YMHA/JCC Troop 26

 

Memory Lane

Water Fight at Goose Pond (submitted by Richard Epstein)
I remember one summer at Goose Pond, the rough looking kosher kitchen staff walked by our camp site carrying Indian Pumps (portable water pumps used for fighting forest fires) and charged at several members of Troop 26 drenching them with water. Our scout master gave the order to man our own Indian pumps and drive the intruders back. In another words, we had a big water fight. Later that day, we found out that our scout master once worked as a member of the kitchen staff and was friendly with the “Pots and Pan Boys.” We soon figured out that Richard Epstein planned he whole affair. From that day on, we were good friends with the once feared kitchen staff. That evening, we had a water melon party and a good time was had by all.

Fire Eater (submitted by Richard Epstein)
Jack Epstein was a member of Boy Scout Troop 26 in the late 1940’s. I remember he came back to visit the troop while he was on leave from the U.S. Marine Corps. He came with a newly acquired skill: fire eating. He put on a heck of a demonstration at one of our scout meetings and left with singed hair and no eyebrows.

YMHA, Blue and Gold Banquet (Submitted by Joe Ruder)
Joe Ruder and Joe Epstein, both Eagle Scouts, put on a fire building demonstration without using matches as part of a Blue and Gold Award Banquet held in the YMHA Banquet Halll and got a smoldering fire in about 20 seconds.

Joe Epstein came up with a bow and spindle design that I don't remember ever seeing before or since. The leather thong of the bow was wrapped around a spindle that was rounded top and bottom. The top part fit into a round indentation [that was lightly greased to reduce friction] in a block of wood that was rounded to fit comfortably in the hand. The bottom fit into a rounded indentation in a piece of wood that had a V notch groove in it reaching slightly into the indentation. In the notched groove was placed a small palm size bunch of tinder; the tinder was old dry yellow birch bark that was carefully peeled off a tree and then baked in an oven to make it super dry [sneaky, no?].

Bearing down on the block and quickly drawing the bow back and forth, caused the bottom indentation to quickly heat the yellow birch bark to the wood ignition temperature and the wood began to smolder and then burst into flame. I don't remember much smoke. Obviously, the whole device impressed me a great deal to have remembered it in such detail for sooooo many years

Birding (Submitted by Joe Ruder)
Joe Epstein and I were working on the Bird Study merit badge where we had to see and identify several dozen species of birds. One morning I met Joe at dawn in a large, tree filled, cemetery in Dunmore. We had been there for a while when we spotted a yellow breasted bird with a beautiful song [it was a warbler] that was rare in PA. We were very excited by the find; which we identified as a chat. Joe brought binoculars which we shared and we were very carefully whispering so as to not scare the bird away. I was close to and behind Joe and all was extremely quiet and peaceful. All of a sudden a very very loud sound came from the area directly in front of my stomach. I and the bird shot straight up; I came down but the bird didn't. Joe casually reached into his back pocket; took out a rather large old fashion alarm clock; turned it off and said; "Sorry Joe, we have to get going, I promised my wife I would be home by 8 o'clock".

An Overnight Hike (Submitted by Joe Ruder)
One day in the early spring Joe Epstein took several members of Troop 26 out somewhere past Dunmore for an overnight camp. Being minimalists; after carefully checking the weather forecast we decided not to bring a tent. During the night, the weather turned quite cold and there were a few light snow flurries. Soon after breakfast we decided to call it a day and headed back.
When Joe and I got back to his house, Mrs. Epstein said to me: "You know Joe, my husband spends more time sleeping with you than with me." As a teenager, I must have blushed for the next two days.

Fire on Coon’s Mountain (Submitted by Joe Ruder)
While looking for an old photograph, Joe Ruder came across a note Joe Epstein had written for him. It reads as follows:

Date: March 1952
To: Manny Gordon, District Forester
This is to certify that Joseph Ruder helped put out the fire near Coons Mountain this summer.

Joseph I. Epstein, Asst. Scoutmaster, Troop 26.

This brief note probably helped me to achieve a requirement for Camping Merit badge when I went to be tested by the examiner [who I believe was Mr. Gordon]. While on a hike, members of troop came across a fire as they were walking up the last hill before Coons Mountain [on the left side of the trail]; how the heck do I remember such detail?

This probably helped me to achieve a requirement for Camping Merit badge when I went to be tested by the examiner.

The fire was a smoldering line creeping along the floor of the woods which were covered with dry leaves and pine needles. Since the only water we had was in our canteens and the creek was a bit of a distance away, Joe had us form a line and simply walk along and stomp the fire out; after which he carefully inspected the ground to make sure nothing was still smoldering.

Looking Back (Contributed by Joe Ruder)

I had sort of stalled after becoming a Life Scout with about ten merit badges. There had not been an Eagle Scout in Troop 26 for some time so there was no one that I could model myself after. Joe Epstein encouraged me not only verbally but by telling me that he had decided to become an Eagle and started working together with me on several merit badges. He taught me focus and dedication, as well as goal setting, planning and executing. These skills were useful during my working career initially as an engineer in the aerospace industry and later as a project leader and program manager. Especially helpful was learning how to break large projects into small manageable chunks and having the self confidence that they could be completed. He was a real special guy.

By bringing these things to mind, and recalling this long ago history; I realize that I have much to write about my life for my children and grandchildren. And I will start by sending them this email. Thanks again—Joe Ruder.