By Matt Strother
My troop, 132 of Ore-Ida Council, wears red berets, and is always in uniform for
camp wide events. In
1998, we came to Camp Bradley during the last week of camp. So did
Collin's troop, 63 of Snake River Council.
Collin, in his natural tendency to belittle anyone and anything getting the
better of him, started referring to my troop as "The Commi Troop." He was
very proud of himself, and one of the first
things he said to me, when we were both of staff the following summer, was
"You're from the Commi Troop, aren't you?" It took me about a year, but I began
to appreciate the humor in the name.
In 2001, Collin was in charge of handing out the spirit stick. He told me,
the week before both of our troops arrived, that he wasn't going to give it to
my troop at all, because he didn't think communism had any place at scout camp.
Each day, my troop was clearly the best dressed, and thus deserving of the
spirit stick, but they didn't get it.
But come Friday afternoon, when Collin was parading himself in front of the troops
with the spirit stick, and preparing to, yet again, not give it to Troop 132,
the staff started chanting "Comm-u-nists! Comm-u-nists!" Of course I joined in,
and got a very hurt look from my senior
patrol leader across the way. Collin was beaten. He said "This is
the most painful thing I've ever done."; And he gave my troop the stick, while
hanging his head and looking the other way.
And they accepted their nickname.
The following summer, they introduced their skit "People's Troop 132 presents..."
