After 112 years, Troop 10 looks ahead; breakfast is Feb. 8
By Andy Fiedler
Troop 10 has been an active part of the Los Angeles community for 112 years. Over that time, the troop has provided young men with opportunities for leadership, responsibility, and adventure, both in the city and out in the wild.
Last summer, the Troop attended two summer camps: one in the forested mountains near Lake Arrowhead and the other along the water at Mission Bay in San Diego. At camp, Scouts learned skills including kayaking, motorboating, search and rescue, welding, and more. The troop also completed two multiday backpacking trips beginning in the Hoover Wilderness. One group summited Virginia Pass (10,500 feet) before returning to Green Lake, while the second completed a 30-mile trek ending in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. Along the way, Scouts navigated challenging terrain, worked together as teams, and built leadership skills through shared responsibility.
PICTURED are Matt Rauchberg, Andy Fiedler, Holden Tsao, Matthew Angulo, Rafael Angulo, Carter Tsao, and Joseph Fiedler backpacking at Summit Pass, Yosemite National Park in July.
This fall, the troop participated in two council events. At the District Camporee, Scouts competed in team-based challenges and games. At the aptly named Pumpkin Smash, they safely launched arrows, fired rifles and shotguns, bowled, and used catapults to obliterate hundreds of pumpkins. Over the past year, troop outings also included exploring the Pisgah Lava Caves, rock climbing in Joshua Tree, and campouts at Calico Ghost Town, Pismo Beach, and Pinnacles National Park. Monthly hikes took Scouts to the Wisdom Tree atop Cahuenga Peak, Cheeseboro Canyon, Brown Mountain Dam, and Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.
Troop 10 also continues to serve the community through Eagle Scout projects and ongoing service with local organizations. A long-standing partnership with the Friends of Griffith Park has included trail maintenance, stream clearing, native planting, and other hands-on conservation efforts that directly support one of Los Angeles’ most important public spaces.
Only about 4% of Scouts nationwide earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Troop 10 is especially proud of its five most recent Eagle Scouts, each of whom planned and carried out a major service project as part of their multiyear journey to Eagle:
Lucas Henrich rebuilt and improved a worktable and sink at Micheltorena Elementary School and Community Garden in Silver Lake, enhancing an outdoor learning space focused on healthy eating, environmental stewardship, and hands-on learning.
Nathan Bookstaver built a worktable and several storage box stools for the art room at El Nido, a residential campus for boys ages 11–17 in the Los Angeles foster system, creating a more organized and functional creative space.
Carter Tsao designed and produced more than 50 cardboard engineering kits for a 4th grade classroom at Melrose Elementary. Using hydraulic principles, the kits powered mechanical arms that lifted everyday objects and were incorporated into the teacher’s science and engineering curriculum.
SCOUTS Max Segal, Holden Tsao, Lucas Henrich, Matthew Angulo, and Langston Brown backpacking at East Lake, Hoover Wilderness near Yosemite National Park in July.
John Black renovated a basement room at Delaney Wright Preschool into a safe, colorful children’s library, adding a new learning space with windows, low bookshelves, and color-coded books for students and teachers.
Holden Tsao created an engineering project for a 5th grade classroom at Melrose Elementary, building air-pressure-powered bottle rocket kits that introduced students to advanced engineering concepts through hands-on experimentation.
Troop 10 is the oldest continuously chartered Scout troop in the Western United States. Since it was founded, more than 375 Troop 10 Scouts have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Today, the troop serves boys ages 11 to 17 from a wide range of backgrounds and more than a dozen local schools. St. James’ has also officially launched a new Scouting America BSA Girl Troop for girls ages 11 to 17. Families interested in learning more are invited to visit Troop 10 during weekly Tuesday meetings at 6:30 p.m. at St. James’, 625 S. St. Andrews Pl.
Finally, Troop 10’s annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser will take place on Sun., Feb. 8. Community members may see Scouts selling tickets and first-aid kits along Larchmont in the coming weekends.
Troop leadership transitioned this year from Larchmont resident Matt Rauchberg, who served as Scoutmaster for 11 years, to Andy Fiedler, a St. Brendan and Loyola parent with two boys currently in the troop.
Category: People
