|
Ken Drope (56,57,58,59)
November, 2004 - Ken Drope worked at HSR for
four summers from 1956 to 1959 as Museum Curator
(56), Composite Assistant Scoutmaster (57), and Composite Scoutmaster (58 & 59).
He contributed an article about his
Knight
Owl Patrol to the website's archives. His Scouting experience
includes
1947-1970 Cub, Scout, Troop Leader, Assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster with 82nd Toronto, 1970's
Assistant Cub Master, Scoutmaster, Group
Committee Chair 15th Scarborough West.
Ken worked for 29 years (from 1960 to 1989) for the former East York
Board of Education, and from 1990 to 1994 for the Peterborough City Board of
Education. He is now a retired educator living in Toronto and can be reached at
kendrope@rogers.com
In March 2007, Ken wrote to the Thunderbird Editor:
Dear Warner,
I just finished reading the Winter 2007 edition of the Alumni
Thunderbird and enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for your fine work.
John Rosenthal's (56) Camp Kennaway Memories was of
particular interest. I could have written most of it myself. It was my first
year on staff as Museum Curator working for Doc Jim (after two years as a
camper). When he went on to mention the Toronto Metropolitan Showman that too
brought back fond memories because I too was in the cast. The keynote song was
'Conservation is the Theme for '56' - a bid to introduce a number of new
conservation badges. I despair at times that we haven't made a whole lot of
progress in the last 50 years in the environment department. John, Gary Patton
and I were also the announcers for Scouting on the Air at CHUM. I still remember
rehearsing in the basement of the old Scout HQ and then going on air live -
pretty scary for sixteen-year-olds.
There's been a lot of upgrading to the website since I last
gave it serious attention and was pleased to see the 1959 staff now listed.
Unfortunately there appears to be an error in troop staff. Doug Brawley,
Keith Watson and I were ASM's and SM respectively for the (Knight) Owl
Troop (remember
my article about the first troop at the mill site?) and I suspect that
Tom Munro (58-61), George Diveky and Jim Baily were actually the staff
of the Porcupine Troop.
I've been trying to rustle up some interest from my long-time
friend, Doug Dittrich, an Anglican minister in Coquitlam, B.C. He was
unaware of the HSRSA site and hope he finds the time to visit and perhaps
contribute. He was SM of the Moose Troop in 1957. Mike Avis and I were
his ASM's. There was also a Troop Leader whose name I can't remember. I notice
that you have no Troop Staff listed for that year. This is a modest start. I
believe Doug was on staff for other years but don't know which ones.
When I saw the staff plaques I was reminded of something that
Doug, Keith and I did at the end of the summer of 1956. We climbed into the
rafters of The Hub and secured our treasured sword Excalibur to one of the
beams. I wonder if it's still there?
Cheers!
Ken |
