The History of Royersford
Cub Pack 231
Royersford Cub Pack 231 was chartered in April of 1960 with Sacred Heart Catholic Church as the Chartering Organization. The Pack's First Cubmaster was Lawrence LeRoy Rosenberger (1958-1962).
On Nov. 1, 1960, the Neskenno District was formed. Neskenno means “peace” in native Iroquois dialect.
1962 the 50th anniversary of Boy’s Life magazine
1963 - Valley Forge Council Scouting Fair
1965 - The first Pinewood Derby was held.
1967 - Valley Forge Council Retreat
1969 - Valley Forge Council Retreat
1972 - Valley Forge Council Catholic Scout Retreat
1973 - Valley Forge Pilgrimage (Mad Anthony Wayne)
1973 - Valley Forge Council Ecumenaree
1973 - Valley Forge Council Scouting Trails in Action
1974 - Valley Forge Council Ecumenaree
1974 - Scout Sunday Observance
1974 - Valley Forge Pilgrimage (Von Steuben)
1975 - Valley Forge Pilgrimage (Washington's Tent)
1975 - Neskenno District Camporee
1975 - Scout Festival
1975 - Neskenno Bicycle Rodeo
1975 - Valley Forge Council Ecumenaree
1976 - Valley Forge Council Participation Award
In 1976, the Pack celebrated the Nations Bicentennial by attending
1979 - Neskenno District Camporee
1982 - Valley Forge Council Retreat (Christ our Brother)
In 1985, the Pack celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Cubmaster was Egon Kern
2002 - Franklin Institute Camp In
2005 - Cub Pack 231 celebrated its 45th Anniversary.
In 2010, the Pack celebrated its 50th Anniversary under the Leadership of Cubmaster Tony Snaith
On 28 July 2014, long time Cubmaster Egon Kern died at the Masonic Health Care Center in Elizabethtown, PA. (Obituary)
The use of arrow points for Cub Scouts was discontinued on June 1, 2015.
The requirements were from the 2003 edition of the Wolf Handbook.
The gold and silver arrow points were also discontinued. Cub Scouts stillwork toward the Bear Badge in the third grade.
The Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack were retired on June 1, 2015 and replaced by the Scout Oath and Scout Law. The Cub Scout Motto continues to be used.
On 12 Jan 2021, Lawrence Rosenberger the Pack's First Cubmaster pass away at Einstein Medical Center in East Norriton, PA. (Obituary)
In 2020, the 60th anniversary of the Pack Cubmaster Matt Kirsch Led the Pack through a very difficult unprecedented challenge in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Pack had very few scouts when Matt became Cubmaster in 2018. Jeremy Davis (who was committee chair at the time), Scott Rogers, and Matt really pushed and recruited a number of new scouts. The Pack went from 12 or 14 scouts to close to 30. Things were going great, and we projected continued growth. Then the pandemic hit. The Pack was not permitted to meet in person from March 2020 through September 2020. Then the scouts relaxed the rules and allowed the Pack to meet in person, but for the entirety of the 2020 - 2021 school year, the Pack was not permitted to meet indoors at Royersford Elementary. Each den alternated weeks and the Dens met outside or via Zoom. During the cold months we would all huddle under the overhang of the school to conduct our meetings. In 2021, we moved our PWD to St. Joseph Church's pavilion. Our numbers dropped back down to 14 scouts. Once we were able to meet back inside, we did another big recruitment push and the Pack was back up to healthy numbers. We have had a great committee and great den leaders which really has made the Pack successful.
2022 - Valley Forge Pilgrimage
Valley Forge Council (1910-1996)
The Valley Forge Council began operation in the 1910 as Delaware and Montgomery County Council, although the council office was never within the council boundaries (in Center City Philadelphia until the 1960s when it was moved to Valley Forge in Chester County.) The council was renamed "Valley Forge Council" in the late 1930s. The council was named for George Washington's historic winter encampment of 1777–78 at Valley Forge. The council opened Camp Delmont (later called "Delmont Scout Reservation" as of the early 1960s) in 1916 in Green Lane, Pennsylvania. Camp Hart and Camp Delmont were adjacent properties.
Cradle of Liberty Council (1996-Present)
The present council is the result of the 1996 merger of Philadelphia and Valley Forge councils. Philadelphia Council was founded in 1911. In 1913, the Council opened one of the earliest Scout camps in the United States, Treasure Island Scout Reservation, near Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Two years later, Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carrol Edson founded the Order of the Arrow there, inducting the first members on July 16, 1915. Philadelphia Council opened Camp Hart (later Hart Scout Reservation) in Green Lane, Pennsylvania in 1930.
In 1955, some 4,600 acres became available in Marshall's Creek. Site of a hunting facility, it was found admirably suited for Scouting purposes and purchased jointly by the "Federation" of Philadelphia and Valley Forge Councils to create Resica Falls Scout Reservation. Joint development and use occurred until 1965, when Valley Forge Council bought out Philadelphia Council's interest and the federation was dissolved. When the two councils merged in 1996 to create the Cradle of Liberty Council, Scouts from Philadelphia, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties once again camped together. Since February 22, 1913, Valley Forge Council, and its predecessor had hosted an annual Scouting event, the Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment, which is sponsored by the Cradle of Liberty Council.
During the 1980s and 1990s, a large percentage of Philadelphia's population moved to the suburbs. Accordingly, the two councils' executive boards began the merger process in 1993, which was finalized in 1996.
When councils merge, so do their Order of the Arrow lodges. Philadelphia's OA lodge, Unami One, was founded in 1915 on Treasure Island, and recognized as the first lodge nationally. Valley Forge Council's OA lodge, Delmont Lodge 43, the much larger of the two lodges, was founded in 1929 at Camp Delmont. When the councils merged, Delmont decided to merge with Unami Lodge and retain Unami's name.
List of Royersford Cub Pack 231 Cubmasters
Lawrence Rosenberger (Dec 1960 - Nov 1962)
William Sosnowski (Jan 1964 - Mar 1965)
Gerald Hoff (Apr 1965 - 1966)
Ray Sieber (1966 - Sept 1966)
Mark Ward (Oct 1966 - Apr 1970)
Tom Comerford (1970)
Egon Kern (1970 - 1998) 28yrs
Julie Spiece (1998 - 1998)
Shawn Ward (1998 - 2002)
Andrew Pendleton (2000??-2002)
Stan Krulewicz (Nov 2002 - May 2007)
Ken Hannigan (May 2007 - 2009)??
Brian Byrd (May 2007 - 2009)
Tony Snaith (2009 - 2011)
Clint Fetterman (2011 - 2012)
Thom DeRosa (2012 - 2014)
Ted Ringenbach (2014 - 2015)
Sarah Schmalbach (2015 - 2018)
Matt Kirsch (2018 - 2023)
Mark Kochanowicz (2023 - Present)
Pack Ribbon Awards
Pack Ribbon Awards
1967 - Honor Unit 1967 Roundup (Pasquale DiGuiseppe)
1973 - Gino's Recruiting Award
1974 Dec 10 - Gino's Northeast Region Unit Roundup Award
1981 - 100% Boys Life Unit
1981 Apr 10 - 1980 Honor Unit Award
1988 May 20-22 - Canadian- American Camporee W. Durham - Neskenno District
1995 Mar 16 - Valley Forge Council Family FOS Enrollment (Egon J. Kern)
1995 Nov 4 - Valley Forge Council Pow Wow Pack Participation
2002 - Quality Unit
2007 - Centennial Quality Unit Award
2008 - 100% Boys Life Unit
2009 - Centennial Quality Unit Award
2009 - 100% Boys Life Unit
2010 - Layfette District Friends of Scouting Award
2010 - Centennial Quality Unit Award
2010 - 100% Boys Life Unit
2011 - 100% Boys Life Unit
2012 - 100% Boys Life Unit
2017 - Journey To Excellence Silver Unit Award
2018 - 100% Boys Life Unit
2019 - 100% Boys Life Unit
XXXX - Archdiocese of Philadelphia John Cardinal Krol Honor Unit
XXXX - Archdiocese of Philadelphia John Cardinal Krol Honor Unit
XXXX - National Unit Award
XXXX - Parents Attendance Award
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