Contributor – Steven Starcher
https://www.facebook.com/EastCantonTroop36
Scouting America – East Canton / Osnaburg Township
The mission of Scouting America is to prepare youth to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Scouting provides youth with essential life skills, character development, and self-confidence through outdoor adventures, community service, and leadership opportunities. It fosters resilience, teamwork, and ethical standards, with long-term benefits for adulthood.
Motto: Be Prepared
Slogan: Do a Good Turn Daily
Scout Oath: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
In America, the Scouting program was founded in 1910, but it first began in our community in December 1925 when the chartering organization, St. Paul’s Reformed Church, started Troop 38. Troop 38 was founded with 11 Scouts (Henry Albers, John Albers, Joel Davis, William D. Davis, Glen Graber, Melvin Hammack, Edward Harter, William A. Kendle, Dale Scott, Earl W. Schroyer, and Joseph Waskavitz) and two adult leaders (Earl J. Howes, Scoutmaster, and John Delap, Assistant Scoutmaster). The troop committee consisted of E. C. Coldren, Chairman; Rev. J. L. Fritz; H. E. Harter; G. Knorr; and T. L. Kendle.
Troop 38 was active from 1925 to 1928. It was later reorganized and rechartered from 1932 to 1933 but has been inactive since.
The current Scouting America troop serving the East Canton/Osnaburg Township community is Troop 36. Troop 36 was founded in 1937 and has remained continuously registered except for the 1948–1949 charter year.
Scouting America makes its program available to the nation’s youth by chartering community organizations to organize and operate Scouting units. These chartered organizations manage the units and support the program of activities to meet their goals and objectives. The chartered organization provides a Chartered Organization Representative who helps select the unit committee. This committee provides overall supervision for the unit’s program and selects the adult unit leaders who work directly with the youth. The chartered organization also provides a meeting place, equipment, and program support.
Throughout the years, many organizations have chartered Troop 36. The founding-chartered organization was St. Paul’s Reformed Church. The East Canton Lions Club, American Sportsman’s Club, and Junior Order of United American Mechanics have also had the privilege of chartering Troop 36; however, the exact dates of their sponsorship are currently unclear.
From at least 1962 to the present, American Legion Post 667 (Lowell D. Oberly) has chartered Troop 36, providing the backbone of support that ensures the troop continues positively influencing community youth. The current Chartered Organization Representative is Ralph Toalston. The Troop Committee Chairman is Jay Fisher, and committee members include Jeff Gantz, Kristi Young-Golden, and Paul Toalston.
All adult leaders are volunteers and are essential to providing Scouts with the best possible experience. The Scoutmaster serves as the primary adult leader responsible for managing the troop program, ensuring a safe youth-led environment, and fostering Scout growth. Key responsibilities include training youth leaders, conducting conferences, ensuring safety and policy compliance, and promoting outdoor activities.
Melvin Hammack was the first Scoutmaster of Troop 36.
Other known Scoutmasters include:
- August (Augie) Oberster (1940’s- 1950s?)
- John Tataru (1958- 1961)
- William H. Duffie Jr. (1961- 1965)
- Francis “Pete” Kullman (1965–1973)
- Ralph E. Toalston (1973 – 1979)
- Larry Peterman (1979 – 1981)
- Paul Toalton (1981-1983)
- Jay Fisher (1990s–2000s)
- D. Ivans (Early 2000s)
- Michael Potter (2004 – 2010)
- Steven Miller SR (2010s)
- Kristi Young-Golden (2010s-2020s)
The current Scoutmaster of Troop 36 is Steven Starcher (2023–Present).
Local councils serve as the administrative backbone for Scouting America within specific geographic areas. They provide professional guidance, training, camping facilities, and resources to ensure quality programs. The Buckeye Council delivers these services for Troop 36. Buckeye Council operated Camp Buckeye (1946 – 1978), Camp Tuscazoar (1920 – 1987), and operates Seven Ranges Scout Reservation(1987 – Present), where Troop 36 conducts its annual summer camp.
At Buckeye Council camps, Scouts may participate in the Pipestone Camp Honors Program. In 2025, the Pipestone Program celebrated its 100th anniversary. Pipestone is a five-year progressive program with requirements in ecology, swimming, advancement, service, leadership, and Scout spirit. Within Buckeye Council, earning the 5th-Year Pipestone Award is considered prestigious. As of 2025 Troop 36 has had [INSERT NUMBER] members who proudly wear the 5th-Year Pipestone on their uniform.
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting’s National Honor Society. The OA recognizes Scouts and Scouters who exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. Members are known for their fellowship, service to others, commitment to personal growth, and self-driven initiative to make a difference in their communities. With help from Sipp-O Lodge, from 1990 to 2025, 67 Members from Troop 36 have been elected and inducted into the OA.
The highest honor within the OA is the Vigil Honor. 14 Scouts from Troop 36 have received the Vigil Honor:
- Dennis DeHoff
- John Effinger
- Jay Fisher
- Andrew Flanagan
- Kenneth Flanagan
- Matthew Flanagan
- John Miller
- Bruce Miller
- Steven Miller SR
- Adam Oyer
- Clyde Oyer
- Phillip Oyer
- Paul Toalston
- Ralph Toalston
Bruce Miller also served as Lodge Chief (1970s) of Sippo Lodge #377, the local OA lodge serving Buckeye Council and Troop 36.
The Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award (formerly the BSA Medal of Merit) is a national award for registered youth and adults who perform outstanding—often lifesaving—acts of service using Scouting skills, going above and beyond normal expectations.
In 1962, Scout Michael Duffie was awarded the Medal of Merit by the National Court of Honor for using the skills and ideals of Scouting to save his brother Patrick’s life after he was severely injured near their home. Their father, William H. Duffie Jr., was the troop’s Scoutmaster at the time.
Scouting America’s traditional program focuses on youth ages 11 to 17. In 1930, Scouting America piloted the Cub Scout program for youth in kindergarten through fifth grade.
In 1953, Mt. Tabor Methodist Church chartered Pack 36, where youth learned age-appropriate skills before crossing over into Troop 36. Mt. Tabor Methodist Church chartered Pack 36 until 2022, when the Methodist Church directed that it would no longer charter Scout units. As of 2022, American Legion Post 667 (Lowell D. Oberly) charters Pack 36.
Each year, Pack 36 hosts events such as the Pinewood Derby, Blue and Gold Banquet, family campout, and rank crossover.
While Cub Scouting is adult-led, Scouting America’s traditional program is youth-led with adult supervision. Scouts learn skills and earn ranks, merit badges, and other achievements as they mature.
The ranks of Scouting, from lowest to highest, are:
Scout → Tenderfoot → Second Class → First Class → Star → Life → Eagle
All ranks are earned by completing requirements. To earn the Eagle Scout rank, a Scout must complete all requirements before their 18th birthday.
Eagle Scout Requirements
- Be active in the troop for at least six months as a Life Scout
- Provide letters of reference
- Earn a total of 21 merit badges (14 required)
- Serve actively in an approved position of responsibility for six months
- Plan, develop, and lead an Eagle Scout service project
- Participate in a Scoutmaster conference
- Successfully complete the Eagle Scout board of review
Only about 3 to 4 percent of Scouts earn the Eagle Scout rank.
This is a list of all Troop 36’s Scout who have earned Scouting Highest Honor.
| Phillip Linerode | 9/28/1951 |
| Terry Tataru | 10/18/1962 |
| David Wyler | 3/10/1966 |
| Chuck Hewett | 1/26/1967 |
| Thomas L. Davis | 8/3/1967 |
| Richard Horning | 2/23/1968 |
| Kyle Snyder | 9/26/1968 |
| Gerald Duffie | 10/23/1969 |
| Richard Roach | 2/12/1970 |
| Steven Kullman | 10/1/1970 |
| Bruce Miller | 10/1/1970 |
| Paul Toalston | 10/1/1970 |
| Dennis James DeHoff | 8/19/1971 |
| Charles Truran | 8/19/1971 |
| Clifford Oyer | 6/29/1972 |
| Clyde Oyer | 6/29/1972 |
| Keen Hoagland | 9/??/1972 |
| Jeffrey Snively | 12/3/1973 |
| Richard Shepard | 12/31/1973 |
| Alex Kurtz | 1/23/1974 |
| Lon Snyder | 7/12/1976 |
| Harry Clayton II | 11/19/1977 |
| Michael Potter | 12/5/1977 |
| Jay Fisher | 10/??/1978 |
| Brian Clayton | 6/4/1979 |
| Michael Peterman | 6/4/1979 |
| Michael Wilson | 1/14/1982 |
| Ronald Pero | 10/13/1986 |
| Richard Stauffer | 10/13/1986 |
| Alfred Jenkins III | 12/11/1986 |
| Dennis Snyder Jr | 12/11/1986 |
| Kenneth Miller | 5/19/1988 |
| Douglas Miller | 9/??/1988 |
| John Bucher | 9/??/1988 |
| Brian Blanc | 9/??/1990 |
| Tony Smith | 9/12/1990 |
| Michael L. Snider II | 7/24/1991 |
| Michael Fuller | 10/16/1991 |
| Eric Toalston | 10/16/1991 |
| Tim Mansfield | 9/16/1992 |
| John Bisaha | 7/30/1994 |
| David Bush Jr | 4/30/1995 |
| Jacob Lesher | 7/30/1995 |
| Kenneth Varian | 6/30/1996 |
| Benjamin Parker | 5/18/1997 |
| Ryan Williams | 3/29/1998 |
| Jesse Lesher | 4/26/1998 |
| Jeremiah Forgus | 2/28/1999 |
| Jeremy Edwards | 2/28/1999 |
| Steven Starcher | 3/28/1999 |
| Timothy Effinger | 3/28/1999 |
| Matthew Flanagan | 12/19/1999 |
| Adam Oyer | 1/30/2000 |
| Mark Varian | 3/26/2000 |
| Andrew Flanagan | 5/20/2001 |
| Philip Oyer | 5/20/2001 |
| Timothy Anthony | 1/27/2002 |
| Benjamin Effinger | 8/25/2002 |
| Eric Roth | 12/15/2002 |
| Benjamin Wiley | 2/29/2004 |
| Daniel Ivins | 2/26/2006 |
| Travis Oyer | 7/30/2006 |
| Matthew Spencer | 7/26/2009 |
| Steven Miller Jr | 10/25/2009 |
| Nicholas Hill | 11/21/2010 |
| Jeffery Gantz | 7/31/2011 |
| Steven Parker | 8/23/2011 |
| John Miller | 1/29/2012 |
| Kenneth Schwickrath | 1/29/2012 |
| Justin Fisher | 2/26/2012 |
| Ricky Davis II | 4/29/2012 |
| Keith Erickson | 7/29/2012 |
| Nicholas Miller | 7/28/2013 |
| Michael Tabita | 12/15/2013 |
| Bryar Knight | 6/29/2014 |
| Shawn Koehler | 6/28/2015 |
| Logan McGee | 2/28/2016 |
| Evan Mayle | 4/24/2016 |
| Jager Kendrick | 8/21/2016 |
| Joseph Miller | 8/21/2016 |
| Anthony Cappillo | 12/17/2017 |
| John Golden | 4/??/2018 |
| Justin Murphy | 11/18/2018 |
| Cameron Twigg | 8/25/2024 |
If you are interested in joining Troop 36 as Scout or Volunteer. The Troop meets every Monday at 7 pm at the Foltz Community Center in the Varian Room.
Phone: (330) 305-2483
Email: eastcantontroop36@gmail.com