Boy Scout Troop 366

Meets every Monday Night at the Westside Community Church on Pacific Avenue at 6:30 pm.

 

History of the Troop

Original Work by John Harper
included by permission

Omaha Pack 366 and Troop 366 formally recognized as 50-year Boy Scout units

 

     On Tuesday September 12, 2000 Boy Scouts of America Mid-America Council Scout Executive Lloyd Roitstein formally recognized Omaha Cub Scout Pack 366 and Omaha Boy Scout Troop 366 for 50 continuous years of scouting service to their community.  Both scout units were first chartered in late 1949 by parent-teachers’ groups in then-new Omaha Westside School District 66.  Today, almost 51 years later, Pack 366 still is sponsored by one of its original sponsors:  Loveland Elementary School Community Club.

 

Westside District 66

 

     The history of Pack 366 and of Troop 366 both individually and jointly is very much a part of the history of Omaha Westside Community Schools, Douglas County District 66.  In response to the post World War II growth of Omaha’s population westward from what now is downtown Omaha, three older school districts west of what then were the western city limits of Omaha decided to combine to form a new school district.  The three older school districts were Oakdale School District 31, Underwood School District 46, and Loveland School District 65.  The 1949 address of the two-story Underwood School building was 7805 Underwood Avenue;  due to construction of Crossroads Mall, several smaller malls, and many new residences in the area, today this address would be approximately 7805 Cass Street.  The other two schools still exist today in their 1949 buildings, although the structures have since been considerably upgraded and expanded.  Area streets have changed quite a bit since 1949, so that Loveland Elementary School’s present address is 8201 Pacific Street, and Oakdale Elementary School’s present address is 9801 West Center Road.

     The three older school districts formally reorganized themselves as new District 66 on March 30, 1947, and selected as the new district’s number the designation “66”.  The number “66” was chosen because it [1] was the next highest available unused school district number in Douglas County, and [2] did not duplicate one of the numbers being used by the three consolidating older districts, and [3] because the number “66” had a nice alliterative sound to it.  The 1947 selection of School District number 66 would in 1949 reappear in the numerical designations of new Cub Scout Pack 366 and new Boy Scout Troop 366.

     About two years after the school district was formed in 1947, District 66 parent-teachers’ groups decided to charter Boy Scout units for the benefit of their sons.  Therefore, in late 1949 the three existing parent-teacher groups in District 66 chartered both a new Cub Scout Pack and a new Boy Scout Troop.  It is not known if there were earlier Boy Scout units at any one of the three schools.

     It is clear Westside parents in 1949 were quite proud of their new District 66, and they wanted their new Boy Scout units to bear numerical designations that identified the new scout units’ association with their homes in new Douglas County School District 66.  A September 2000 check of Mid-America Council scout records revealed there in 1949 existed a Cub Scout Pack 66 founded in 1948, a Boy Scout Troop 66 founded in 1930, and a Boy Scout Troop 166 founded in 1929.

     With the number “66” unavailable for their use, it is clear District 66 parents gave significant deliberation to the selection of the number their new scout units would carry.  Circumstantial evidence indicates the parents deliberately selected the numerical designation “366” for both new units;  the number “3” was chosen to represent the three older school districts that had combined to form new District 66, and the number “66” was chosen because the parent-teachers’ groups and the boys who would be members of the new scout units all lived in new Douglas County School District 66.

 

Brief History of Cub Scout Pack 366

 

     According to copies of the two unit’s original charters, Pack 366 was the first of the two new scout units to be chartered.  Scout units typically are chartered for one-year periods.  Pack 366’s first charter carries the typed charter date “10-11-49”, and the typed charter expiration date “October 1950”.  This first charter identifies “Loveland P.T.A., Oakdale P.T.A., and Underwood Community Club” as the three sponsoring organizations of new Pack 366, and notes the pack met regularly on the first Tuesday of each month at “Underwood School” at 7:00 PM.

     As District 66’s population growth moved southward and westward, significant changes occurred in area Cub Scout units starting with the Pack 366 charter year beginning November 1, 1952.  On that date Pack 366 was rechartered by the Underwood Community Club alone;  this charter notes Pack 366 continued to meet at Underwood School.  Effective on the same date, Loveland Community Club chartered a new pack, Pack 356 to meet at Loveland Elementary School.

     From November 1, 1952 through the charter year ending October 31st, 1961, Loveland Community Club continued to sponsor Pack 356, and Underwood to sponsor Pack 366.  Membership in Pack 366 meeting at Underwood School was significantly affected by the chartering of Pack 356 in 1952, by the opening of Hillside Elementary School in 1955, and by the opening of new Underwood Hills Elementary School in 1961.  Thus, throughout the 1950s attendance at Underwood School began decreasing in many ways as District 66 opened new high, middle, and elementary schools, and as the older 1925-built facilities at Underwood School became more out of date.  By the end of 1961 neither high, middle, nor elementary school classes any longer were being held at Underwood School.

     In retrospect it seems clear at some point parents involved with Loveland Community Club, and probably some officials in the council scout office, were aware of the significance to District 66 of the designation “Pack 366”, and wanted to keep the “Pack 366” designation alive and active.  Therefore, following the Underwood and the Loveland charter years ending October 31, 1961, the designation “Pack 366” was returned to the Loveland Community Club for the charter period beginning November 1, 1961, and Pack 356 at Loveland was replaced by Pack 366;  this move maintained the continuity of Pack 366, and was critical to allowing Pack 366 to remain active for 50 continuous years.  Loveland Community Club, which had been one of the original three sponsors of Pack 366 in 1949, became the sole sponsor of Pack 366 November 1, 1961, and has remained such ever since right up through the present.

     Pack 356 met at Loveland its entire life.  Once Pack 356 was replaced by Pack 366, Pack 366 met at Loveland until around 1990.  About then Cubmaster John S. McCollister moved Pack 366 Pack Meetings to Swanson gym, where they are held today.  Swanson area boys, after all, also have been part, first, of the Underwood and, second, of the Loveland packs for the period dating back to 1949.

 

Brief History of Boy Scout Troop 366

 

     In 1949 District 66’s only high school was the second floor of the old Underwood School building at what today would be approximately 7805 Cass Street.  Therefore District 66 parents selected only the Underwood School Community Club to be the first sponsor of their new troop, Troop 366, since that was the parent-teacher group at the district’s only middle and high school.  As did Pack 366, Troop 366 also first met at Underwood School, since Underwood was District 66’s largest building at the time.

     Troop 366’s first charter carries the typed date “11-11-49” and the expiration date “October 1950”.  If “11-11-49” is correct, Troop 366 is exactly one month younger than Pack 366.  However, it must be wondered if “11-11-49” is an error for “10-11-49”, as it would make sense for the first charters for Pack 366 and for Troop 366 to have been submitted to the Boy Scout council office the same day.

     District 66 was so rapidly outgrowing the old Underwood building it was necessary to open the new Westside High School at 87th and Pacific streets in 1952.  Thus, starting with its charter year beginning November 1, 1952 [the same charter year major changes became effective with Pack 366 and with Pack 356], Troop 366’s sponsor became the Westside Boosters Club and its meeting place was changed to the new Westside High School building.  Countryside Community Church [8787 Pacific Street] took over sponsorship for the charter years beginning April 1, 1959, 1960, 1961, and 1962, and at the same time Troop 366 began meeting at Loveland Elementary School.  Probably because Pack 366 already was meeting at Loveland, the Loveland Community Club took over sponsorship of Troop 366 for the charter years beginning April 1, 1963 and extending at least through December 31, 1996.  Troop meetings remained at Loveland through the charter year ending December 31, 1987.  Beginning with the January 1, 1988 charter year, meetings were held at Swanson Elementary School, then about two years ago again at Countryside Community Church.  With the physical move back to Countryside Community Church, the church again became Troop 366’s sponsor, as it remains today.

 

Formal recognition as 50-year Scouting units

 

     Recognition of Pack 366 and Troop 366 as 50-year units occurred in a somewhat serendipitous manner.  The author happened to be at the Mid-America Council office at 12401 West Maple Road when the idea occurred it might be interesting to see what the oldest Pack 366 charter on file might be.  Examination of Pack 366’s original charter produced the surprises [1] it had been granted October 11, 1949, and [2] the pack’s original sponsoring institutions had been three District 66 community clubs.  This information was discussed with Pack 366’s and Troop 366’s MAC Soaring Eagle District Director Gregg Loucks;  Greg exercises oversight of Pack 366 and Troop 366 for MAC.  Greg agreed with the conclusion both units had been continuously chartered and continuously active for over 50 years.  A request for formal 50-year recognition then was submitted Tuesday September 5, 2000 to MAC Scout Executive Lloyd Roitstein;  this request was approved by Lloyd one week later, on Tuesday September 12, 2000.

 

50th Year Birthday Celebration

 

     Pack 366 and Troop 366 have much to celebrate, for it is a rather small percentage of all Boy Scout units that remain continuously active for 50 years or more.  The significance of reaching 50 continuous years is indicated by a study cited by MAC District Executive Greg Loucks.  Greg recalled that some years back a predecessor council of today’s Mid America Council identified the average life of a council Boy Scout unit as approximately 21 years at that time.

     With Pack 366’s first Pack Meeting of its scouting year 2000-2001 already scheduled for Monday September 18 in Swanson Elementary School’s gym, it was decided by Cubmaster Bill Rafael, Scoutmaster John S. McCollister, and the author it would be appropriate to include a joint 50th year birthday celebration in the meeting.  After all, the 50th year celebration really cannot be postponed until next month, for by its October 2000 Pack Meeting Pack 366 will have completed over 51 years of community service!

 

50 Year Gold Veteran Unit Bars

 

     As each Scout sews his 50-year gold Veteran Unit bar above the number “366” on the left sleeve of his uniform, he is wearing a unit honor largely earned by the efforts of so many parents and boys who preceded him in Westside District 66 Scouting.  In particular, today’s members of Pack 366 and of Troop 366 owe a debt of gratitude to 50 years of dedication by the Loveland, Oakdale, and Underwood community clubs, Westside Booster Club, and Countryside Community Church.  On each of several occasions when Pack 366 or Troop 366 reached a critical juncture in their individual and joint histories, some group of Westside parents always stepped forward to save the day.  Of these groups of parents, Loveland Community Club has been involved for the longest period of time, and at the largest number of critical moments.  To these now largely unknown groups of dedicated individuals whose efforts have benefited so many Westside families and boys, today’s Pack 366 and Troop 366 members and families offer a much-belated “thanks”.