Indianola’s Indian Bayou’s banks are a bit cleaner thanks to local Cub Scout Troop 41. The local pack of 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds, led by Cubmaster Martin Smith along with den leaders Taylor Skelton, Walker Manning, Wyot Skelton and Price Parker, put their Cub Scout motto of Do Your Best along with a few of the Scout laws – a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, CLEAN and reverent – to work. During one of the first meetings as a brand new pack, the 12 Cub Scouts took time to clean up outside of the Morris Lewis Scout Hut at Fletcher Park.
“We try to do some things to help the kids learn about community and learn how to help others. It was a pretty day and the Scout Hut is right across from Indian Bayou and we decided to have a little trash pick-up,” Smith said. “We got them out in the sunshine. We walked out of the Scout Hut and one group went left and one group went right to the end of the bayou. We picked up about four bags.”
He noted that there was less trash than they thought there would be.
“The town is doing their part and not doing as much littering. For the most part it was fairly clean,” he said. “The kids had a good time, got to laugh and enjoyed the outdoors and we got to teach them about community service.”
The Cub Scout troop started this February and has had three meetings.
“We are just getting started, getting it back going. We are working with Casey Manning out of Cleveland. He talked to the school (Indianola Academy) to garner interest. A few of us took it from there,” Smith said.
With no Scouting background of his own, Smith was excited that his son wanted to be a Scout.
“My son showed interest in it and I’m learning as much as he is,” Smith said. “They all got their Bobcat badges and now we’re starting to move forward with lessons and get more badges.”
Troop 41 has a long heritage in Indianola but interest has waned in recent decades. The Indianola Rotary Club has supported the Troop for many decades and is helping rebuild the proud Cub Scout and Boy Scout program and tradition in Indianola.
