Old Stuff
Here, we will retell short stories of memories of troop camping trips, Courts of Honor, bus rides, and all the other fond memories of life in Troop 45.
To the left are archives of photos. If you have more, please get in touch or email to Jim.
....I remember a time when.....The troop was camping at Camp Salmen (Slidell). All of a sudden, smoke was spotted in the air, and we all raced to the back of camp (near the cemetary) to find a raging brush fire. It then became our job to beat back the fire and save the camp. We did, ofcourse, but it took us most of Saturday afternoon to do it.
Below are some wonderful memories submitted by Lonnie Moore.
Memories of the 1950s & early 1960s
Troop 45, BSA
In 1954 there was a Scout-O- Rama of indoor competitive events at Loyola Field House. The very agile Terry Stedlein climbed the entire length of a rope to the cat walk near the ceiling.
Camping trips during the 1950s were popular activities. Two popular tent camping sites were known as Red Bluff (near Covington LA) and Wolf River (on the river in Harrison County MS).
A popular cabin camping site in the 1950s and early 1960s was the group camp at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville. There were bunk rooms in the dinning lodge which allowed parents and young ladies to join us in those trips.
There were N.O. Area camporees held on Scout Island in New Orleans City Park in the 1950s and into the early 1960s. Troop 45 always did well in the camporee competitive events.
There were also district camporees in the 1950s.
Troop 45 competed in the then Keystone District, and after winning the district flag in three consecutive years became permanent owners of the flag. The Keystone District Camporee was usually held at Salmen in Slidell.
Popular in the summer in the 1950s was swimming on every other Wednesday night at the Audubon Park Pool.
Also popular in the 1950s and early 1960s was ushering at the Tulane home games and the annual Sugar Bowl game in Sugar Bowl Stadium on the university campus. Mr. Roland Selenberg was a very dedicated parent in transporting us to the games.
After reaching the age of 14 one could attend the very popular dances held at the Nardelle home about once a month. Deanne Nardelle usually provided the young ladies who were members of her Girl Scout Troop. We danced to the “do wop” and “ shooby do” songs of the era played on a 45 RPM record player.
Mrs. Nardelle always provided a great spread to “eats” at these dances.
Troop 45 in the 1950s and 1960s was a large troop with a distinguished record of individual advancement. There were usually six patrols with eight 11-13 year old boys in each. There were also, at least, a dozen senior scouts (age 14 and older).
Our registration usually exceeded 60 scouts and scouters each year.
Our record of individual advancement in the 1950s and 1960s is reflected in the statistic that approximately 70 achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in these decades under the leadership and encouragement of our first scoutmaster, Mr. Warren Nardelle.
There were many other notable adult leaders who influenced the Troop in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mr. Warren Nardelle, Jr. became co-scoutmaster around 1960 and was very dedicated to that responsibility. “Captain” George and Mr. William Shelhorse,Sr. were outstanding institutional representatives. Mr. William Bradley, Sr. (father of our first Eagle Scout) accompanied us on many camping trips and was known for his advancement instruction classes on those trips.
Many wonderful parents (both fathers & mothers) provided outstanding support and service to the troop in the 50s and 60s.
.