Local leaders in Fort Pierce are considering to re-launch once very popular program for teenagers called Boy Scout Troop 772
FORT PIERCE, Florida — Local leaders in Fort Pierce are now trying to get Boy Scout Troop 772 back up and running. This group seemed to be good for teens.
Jenny Champagne, who is trying to reorganize the troop, said, “I see the need, and I’m not the kind of person who will see a need and not try to fill it.”
A group of people in Fort Pierce, including Champagne, Scott Van Duzer, and Jeff Isaac, started Troop 772 more than 10 years ago.
“All of those people, including the sheriff and the fire chief, got together. The mayors did a good job, “Isaac, who works in Chicago as a Scout executive, said. “At the pool at Indian River College, these kids learned how to swim. I mean, they would have never set foot on that campus if they hadn’t.”
Back then, the troop went to Washington, D.C., and Tallahassee, where they met with leaders, including President Obama.
“Think about it: When you take a person who’s never had anyone say good things to them, it was a big deal,” Isaac said.
Over time, though, there weren’t enough new people joining to keep the troop going.
“The need is even bigger, but so is our knowledge of our community,” Champagne said. “This is our goal, our overall goal, to change people’s lives, and we know how to do it.”