Ex-Scouts reunite, reminisce as Troop 18 marks 50 years

May 25, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

BOARDMAN

Kenneth J. Purfey’s successes in business include having spent the past 15 years as chief financial officer of four computer- information and high-tech firms as well as having started 59 other companies.

The Rev. Gary Frost served 18 years as pastor of Rising Star Baptist Church on Youngstown’s East Side, helped raise 40 foster children and has acted as a mentor to many other youngsters.

Tim Butler Jr. recently retired after 28 years of working his way through the ranks at General Motors Corp. in Lordstown.

A major piece tying all three men’s personal and professional accomplishments is their experiences decades ago in Youngstown-based Boy Scout Troop 18.

“They were dedicated to leadership and were people who cared about the community and mentoring young people, and instilling in boys the desire to be the best they can be,” explained Purfey, of San Jose, Calif., an Ursuline High School graduate who has more than 35 years of financial experience mainly in Fortune 200 firms.

Purfey also was among those who attended Sunday’s Boy Scout Troop 18’s 50-year reunion at the Springfield Grille, 7413 Tiffany Blvd.

More than a dozen former troop members who served from 1961 to 1971 attended the gathering to reconnect with one another, reminisce about their experiences and enjoy a dinner of filet mignon, crab, shrimp ravioli and chicken.

In 1961, Troop 18 formed at the McGuffey Centre on Youngstown’s East Side, and of its 70 members, 31 became Eagle Scouts. Instrumental in starting the troop were Walter Payne and the late Hugh L. Frost, the Rev. Mr. Frost’s father and former director of the McGuffey Centre.

Many Troop 18 members became doctors, engineers and lawyers, Purfey noted. Perhaps the best-known is Sherman L. Smith of Renton, Wash., who earned an Eagle Scout ranking and played eight seasons for the Seattle Seahawks before becoming the team’s running backs coach.

Purfey recalled that during his time as a Scout, qualities such as trustworthiness, honesty and respect – three of Scouting’s 12 core values – were drummed into him. Consequently, they greatly influenced his character and ability to work well with co-workers, he continued.

“Those virtues carried over into business,” Purfey said. “To succeed in business, you have to have those virtues.”

“Scouting helped develop an appreciation for discipline, respect, honor and teamwork. It also gave me a greater appreciation for nature and education,” added Mr. Frost, of Girard, who is vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Midwest Region.

Mr. Frost also recalled having conducted a soil-conservation project to earn his Eagle Scout ranking.

Troop 18 may have been a highly disciplined unit, but that’s not to say that members were devoid of humorous recollections.

Mr. Frost recalled that during a camping trip at Camp Stambaugh in Canfield, the temperature was below zero and a fellow Scout’s nylon sleeping bag was close to the fire when another Scout poured kerosene on the flames. The camper was OK, but the bag “literally disappeared,” he said with laughter.

Butler, who was Troop 18’s first Scoutmaster, had nothing but praise for the troop as well as the McGuffey Centre, which he called “the anchor and the soul of our community.” He also expressed deep admiration for a close-knit parents group that supported the Scouts’ activities.

“The guys set goals and went after our Eagle Scouts. It was a very competitive troop,” Butler said, noting that Troop 18 amassed numerous trophies and excelled in aquatics.

In addition, being part of Troop 18 meant creating many lasting friendships, he added.

During the reunion, several former Troop 18 members re-enacted a unique march they had developed and performed while moving from one activity to another.