Troop 33 of Minneapolis was founded in 1918; eight years after Scouting came to America.
For five generations, the Scouts of Thirty-Three have meet weekly at Westminster Church in downtown Minneapolis, the boys arriving by foot, automobile, trolley car or bus. At first on Friday nights and in recent years on Monday nights, the entire church basement was been given over to the Scouts. Over the years, the trophies in their special meeting room, the "Scout Room" have accumulated. Service, camping and outdoor activities have been the highlights of the Troop's program.
In 1923, Thirty-three embarked on its first major "high-adventure", as two Model T Ford trucks headed west to Yellowstone Park. This was before the age of inter-state super highways, or even the paved road in many areas, but a tradition was born that has been added to over the years. In the past few years, Thirty-Three boys in two 15 passenger vans explored the remote canyons of New Mexico, other adventures have included canoeing in the Canadian Wilderness, exploring the Black Hills in South Dakota, cave crawling in southern Minnesota, whitewater canoeing on rivers in Wisconsin, visiting the arches and canyon lands of Utah, and camping under the cottonwoods on the Missouri River in North Dakota where Lewis and Clark wintered long ago.
A common theme to all Thirty-Three activities is service to others. Whether "high adventures", regular camping trips, weekly Scout meetings or special community needs, Troop Thirty-Three regularly participates and leads projects which benefit others. Some of the projects include trips to Fargo, North Dakota to work on flood relief sandbagging activities and St. Peter, Minnesota to help clean-up severe tornado damage, leading bingo games for Veterans, collecting food and clothes for the poor, helping at an AIDS house, visiting nursing home residents, playing games with disabled adults, building wheelchair ramps, serving as a color guard at the Chapel at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, and running a blood donation drive at our sponsoring church.
In the 100+ years since its founding, Troop Thirty-Three has provided a strong Scout advancement program for several thousand Scouts. To date, the Troop has produced over 325 Eagle Scouts. A glance at the names on the Troop's Eagle plaque on display at Westminster Church provides one with a clear understanding of the Troop's long-term continuity. For example, the Weigel family has produced eight Eagles over three generations. The Van Valkenburgs have provided five. The Johnson family has also contributed three generations of Eagles. There are twelve father-son combinations on the Eagle list, and twenty-nine sets of brothers, six of which involve three brothers. Most of these young men have gone on to become leaders in the business, professional, academic and political lives of their respective communities - and in Scouting.
Another factor involving continuity has been the Troop's leadership. Only six men have served as Scoutmaster during Thirty-Three's 100+ years. Of course they have been supported by dozens of Assistant Scoutmasters, junior leaders and adult leaders, most of whom grew up in the Troop. One of the early leaders was Kyle Cudworth, who joined the Troop in 1919 at the age of 12. By the next year, he was de facto Scoutmaster, running the Troop as well as Cub Pack 3 and Sea Scout Ship 333, all sponsored by Westminster Church, until 1942, when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and left home for the duration of the Second world War. While he was Scoutmaster, Kyle led the Troop on the World Boy Scout Jamboree in Holland in 1937. One of the Scouts on that Jamboree was Dick Weigel. Almost sixty years later, Dick's grandson, Eagle Scout Austin Weigel, attended the World Jamboree in the same location. One might think the war years were hard on the Troop, since the entire leadership went off to fight for their Country. Fortunately, their departure created an opportunity for three new fourteen-year-old leaders Ted Carlsen, Rich Wheaton and Stan Moore to take charge. These boys rose to the challenge, providing leadership that they had learned so well from their departed mentors. These young men look back on their war years of Scouting leadership as the best times of their lives, when adult responsibilities were assumed and lifetime friendships were forged. Returning from the war and an assignment with the U.S. Air Force over Germany, Eagle Scout Bill Braddock took over the Troop from 1945 to 1955. Bill had joined the Troop in 1929 at the age of twelve. As Scoutmaster, he led Thirty-Three on two National Jamborees, at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and at Santa Clara, California. Karl Ostlund took over from 1955 to 1957, and then Kyle Cudworth returned to lead the Troop from 1957 to 1965, when Eagle Scout Dave Moore became Scoutmaster. Dave joined the Troop as a twelve-year-old in 1948. He served as Scoutmaster of Troop 33 for 45 years. Now a retired high school history teacher, Dave had committed his life to supporting young adults in Scouting and related outdoor activities. In 1981, Thirty-Three became the sponsoring Troop for a large group of Hmong refugee boys from Southeast Asia who wanted to become American Scouts. Since then, Westminster Church has sponsored two Troops, Thirty-Three and One Hundred. These Troops camp and conduct some activities together, and shared the same Scoutmaster until 2010, but they meet separately each week and have separate identities. Troop One Hundred has now produced almost 100 Eagles of its own. In 2010 Dave Moore stepped down as Scoutmaster of Troop 33 to focus more time on Troop 100, at which point Ted McLaughlin took on that role. Ted had been an Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 33 since 1991, when he moved to the Twin Cities area.
Over the years, honors and awards have flowed into Thirty-Three. On the Council level, leaders have earned the prestigious Silver Beaver Award, the Eagle-to-Eagle Award, and the This-is-Your life Award. Thirty-Three Eagle Scouts George McClintock and Ted Carlsen have served as Viking Council Presidents. On the National level, Thirty-Three Scouts have received the Whitney Young Award and the George Meany Award. In 1997 Ted Carlsen, who, as a fourteen-year-old, had stepped into the Troop's war-time leadership gap, joined the ranks of Dwight Eisenhower, Colin Powell and others by receiving the national Silver Buffalo Award in recognition of his many years of service to Scouting at the Troop, council and national levels.
Troop 33's commitment to the Community and young people through Scouting will continue into the future. Today's Troop 33 Scouts are not much different from those who have gone before. They love camping and hiking exploring the outdoors and helping others. They tie the same knots and lashings, light the same kinds of camp fires, and even sing many of the same songs that their grandfathers sang long ago when Scouting and the Twentieth Century were both new and full of promise. And the promise is still there, in the hearts of the Scouts of Troop Thirty-Three.
Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, observed that Scouting is a game with a purpose. Every Boy Scout activity by design attempts to include the three aims of Boy Scouting:
Scouting seeks to achieve these aims through the use of a number of proven methods. These include: establishment of ideals, such as the Scout oath and law; the use of patrols; an active outdoor program; a self-paced advancement program; association with positive adult role models; youth leadership; and use of a uniform to establish a feeling of belonging, Troop identity, and spirit.
Use of the patrol method is the key element of the Scout program. It allows each Scout to assume responsibility for and take a part in successful implementation of the Troop's program. The youth leadership and responsibility inherent in the patrol method creates the fundamental difference between Scouts and Cub Scouts.
Scouting's advancement program is a self-paced program of early ranks (basic Scouting skills like first aid, camping and hiking), merit badges (specialized skills like canoeing, fishing and archery) and advanced ranks. The completion of almost all of the requirements for these early ranks will be a natural outcome of regular, active participation at Troop functions (including Troop meetings, campouts & other scheduled events) during the course of a Scout's initial 9 to 12 months in the Troop.
The three most advanced ranks (Star, Life and Eagle) require demonstrated Troop leadership, service work and additional merit badges the Scouts earn on their own with a designated counselor, at merit badge fairs, or at summer camps. Scouts will be counseled about their leadership roles. Those Scouts who do not fulfill the responsibilities of their position will not advance and may be removed from office at the discretion of the Scoutmaster.
Scouts are responsible for keeping track of their progress, setting their advancement goals, and designing their own course and pace. They will receive encouragement and advice, but the experience of succeeding and failing is theirs to control. Parents should familiarize themselves with the advancement program, but it is essential that parents step back and allow their Scouts to experience and learn from the safe failures, recoveries, and successes of the advancement program.
Annual dues are set annually by the Troop's governing body, the Troop Committee. Dues are currently $144 per year for each Scout (which includes Boy's Life Magazine, insurance, local Council and National Boy Scout fees). Those fees are set by the local Countil and Troop 33 doesn't receive any of that money. The Council understands that some families may not be able to afford that, and if cost is an issue for your family please let the Scoutmaster know and they will work with you on that. NO Scout is ever turned away because of a family's financial situation.
In addition, expect to pay approximately $40 for uniform, approximately $12-15 per campout for food, roughly $550 for the 2 weeks of summer camp (excluding transportation) and spending money for campouts. Special activities, such as canoeing, skiing, and special trips will have additional costs. Scholarships are available to those Scouts with financial need (contact Scoutmaster or Committee Chairman). For insurance purposes, any parent participating on a regular basis must register with the national organization as a Committee Member. Please fill out the BSA form. (See Adult Quick Start inside back cover).
The Troop provides each new Scout with a Boy Scout Handbook, Troop 33 t-shirt, and a Troop 33 Neckerchief.. Any item lost must be replaced at the Scout's cost. Replacement neckerchiefs & Handbook are $20 each. Replacement Scout Handbooks must be purchased from the Scout Shop.
The Troop Committee will consider requests for scholarship funds which may be available and/or budgeted, and that will allow Scouts to participate in activities where financial capability may not exist. All requests for scholarship funds will be kept confidential.
For insurance and safety purposes, each Scout (and adult on extended trips) must submit, each year, a health form.These forms must be current and on file with the Troop before the Scout attends any campout, Scout camp or activity. Please assist the Troop by completing and returning all required forms promptly!
Uniforms may be purchased at the Scout Shop, one of which is located in the same building as the Northern Star Council HQ. The building is at "Base Camp", which is just north of the MSP airport.
At regular meetings, Troop 33 requires the shirt, belt, long or short pants, tennis shoes, and Troop 33 Neckerchief. We do not require the cap. The same uniform is also required when traveling to and from some Scout programs, such as Camporees. A Troop 33 neckerchief is given once to each Scout. Each additional neckerchief costs $10.00. Each Scout is expected to wear the appropriate Scout uniform to every Scout function. The Scout Shop is open daily, please contact them for hours of operation. The Scout Shop handles a wide variety of uniforms, other Scout clothing, patches and equipment.
Troop 33 encourages Scouts to provide assistance with the upkeep of the webpage with articles about Troop events authored by the Scouts and other information concerning the Troop activities or members. Scouts and parents are encouraged to check the website often to learn more about Troop activities.
Troop 33 also uses a program called Troopwebhost to organize all contact information, registration for events, a calendar of information, as well as tracking Scout Accounts. Please make sure that every adult in your family is register in TWH so that you can receive important announcements about upcoming activities.
This section has address, phone and e-mail lists of the Troop's adult leadership. Adult Troop Committee, Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, and other assignments are listed here.
You will not find the last names or phone numbers for youth listed on this public website. This is for youth protection. If you need to contact a Scout or their family please log in to Troopwebhost and look under the Membership option, then Active Scouts or Active Adults. All Scouts and parents should be listed there...
A listing of Troop and related meetings and activities, with times and locations for Troop meetings and activities, is listed on TWH.. Calendar dates, times and locations for Troop meetings and activities change from time-to-time, so be sure to check updates, which are distributed at meetings as needed.
Return to the Troop 33 Handbook