At 9:30 p.m. on August 16, 1962, an even dozen men met in the Scout Room of St. Catherine of Siena Church. These men saw the need for a new Boy Scout troop in the parish. The men who founded our troop are Andrew Benson, Charles Desporte, Robert Evans, Moise Fangue, Rene Gonzales, Ed Houlard, Daniel Murphy, Edwin Richards, Mike Sherman, Jesse Smith, Maurice Souvestre, and Chris Winters. Monsignor Melancon was pastor of St. Catherine and Fr. Perkovic was the assistant pastor. Fr. Perkovic supervised the scouts for the parish.
It was decided at that meeting that a new scout troop would be formed, with Robert Evans as the first scoutmaster. At that meeting, and the next, the first troop committee officers were selected: Rene Gonzales, committee chairman; Daniel Cox, Sr., advancement chairman; Daniel Murphy, secretary; Edwin Richards, quartermaster; Andy Benson, transportation chairman; Jim Hoover, publicity chairman; Ed Houlard, telephone chairman; and Maurice Souvestre, treasurer.
On September 18, 1962, Mr. James Murphy joined the troop committee, and, on March 13, 1964, when Mr. Evans resigned as scoutmaster, he took over. Mr. Murphy served Troop 230 as its scoutmaster until 1986, a period of 24 years. Mr. Murphy passed away on May 29, 2004.
In 1987, Eagle Scout Andy Dillenkoffer took over as scoutmaster, and he served until July 1, 1996. Andy received his Eagle, as a member of troop 230, in 1981. Andy is now living in Shrewsbery, Mass, with his wife and 4 kids.
Our next scoutmaster, Stu Estrade, took over in July of 1996, and led our troop until February 19, 2006. Stu’s three sons, Matt, Brett, and Grant, all received their Eagle awards as members of Troop 230. Mr. Stu retired as our scoutmaster, having served as Troop Committee Chair, and then Scoutmaster, for over 18 years. However, Mr. Stu will remain active as a member of the Troop Committee, and will continue his work on the district and council level. He has served as Winter Camp director for many years, and he was summer camp director at Salmen Scout Reservation for 2005 and 2006. Mr. Stu also served as Course Director for the most recent Wood Badge course, SR- 753.
Bryan Roser, our fifth scoutmaster, is no stranger to Scouting. Mr. Bryan earned his Eagle rank in 1980, from Troop 45, at St. Angela Merici Catholic Church, in Metairie. He was selected as a youth to receive the Vigil Honor by the Chilantakoba Lodge of the Order of the Arrow, and currently serves as Lodge Adviser for the Chitimacha Chapter. He has been serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster in our troop since 1999, when his son. Matt, joined the troop. Mr. Bryan has also earned his wood badge beads as a participant in Wood Badge course SR-753.
Troop 230 been quite active over its 44 year history. Troop records show the troop has been attending summer camp from at least 1965, when the troop spent July 11 through July 17 at old Camp Salmen, on Bayou Liberty, in Slidell. For much of the troop's history, summer camp was spent at Camp Salmen, and then at V-Bar Scout Reservation, now known as Salmen Scout Reservation.
The troop has not been a stay-at-home troop, however. In the 70's and ‘80's, the troop took winter trips, by bus, to such places at Biloxi, Ms., Vicksburg, Ms., Port Gibson, Ms., Chattanooga, Tn., Stone Mountain, Ga., and Little Rock, Ar. These trips were generally from December 26 through December 30. In more recent years, the troop has reversed the trend, electing to spend the Christmas break at winter camp, at Salmen, while making a trip for summer camp. In the last few years, the troop has been to Woodruff Scout Reservation, GA (2007), Camp Daniel Boone, N.C. (2004), Sid Richardson Scout Reservation, Tx (2003), Camp Comer, Al (2002), Camp Sidney Dew, Ga (2001) Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation, Va (2000), and Pine Tree Scout Reservation, Ar (1998). In 2009, we are headed back to Camp Daniel Boone in North Carolina.
In 2005, 6 adult leaders and 21 scouts from Troop 230 made up the largest portion of the Southeast Louisiana contingent to the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. That same summer 4 scouts and 7 adult leaders of our troop, as members of Crew 230, went to Sea Base, the Boy Scout high adventure base in the Florida Keys. In 2006, the troop had 2 crews, with 12 scouts and 5 adult leaders trek the mountains of Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scout high adventure in Cimmeron, N.M. Crew 230 returned to Philmont in 2007.
A substantial number of our youth and adult leaders are signed up to attend the next National Jamboree, in 2010. Again, it looks like Troop 230 will have the most youth in our council contingent.
Since the troop began, 74 of our scouts have earned the rank of Eagle. Our first Eagle was Brian M. Cox, in 1963. In 2006, 9 of our scouts earned their Eagle, the most in one year since our troop was founded. The names of all of these scouts are listed in the Home Grown Eagles page, http://www.troop230.us/eagles.html.
Five of our Eagles served as Lodge Chief for the Chilantakoba Lodge of the Order of the Arrow: Michael Murphy (1970), Gary Segura (1982), Robert Stouse (1985), Brett Estrade (1993), and Matt Roser (2005-06). Vigil Honor members of the Order from our troop are: James Murphy and Michael Murphy (1969), Gary Segura and Bryan Roser (as a member of Troop 45) (1982), Robert Stouse (1984), Brett Estrade and Mike Paulhus (1993), Matt Estrade (1994), Bob Bradshaw and Matt Madderra (as a member of Troop 434)(2001), Stu Estrade (2002), Matt Roser (2005), Mark Landry (2006) and Francis Landry (2007). Matt Madderra (2002), Bob Bradshaw (2003) and Matt Roser (2006) also received the Order of the Arrow Founders' Award. In 2004, Assistant Scoutmaster Matt Madderra served as Section Chief of Section 1 of the Southern Region, which covers twelve lodges in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama. He currently serves as Associate Section Advisor of Section 1A, which encompasses 6 lodges in Louisiana and Mississippi. Matt Roser is currently Vice Chief of Section 1A.
The Silver Pelican is the highest award a Boy Scout can earn in our council. As scouts in our troop, Michael Murphy (1969), Allen Bujol (1975), Gary Segura (1982), Robert Stouse (1983), Mike Buras, Jr. (1993) and Matt Roser (2006) received this award. Our adults have also received awards for service to our boys, and the Southeast Louisiana Council’s highest award for service to the youth of the council is the Silver Beaver. Several adult leaders in our troop have received this award: Gerald McNeill (1989); Marie McNeill (1991); Mike Buras, Sr. (1995); Stu Estrade (1998); Bob Bradshaw (2003); and Tony Faucheaux and Mark Landry (2008).
Our troop remains active and vibrant. For that we have to thank our scouts, our leaders, and our chartered organization. Monsignor Roger Swenson, our pastor, earned his Eagle in 1952. As an active part of the youth ministry of our parish, our troop and its members regularly work on service projects for the parish and school. Our troop is in charge of putting up and taking down the stage for the annual St. Catherine of Siena Parish Fair.
The scouts in our troop actively work on earning the religious awards of their faith. In 2002, three of our scouts earned the Ad Altari Dei emblem, and in 2003, five more scouts earned the award. In 2004, twelve members of Troop 230 and Crew 230 earned the Pope Piux XII emblem. Three scouts earned the Ad Altari Dei in 2005, and five scouts earned the award in 2009.
Troop 230 is especially proud of Eagle Scout Kenneth Allen, who earned his Eagle in 1977. Ken was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2004, and, as Father Ken, is currently serving as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mandeville, LA.
Our troop will celebrate its 50th birthday on August 16, 2012. We are always looking for information on our history. This is a work in progress. If you, or someone you know, was a part of scouting at. St. Catherine of Siena, either in Troop 230 or Troop 50, please let us know. If we have made errors, or omissions, please E mail Mark Landry, troop advancement chairman, at marklandry@cox.net.
Revised July 15, 2009
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