History
The History of Troop 806
Chapter 1: The Crossing of the Bayou
by Nelson Block and Scott Rubinsky
As millions of Boy Scouts celebrated the B.S.A.’s 70th birthday in February 1980, they little knew of the momentous events then taking form which would forever change the standards by which Boy Scout troops are judged. Who could have imagined that, in less than a month, Troop 806 of the Sam Houston Area Council would be founded. But let us not rush ahead of our tale …
A year before, mild-mannered high school science teacher Steve Shapiro had volunteered to be Scoutmaster of Troop 52, chartered to the Jewish Community Center of Houston, located on the south side of Houston’s Braes Bayou. A native of Buffalo, New York, and a veteran Scout and Explorer, Steve had graduated from Colgate University and begun a career in Scouting as a District Executive in the Bay Area Council, B.S.A., headquartered in Galveston. After eighteen months in that position, he decided to move to Houston and begin a career in teaching. It was then that he decided to continue his Scouting in a volunteer position.
Steve and his able Assistant Scoutmaster, Steve Sherman, had a young, energetic troop. The names of these Scouts, found listed later, were soon to become legends as the founders of a great youth institution, but they could not know the fate laid out for them. At least, not yet.
The troop carried on well, and even grew some, to almost twenty boys. In the fall of 1979, a new Assistant Scoutmaster, Nelson Block, joined. In honor of their two other Scout leaders (or perhaps due to poor memories), the boys often as not called Nelson by the name “Steve.”
As luck would have it, some of the Scoutmaster’s efforts were not always pleasing to the JCC administration. At the end of February, a dispute over a seemingly trivial matter caused an irreconcilable break in relations between the JCC and the Scoutmaster, and the JCC suggested that they might find a replacement. Undaunted, and in a display of Scout-like loyalty, the Troop Committee voted to support Steve and to try to found a new troop. The boys and parents enthusiastically rallied to the Scoutmaster’s banner and determined to follow their leader to the ends of the Earth. Or, at least a quarter-mile away.
In searching for a new institution with which to affiliate the Troop, the Committee sought a place with a prior history of Scouting commitment, a convenient location, and a commodious meeting room. As they cast their net over the Jewish community, one institution sprang forth, meeting all their criteria — The Brotherhood of Congregation Beth Israel.
The Brotherhood had everything. The Congregation had sponsored the first Jewish unit in Houston, Troop 27, in the 1920’s and 1930’s, and the Brotherhood had sponsored Troop 1900 for many years — in fact, it had disbanded only a few months before. The location was perfect, only a short distance away, on the north shore of Braes Bayou. And what more perfect setting for a Scout meeting could anyone ask for — a large, rustic Scout building tucked away in a corner of a large, wooded tract of the Congregation’s property.
The Troop Committee approached the Brotherhood, which enthusiastically approved the chartering of the new troop, and two weeks after the Scouts of Troop 52 stopped meeting, they began again as the Scouts of Troop 806. Thus ended the first chapter of this great and famous troop, an incident known to Scouting history as “The Crossing of the Bayou.”
The following Scouts were charter members of Troop 806 in March 1980: Gary Anderson, David Hoodis, Jeffrey R. Katz, Kenneth P. LaKier, Mark J. Levenson, Jay Douglas Loeb, Ronald A. Mark, Mark A. Mellon, Brian Anderson, Marc Plotkin, Ian Scharfman, Eric M. Scher, Stuart Smith, Jeff M. Victor, and Yale J. Weiner. Steven M. Shapiro served as Scoutmaster, and Steven D. Sherman and Nelson R. Block served as Assistant Scoutmasters. Lester Smith served as chairman of the Troop Committee, and the following people served as Troop Committee members: Jerome M. Katz, Samuel L. Gertson, Vicki Hoodis, Sandra M. Katz, Eva J. Loeb, Don Plotkin, Jacoby A. Scher, and H. Michael Mark.
Front row: Michael Kravetz, crew leader, Our Ranger (no one remembers his name),Steve Shapiro, Scoutmaster and Crew Advisor Back Row: Jeff Victor, Mark Mellon, Mark Levenson and Ronnie Mark
By 1982, Troop 806 had its first Eagle Scout, Jay Douglas Loeb. The troop had also participated in its first Philmont trek, with a crew of five Scouts led by advisor Steve Shapiro.
It all began in the early 1980’s when young Jay Loeb started packing the supplies for the backpacking campout at Horseshoe Bend. Jay packed his clothes, he packed his toothbrush, and he even packed his lucky socks. He was ready for yet another campout with Troop 806 and Scoutmaster Steve “Too Short” Shapiro.
When Jay and the other troop members arrived at the campsite, they quickly set up their tents and dining flies. They took all of the food, pots, dunking bags, dishwashing things, and other patrol supplies and put it all together. Jay got out the bags he thought he needed for the lunch that would be eaten in just a few minutes.
As he shuffled through the mess, he stumbled across what he thought was Kool-Aid. But was it Kool-Aid? Only time would tell. Since they had just finished a long hike, he quickly made the so-called “Kool-Aid” for his patrol. He gave some to his patrolmates and then took a big gulp himself. As if in unison, the patrol members spat out the so-called “Kool-Aid” and yelled words that are not often spoken by young children such as Jay and his fellow campers. (They were obviously words taught to them by none other than the illustrious “Too Short” Shapiro.) “What was the taste that they had in their mouths?” you ask. It was the bitter, disturbing taste of soap powder from the dishwashing kit.
Jay and his patrolmates, after yelling and screaming, straightened out the mess and soon were drinking the real Kool-Aid.
As for young Jay Loeb, he went on to become the first Troop 806 Eagle Scout, thus setting a standard for Eagle Scouts to come.