City of Homewood being formed in 1926. One of the last acts of the Edgewood Town Council was to bequeath its Town Hall to Troop 83 as a meeting place. A small frame structure, it had only thin outer walls, an open fireplace, and an addition at the back. It was in such a state of disrepair that it was often said that it merely “filtered the wind.” Purchased later by the church, it was relocated on the west side of the site now occupied by Dawson’s Sanctuary. It was also used for Sunday School classes when space was at a premium.
Camping experiences have always been an essential learning element for any scouting group. Throughout the 1930s, Troop 83 attended Camp Andrews. Camp Andrews was a Boy Scout camp on Chestnut Ridge near Paradise Lake, between Alabama State Highway 150 and the present route of I-459 in Hoover. Scout troops from Birmingham would take the Edgewood streetcar to the end of the line near Edgewood Lake, and then hike nearly seven miles over Shades Mountain and through what would later become Vestavia Hills and Hoover (as you travel up Columbiana Road) to reach the camp. Many area troops constructed their own lodges at the camp—some even built log cabins. The camp was in operation from the 1910s to the 1940s, after which the land was sold to a lumber company. Camp Arrowhead, near Clanton, replaced Camp Andrews as the Boy Scout Camp destination in the early 1950s.
In October 1936, former Scout from Troop 83, Charles E. Rice, Jr. became the Scoutmaster of the Troop. Mr. Rice took an active part in the Troop and council activities. During the time he was a member of Troop 83, he was known for his prowess with the bow and arrow, winning several archery contests. He received his Eagle Scout badge in 1926.
The 1940s brought tremendous growth to Troop 83. Throughout the decade, 174 Scouts and 38 leaders participated in the Troop. In those years, various Sunday School classes at Dawson opted to be the lead sponsor. In February 1942, Troop 83 invited members of Troop 95 in Mayfair to join them for a special "Scout Sunday" at Dawson. Rev. J. Ivey Edwards delivered a sermon that day entitled, “Cutting Through the Jungle.”
In 1947, Troop 83 began meeting on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. and still does today. In 1949, Troop 83 Committeeman, Cecil Z. Davis, was chosen as Shades Valley’s “Best Citizen of 1949.” Mr. Davis, a member of Dawson and uncle to Dr. George Gammill, would later become Scoutmaster of Troop 83 in 1959, and also serve as a member of the Homewood City Council.
The Booming Years
In the 1950s, the Troop continued to thrive under the leadership of Cecil Davis, Herman Dean, Jr., Gordon Beene, Marion Fink, Gerow Hodges, and Lee Whitehurst. The Troop participated in the Jefferson County Boy Scout Circus in April 1952, demonstrating what "Tenderfeet" (new Scouts) learn in Scouting. The following year, the Vulcan District of the Birmingham Council of Boy Scouts held its first annual swim meet at the Birmingham Southern pool. Troop 83 came in second place. In 1954, the Troop moved its meeting place to 411 Hambaugh Avenue in Homewood. That year, Dr. Edgar M. Arendall observed Memorial Day by paying tribute to the American Legion Post 134, Boy Scout Troop 83, all Gold Star Mothers, mothers of men in service, and all present and former servicemen. In September, Troop 83 was the standout in the swim meet at the annual Vulcan District Camporee at Oak Mountain State Park. Our swimmers took four 1st places and one second place.
Now meeting in the Youth Building at the church, Troop 83 stayed strong in the 1960s and saw its next highest record for membership with 131 Scouts and 61 adults. In March of 1960, Troop 83 took the first place honors at the Vulcan District Boy Scout Rally at Shades Valley High School. Some areas of the competition included: inspection, compass course, compass relay, string burning and fire by flint and steel, knot tying, bandage relay, fireman's carry, and signaling.
Later that same month, the Troop spent three days during spring break week camping in the DeSoto State Park and Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne. In July of 1961, Troop 83 presented the colors at the Alabama Pops Orchestra concert at Homewood Park. On December 26, 1961, The Birmingham News reported that Troop 83 was the oldest Boy Scout Troop to be continually active in the Birmingham area.
In February 1962, Cecil Z. Davis was presented a surprise appreciation plaque before an audience of 200 for “outstanding service to Scouting and youth guidance” during the Troop’s 48th annual chartering ceremony. Davis was honored for his more than 35 years of service to Scouting, which included being a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award in 1947, Scouting’s highest honor, as well as serving on the executive board of the Birmingham Council of Boy Scouts. Davis also spent many years serving as a supervisor for their Sunday School program.
For several years during the 1960s, Troop 83 would “take over” the duties of the local Homewood City government. They would “assume” the duties of mayor, city clerk, police and fire departments, library, park and street and sanitation departments, and they learned how a city government was run. Also in 1962, a record number of Scouts received the God and Country award. Greg Hodges, John McNeil, George Yeager, Dudley Powell, Ronnie Smith, and Jimmie Smith worked with Dawson Educational Director, Clarence Nemitz and the Rev. Jesse Wood, Assistant Pastor, to meet the requirements. Dr. Edgar Arendall presented the awards.
In August 1963, Eagle Scout Greg Hodges was one of 16 Boy Scouts from a five-state area that went to the Boy Scout World Jamboree in Greece, which was attended by over 11,000 Scouts. The jamboree was held 24 miles northeast of Athens on the Gulf of Marathon. Hodges and other Scouts from United States attended a pre-jamboree camp near New York City to get experience camping together and to become familiar with equipment they were to use in Greece.
In January 1965, members from our Troop and from Troop 97 (from Trinity United Methodist Church) planted 400 seedlings on the bank at Homewood Junior High School. That July, six of our Scouts went to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. These Scouts were Robert Myers, Wayne Landmon, Ronald Westbrook, Joe Dunham, Austin Johnson, and Bobby Boyd.
In June 1969, members of Troop 83 attended the National Jamboree at Farragut State Park in Idaho. Gordon Beene was awarded the Vulcan District Award of Merit in 1969. This award is available to Scouts who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level.
On April 7, 1978, Dawson purchased the property at 1201 Irving Road for $40,000. The house was used for Sunday School on Sunday mornings and for Scout meetings on Monday nights. When the North Building was completed in 1981, the property was no longer needed for Sunday School and has been exclusively used by Troop 83 ever since.
The Modern Years
Scoutmasters in the 1980s and 1990s included W.S. Compton, Roy Petty, Larry Phillips, Doug Farris, David Parker, Daryl McIntosh, Mark Tart, and Steve Wolbach. W.S. Compton was awarded the Vulcan District Award of Merit in 1981 and my dad, Steve Wolbach, received the award in 1983.
Campouts in the 1990s included backpacking in the winter at Savage Gulf State Park in Tennessee, camping at Chickamauga National Military Park outside of Chattanooga, Summer Camp at Camp Sequoyah near Delta, AL, Camporee Prep at Camp Dawson, and the Vulcan District Winter Camporee at Oak Mountain State Park, among others. Each year the Troop would take a winter backpacking trip between Christmas and the New Year to a location either in Tennessee or North Carolina. Oftentimes, the troop would find themselves backpacking in snow.
Scoutmasters in the 2000s included Michael Lytle, Chuck Walker, and Mr. Jim Henry. Mr. Henry has been the Scoutmaster of Troop 83 since 2009. During Mr. Henry’s tenure, the troop has been known as a “backpacking troop.” To ease new Scouts into backpacking, the Troop has two campouts every spring that focus on the new Scouts. The first trip is a New Scout Day Hike, and the second trip is a New Scout Overnight Backpacking trip. For these campouts the older, more experienced Scouts show the younger ones how to pack a backpack.
Troop 83 also participates each year at one of Scouting’s three High Adventure Camps. Philmont is the most well known and is located in Cimarron, New Mexico. Here, Scouts embark on a weeklong backpacking adventure. Northern Tier is located in Minnesota on the U.S. and Canadian border. Here, Scouts spend a week canoeing and wilderness camping.
Sea Base is located in Key West, Florida. Here, Scouts spend several days on a sailboat out at sea.
In October 2017, The Boy Scouts of America announced programs to allow females into single-gender Cub Scout dens and Boy Scout troops. Dawson’s Troop 83 is strictly a boys only Troop. If Dawson ever desired to sponsor a girls only troop, it would be a separate troop with female leadership.
Eagles & Beyond
Troop 83 has a long-standing tradition of producing a high percentage of Eagle Scouts. Nationally, about 5% of Scouts who enter the program achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Since the 1990s, the percentage of Scouts who achieve the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 83 is about 50%. Since 1926, Troop 83 has produced 187 Eagle Scouts, including our latest, Kevin Perez.
This April, Dawson’s Troop 83 will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Since its inception in 1926, Troop 83 has seen over 900 Scouts and 300 adult leaders involved in the Scouting program. These Scouts become valuable contributors to society. Troop 83 has helped these Scouts live out the Scout Oath and the Scout Law.
Please make plans to join us for our 100 Years of Scouting Celebration on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel. Watch the Together for more information. If you have questions about Scouting or are interested in becoming involved as a member or adult leader, please contact Jim Henry, Troop 83’s Scoutmaster, or visit dawsonchurch.org/boyscouts. Troop 83 meets every Monday night from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 1201 Irving Road.
Stephen Wolbach grew up at Dawson. In addition to serving as Troop 83’s Committee Chairman, he sings bass in the Sanctuary Choir. An electrical engineer, Stephen has worked at Alabama Power Company for the past 18 years.