TROOP HISTORY
Troop #782 was initially chartered by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Livonia, MI) in November, 1954. Rev. Jay Coulter was the founding pastor of St. Andrew’s, and Messrs. Jack Comstock and Sam Spears were two of the first leaders of the troop and troop committee. Little is known of the earliest days of scouting activities at St. Andrew’s, except that in 1960, David Friedrichs became its 1st Eagle Scout. In 1958 or 1959, Donald Friedrichs (David’s father) brought his family to Livonia from outstate New York to become principal at Bentley High School (originally the SE corner of Five Mile and Hubbard). St. Andrew’s was home to T782 for about forty years, before the troop relocated a couple miles west under Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
For more than fifty years, the troop has offered young men the opportunity to learn leadership skills within the context of an outdoor adventure program. The troop convenes each week to work on leadership and advancement. It works to offer one weekend Scouting activity per month, whether it be camping or sightseeing. And there are opportunities for Scouts to collectively provide community service and public leadership.
For younger Scouts, summer includes an opportunity for week-long camp at Pioneer Scout Ranch in Pioneer, OH (2.5h southeast of Livonia) usually the last full week of June. Scouts who choose to attend have six fun-filled days of basic skill or merit badge advancement courses, as well as swimming, boating, fishing, climbing, and campfires.
For experienced Scouts – usually First Class and above, AND age 14 or completed the 8th grade – the summer may hold the promise of a High Adventure base with the troop contingent: Philmont Scout Ranch for backpacking, Northern Tier for canoeing, and Florida Sea Base for sailing. These trips are usually 2-3+ weeks long, in consideration of the destination event and travel time.
For all Scouts and families, the troop works to organize a spring trip, usually around a 4-day mid-winter school break. In past years, the troop has traveled to Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Washington DC, St. Louis, and Nashville. We strive to make the trip fun and educational, and the costs tend to vary depending on activities, accommodations, and level of participation.
The troop is intended to be programmed and led by the youth members, but certainly their mentors include the requisite adult volunteers. Besides Comstock and Spears, Douglas McDonald (1968), David Cameron (1969), Ken Bourgon (1970 – 2005), William McCarley II (2005 to 2022), William McCarley III (2022), and Greg Boyle (2023-Present) have served as the program’s Scoutmaster. In recent years, William Bowman, Pete Tzaprasis, and Jackie Norin have served as Committee Chair to the troop. A dedicated staff of fellow volunteers too numerous to mention, offers program and administrative support to the troop, the Scoutmaster, and the Committee Chair.
Nate Collins, Mr. Mike West, Ryan Main, Mr. Pete Tsaprazis, Linus Ziemba, Mr. Craig Koponen, Evan Tsaprazis
Grant Sweeney, Jon West, Kyle Sweeney, Tyler Jones-Ranger, Jacob Immonen, Dan Koponen, Andre Thoams
1990 Front (kneeling or sitting/ l to r) - Bill McCarley III, Nick Studt, Jim Pawlak #1382, Jeff Sinning, Jeff Plagany, Chris Cooprider, Joe Bowman, Bill Davidson, Pat Rodemeyer, Graham Kovich, Paul Cambridge, Nathan Hanish, Erich Harbowy, Alan Brandemihl, Brian Snyder, Bill McCarley II.
2nd Row (seated) - Andrew Fanco, Ranger L1 Kevin Luft, Ranger L2 Eric VanInwegen, Ranger L3 Sam Atkinson, Ranger L6 Sarah Ciccone, Ranger L5 Mark Angeli, Ranger L4 Brian Sandberg, Chris Mazzara, Mike Horback.
3rd Row - Bill Bowman, Eddie Anderson #1382, Louis Pignotti, Bruce Cooprider, Ian Bradford, Terry Bradford, Bob Gansen, Chris Gansen, Jim Albert, Richard Fanco, Anthony Herc, Alan Brandemihl Sr., Sam Mazzara, Paul Flohr, Gary Green, Justin Ketterer, Tim McCarley, Tom Allen, Nathan Allen, Scott Flohr, Anthony Beauvais, Ken Bourgon, Kevin Graham, David Fulkerson, Dennis Pawlak #1382, Ed Anderson #1382.
Back Row - John Yowell, Steve Kovich, Mike Horback Sr., Louis Pignotti Sr., Kevin Marusak, Bob Lammers, Ron Harbowy, Brent Briggs, Tim Boyle, Mark Ketterer, Erik Graham, Tom Wolf (Milwaukee), Greg Boyle, Dave Briggs, Jeff Green, Dan Yowell, Bruce Flohr, Eric Lammers, Bill Graham, Cliff Snyder, Kevin Schneider, Mel Oakley, Dave Studt, Rob Rodemeyer.
1986 Front (l to r) Jeff Peterson, Bill McCarley, Drew Norton, Brian Bouchard, Keith Reichenbach, Scott Wright, Mark Reaume, Jarrod Wilkinson, Bob Bucala, Doug Bourgon, Greg Brautigan, Paul Grace, John Schofer, Jim Hall, Kevin Bouchard, Eric Zitzewitz, Adam Samulski, George Hansen.
Middle (l to r) Advisors and Rangers: Jon Rutherford, Dennis Norton, Bill Beernink, Dave Reichenbach, Ron Main, Dave Briggs, Tom Hines, John Masorello, ?, Dave Collins, Ken Bourgon, Warren Kellner, Dave Johnson, Tom Schofer, Ed Hanish, Bill Bencik.
Back (l to r) Todd Garrison, Eric Seitz, Brad Wylie, Brian Norton, Kevin Kish, Tom Valenti, Mike Samulski, Bob Briggs, Brent Briggs, Ron Brady, Doug Richardson, Brian Kert, Tony DeMarco, Mike Rocheleau, Rob Bourgon, Rob Kellner, Scott Johnson, Brent Valenti, Greg Schofer, Tom Derderian, Ed Hanish, Peter Hanish, Jeff Bencik, Advisor Tom Wallace, Erik Auchincloss.