BSA Troop 142, Lititz, PA, was founded in 1967 by Thomas Lehmier, husband, father, Marine Corps veteran, professional BSA Scouter and eventually, Scoutmaster. Tom, currently "Scoutmaster Emeritus" continues to serve Troop 142 as an active Committee Member and Merit Badge Counselor, offering encouragement to all of the Scouts in our Troop.
With Tom, Scouting has always been about "the boys". Our troop has always been comprised of boys from various walks of life. Although chartered through the Knights of Columbus and having St. James Catholic Church as our base of operations, our arms have always been open to ALL boys regardless of their denomination. (Our current Scoutmaster, Bill Maney, is Lutheran - having been a scout and attaining the rank of Eagle under Tom!)
Our scoutmasters understand the importance of their roles in providing guidance, leadership, growth opportunities and mentoring to our scouts. On more than one occasion, our scoutmasters have noted that deep within a seemingly "difficult" young boy is a great kid just trying to get out - and its their job to try and help them reach that goal.
We are also proud of the 100+ Eagle Scouts who have passed through our scouting program!
Troop 142 welcomes boys within the Warwick Township area of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.
TROOP MEETINGS (TM)
Troop 142 meets most Thursday nights, September-July, at St. James Catholic Church in Lititz.
Meetings normally run from 7:30-9:00pm and are held in Our Lady's Center.
PATROL LEADERS COUCIL (PLC)
The leaders of our troop (boys and adults) normally meet the first Thursday of each month.
TROOP COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Normally meets the first Monday of each month throughout the year.
COURT OF HONOR
We hold 4 Family Court of Honor Ceremonies (COH) yearly. The boys work hard on their awards & like to have a full house when they receive their awards. We expect at least one family member to be present on these occasions, even if “YOUR” son will not be recognized with any awards.
In every Rank Advancement, part of the ceremony is the “Pinning of the Mother”. This is something unique to our troop & is something special as each mother receives a pin reflecting the rank awarded to their son. Most mothers proudly wear their pins to subsequent Court Of Honor programs.
Courts of Honor present us with a great opportunity to pass on information to the parents & we don’t want you to miss out.
Above all else, a Court of Honor is a time for parents to show their support for the boys - their own son(s) and those of others.
PROGRAM & ADVANCEMENT
These go hand in hand. When a Scout participates in a majority of our trips, campouts & weekly meetings, he will advance. We will encourage each Scout to advance, but we also need support at home. We cannot replace parental love & pride, which helps each Scout! Please mark family calendars now to avoid as many conflicts as humanly possible. The program year calendar is posted on this web site and may easily be printed. "I/we didn't know" is no longer an excuse. Like the old adage, we can only lead you to the "water" - it's up to you to "drink".
ELECTIONS
Scouts elect their own leaders; the terms are for a 6-month period. Elections are held twice a year. For the coveted Order of the Arrow honor society membership, Scouts are selected by their peers.
DISCIPLINE
Generally, infractions are handled by the PLC. The Scout Oath & Law are our guidelines, but parents will be notified of any infractions.
A SCOUT IS "REVERENT" - RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS PROGRAM
We encourage all scouts to earn the available religious medals/awards offered by their faiths. As we are sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Scouts are especially encouraged to achieve the following:
Ad Altare Dei Religious Emblem: For Catholic Scouts who have completed 6th grade; a 9 month program (contact ASM Chanko)
Pope Pius XII Religious Emblem: For Catholic Scouts age 14 and older or in high school; an 8 month program (contact ASM Bart)
Again, scouts of other faiths are encouraged to earn their religious emblems (contact ASM Chanko or ASM Chavez)
Should you have further questions regarding Troop 142, feel free to Contact Us!