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In January 1982, Deacon Earl McJett began planning for a new Boy Scout Troop. He was carrying out the vision of Pastor John Wesley Johnson of First Baptist Church of Glenarden (FBCG). His effort, with the help of local Troop 1656 and Brother Robert Clark, Sr., produced FBCG’s Troop 1657. At the Troop’s first court of honor, the original Troop charter, dated May 1, 1982, was presented.
Deacon Earl McJett served as Scoutmaster from 1982 until 1989 and continues to serve the Scouting Ministry today. Brother Robert Clark, Sr. served as Assistant Scoutmaster during that time. Elder William Jones served as Troop Committee Chair from 1982 until 1989. Dedicated to the boy’s growth and development, these three men sowed into the lives of the scouts, teaching leadership and building Godly character using the Scouting program.
During the Troop’s early months, the first six scouts to enroll were Gerald Bolden, Robert Clark, Jr., Robert Gash, Kevin George, Chris Jones, and Frederick Lamar Sanford. The first boy leaders elected were Senior Patrol Leader Robert Clark, Jr. and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Frederick Lamar Sanford. These young leaders earned Scouting awards quickly. In 1985, Colby R. White and Frederick Lamar Sanford became the Troop’s first members of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s National Honor Society. At age 15, Colby R. White became the Troop’s first Eagle Scout on October 9, 1987. He joined the less than 3% of boys worldwide, at the time, who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
In the years that followed, 8 more Eagle Scouts would grow out of Troop 1657 having been guided by four Scoutmasters and coached by a host of Assistant Scoutmasters. Brother Donald Yancey served as Scoutmaster from 1989 to 1994. Deacon Earl McJett returned to the role during the years of 1994 to 1997, Eagle Scout Kevin Winters served as Scoutmaster from 1997 to 1998. William Chin took his place in the leadership as Scoutmaster from 1998 to 2015. Under Scoutmaster Chin’s leadership and guidance 47 Scouts have advanced to the rank of Eagle Scout. In the fall of 2015, Kelly Burgess became the newest Scoutmaster of Troop 1657. With an Eagle Scout Committee chaired by Assistant Scoutmaster Glen Thomas, they will take Troop into the era of scouting.
Since 2015, the Troop has produced 53 Eagles, bringing our Troop to Eagle Scouts under the leadership of Scoutmaster Deacon Jeffrey Butler with the assistance of Eagle Coaches, ASM Glen Thomas and ASM Joe Edwards. Under the Scoutmasters leadership, we have a goal to reach 100 Eagles by the end of 2022. While we are not limited to 100, our Troop remains strong and is projected to be well over 100 Eagles by the Spring of 2023.
The young men of Troop 1657 are having a positive impact on the community, locally and globally. Locally, these scouts serve by picking up litter along the roadside and along rivers and streams; improving trails and bridges in the parks; cleaning up historic sites such as schools and cemeteries; honoring senior citizens by raking their leaves and shoveling snow from their walkways; and, collecting clothes for families in shelters and for wounded veterans returning from war. Globally, the scouts sent love packages of eyeglasses and books to Ghana (West Africa) and Guyana (South America). These experiences are examples of Scouting in action, positively impacting communities. The scouts have shown themselves prepared for key opportunities. Eagle Scout Jazz Lewis was invited and served as keynote speaker at the 2005 Annual Chamber of Commerce Breakfast where he addressed “The Importance of Scouting”. In 2007, three scouts and Scoutmaster William Chin were invited to the White House to serve on the color guard during the baseball game honoring Jackie Robinson. They also met and took pictures with then President George W. Bush. At Goshen summer camp 2008, Scout Avery Guthrie provided the EpiPen, used for treatment of an acute allergic reaction to a bee sting, which saved the life of an adult leader. Eagle Scout George Brown III received the 2013 Glen and Melinda Adams Eagle Scout of the Year Award for his Eagle Scout Project which was to find and register 25 African Americans for the Be the Match Bone Morrow Register. Their preparedness had benefits for all. We salute the men and women who formed Troop 1657, those who have developed and nurtured the growth and maturity of countless boys through this Troop for over 40 years and those who continue its legacy today. We praise God for continuing to work through the FBCG Scouting Ministry to mold boys into men of Godly character.
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