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Sacred Heart School
Page 5
Boy Scouts
It was the wish of the Archbishop that a scout troop be organized in every parish of the diocese of Dubuque.
In March of 1945, the parents of the parish held a meeting to decide whether or not to have a scout troop. After it was agreed upon to establish a troop, leaders were selected from the men of the parish. Mr. Leo Michels was chosen as Scoutmaster, Mr. Arnold Koenigs as Treasurer, and Mr. Paul Kasel and Wilfred Theobald, Committee men.
On the evening of April 14, 1945, 19 boys received their Tenderfoot badges during a ceremony, conducted in Sacred Heart Church, Meyer, Iowa. The following summer a number of boys attended a retreat given at Camp Roosevelt, on Clear Lake near Ventura, Iowa. The retreat was of great spiritual aid to the boys for many of them had never attended a retreat before.
In April 1946, a new group of Tenderfoot scouts joined the troop while the original group had already advanced to the rank of Second Class.
In the summer of 1946, a second retreat was held at Camp Roosevelt. At a Court of Honor held in St. Ansgar on February 10, 1946, nearly all the boys advanced to Second Class. The first scouts also received their First Class badges. Mr. Wilfred Theobald moved out of our community and Joe Niess filled the vacancy created by his departure.
At a Court of Honor held in Riceville, Iowa, on March 9, 1947, several boys received their First Class badges and also several merit badges.
The following year a scout week program was given to which the boys demonstrated some of the things they had learned in scouting.
On February 6, 1948, Marvin Koenigs, Raymond Schaefer, Harry Adams, Joseph Wolf, and Joseph Niess received their Ad Altare Dei medals from Archbishop Rohlman during a ceremony conducted in Holy Ghost Church, Dubuque, Iowa.
In April 1948, when the new scouts were enrolled, the first Ad Altare Dei cross award of the troop was given to First Class scout, Robert Michels, by Monsignor Rooney, at Sacred Heart Church, Meyer, Iowa.
During the summer of 1948, the scouts took over the task of cleaning up the Wapsi Cemetery which had been overgrown with willow and Hazelbrush.
Before the Charter was renewed the following men were added to the troop committee: Alois P. Koenigs, Henry Koenigs and Phillip Koenigs. Mr. Leo Michels was elected Chairman and Mr. Paul Kasel was appointed Scoutmaster.
Ever since the founding of this organization the scouts have been active in parish work. The troop meeting room in the basement of the school contains lathes and a work bench where they meet and make various novelties for display and sale.
In 1949, a building behind the rectory was remodeled to accommodate a work shop. New machines and tools were also added to the furnishings of their new workshop.
 During the summer of 1949, the scouts obtained camping grounds along the Wapsipinicon River near Bailey, Iowa, which is for their use the year round. It is an ideal location containing a log cabin and a spot for fishing and swimming. A tested spring furnishes plenty of water for drinking and cooking.
In April 1950 the following boys were re-registered with their standing as follows:
Life - Robert Michels.
Star - Ray Schaefer, Marvin Koenigs, Joseph Wolf, John Brumm, Eugene Kasel.
First Class - Joseph Niess.
Second Class - Deo Koenigs, Gilbert Koenigs.
Tenderfoot - Roman Koenigs, Bernard Koenigs, Daniel Kasel, Eugene Klapperich, Leon Hackenmiller, Jerry Adams, Edward Adams, Lester Durben, Donald Retterath, Edward Wolf.
The troop project for 1950 was the fixing up of the skating rink during the winter months and keeping the Wapsie Cemetery in good order during the summer months.
Two boys from the troop went to the National Jamboree in 1950.
 There is no longer a scout troop in the Sacred Heart Parish of Meyer. There are several boys in the Sacred Heart Parish that belong to scout troops in Stacyville, Iowa. The following boys of our parish are Cub Scouts in the Stacyville troop: Wes Hardy, Willie Weis, Brent Blaser, and John Hanke. The following boys of our parish are Boy Scouts in the Stacyville troop: Matthew Theobald and Alex Theobald. Matthew Theobald is an Eagle Scout after leading a project of repairing and painting the picnic shelter and picnic tables on the church grounds for his Eagle Scout project. Alex Theobald is soon to be an Eagle Scout after leading a project of repairing and painting the chapel at the Sacred Heart Cemetery for his Eagle project.
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