La Canada Boy Scout Troop 502 Celebrates
75 Years of Scouting
Since its founding in 1940, Troop 502 has produced 140 Eagle Scouts
June 8, 2016
La Canada Troop 502 recently celebrated its 75th year as a
Boy Scout organization with a commemorative dinner, Court of
Honor ceremony and Eagle Scout Induction on June 6, 2016.
More than 150 scouts, scout leaders and family members attended
the festivities at the La Canada Presbyterian Church which sponsors
the troop. Troop 502 is a member of the Rose Bowl District in the
Greater Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Scoutmaster Will Ferguson oversaw the celebration while senior
patrol leader Matthew Sox acted as master of ceremonies. T
he Troop’s milestone was marked with a commemorative Troop 502 75th anniversary patch presented to the troop’s 108 active scouts and 24 adult leaders.
At the ceremony, Scoutmaster Ferguson’s son Peter was inducted as the Troop’s 140th scout to achieve the top rank of Eagle since its founding in 1940. For his Eagle Scout service project, Peter led a team of scout volunteers in refurbishing the boxcar art room at the Hillside School and Learning Center. In recognition of his accomplishment, Peter presented Scoutmaster Emeritus Gordon Wulke with an Eagle Mentor pin for his instrumental guidance throughout Peter’s scouting experience.
The event honored an additional 70 scouts who received rank advancements, merit badges and special recognition awards as part of the Troop’s Spring Court of Honor. In total, 135 awards were presented.
Troop 502 was founded in 1940 and originally sponsored by the La Canada Parent Teacher Association. It soon moved to St. George’s Episcopal Church where it was sponsored for over 50 years before beginning its current association with the La Canada Presbyterian Church.
As one of the oldest troops in the Greater Los Angeles Area Council, Troop 502 is dedicated to teaching scouts an appreciation and commitment to leadership, the outdoors, and community service. It honors the Boy Scouts of America mission to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Troop 502 is “scout led” and adheres to the motto “Never do anything for a scout that he can do for himself.” It follows the patrol method as conceived by Lord Baden-Powell who founded the modern Scout Movement over 100 years ago. The troop actively participates in camping, hiking, community service events and activities that are worthy of scouting history, traditions and the Troop Spirit. Scouts can earn merit badges in a wide range of interests.
In recognition as a quality unit, Troop 502 has earned Gold in the Boy Scout’s Journey to Excellence Award every year since the award’s inception in 2011. Prior to that, the troop earned the Quality Unit award from 2007-2010 under the leadership of then Scoutmaster Gordon Wulke.
Troop 502 has been an active member of the La Canada community over the years. Their scouts are regular participants in La Canada’s annual Fiesta Days activities including the flag ceremony at the Memorial Day Ceremony, carrying city banners in the accompanying parade and running the fan-favorite sno-cone booth at Memorial Park for over 18 years. The community also has benefited from countless Eagle Scout service projects over the years.
The troop typically has one campout each month during the school year that is open to all members of the troop. In addition, there are frequent high adventure activities that are open to more experienced scouts.
