WESTBOROUGH – On the first weekend of March, Westborough Troop 100 celebrated its 100th anniversary.
On the evening of March 4 at the Knights of Columbus on Willow Street, the troop’s leaders, alumni and supporters sat down to a dinner catered by the Central House Tavern. The event also featured a silent auction and a slide show of troop activities, past and present.
State Rep. Kate Donaghue (D-Westborough) and state Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury) were on hand to present citations from the State House.
Several members of the troop also attended. All of them wore a special “100” patch to commemorate the anniversary.
According to Mark Derderian, trustee and treasurer for the Friends of Westborough Scouting, which sponsored the dinner, the troop began as Troop 1 in 1917, but it disbanded because of World War I. The troop re-formed in 1923; it became Troop 100 in honor of Westborough’s history as “the hundredth town.”
“We were one of the very first troops in Massachusetts,” he said.
Over the years, the troop has provided a range of community service, from building bog bridges to handling the microphones during Town Meeting.
“It’s awesome,” said Hunter Felton, who’s been with Troop 100 for nearly eight years. “The history behind the troop … I’ve been with them [for] seven-eight years, but the history goes back 10 times that.”
While the troop is old, the friends group is new. It was established about a year ago as a 501c 3 nonprofit to help raise funds for the troop.
“Scouting is getting expensive,” said Dan Felton, group president. He cited the costs of attending summer camp ($450 per week) and going to the national jamboree ($2,900) among other expenses.
The friends group also assists troop members with education and training, and it supports camp and troop activities.
Pancake breakfast
On the following morning, dinner turned to breakfast. Troop members young and old flipped pancakes, served them up, provided beverages and cleaned up afterward.
“We love this event,” said Karin Johnson, who enjoyed breakfast with her family. “It’s really cool.”
“I like the experience” of being a member of Troop 100, said David Dame, who was on the serving line. “I also made friends here.”
“I enjoy spending time with other Scouts,” added Benjamin Honan, who’s been a member of Troop 100 for about eight years.
On Saturday, March 18, the town’s Cub Scouts will conduct a “Blue and Gold” ceremony at Mill Pond Elementary School. In the ceremony, qualified Cub Scouts will transition to Boy Scouts.
For information about the Friends of Westborough Scouting, visit westboroughfriendsofscouting.org.
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