Under Development: Please send any additional information about the troop to scoutmaster@bsatroop732.net

The new Troop 732 Chartered on August 15th of 2007 with the Detroit Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. We call ourselves the new Troop 732, because many years prior, there was another Troop 732. We understand that the troop originally started at McKinley Elementary School, and later moved the charter to the Livonia Elks Club.

When the idea to form a new troop was being dicussed, former Pack 732 Cubmaster (Ken Norin) pointed out that there was a Troop 732, and he had found the old troop flag in a storage room at McKinley Elementary School. Curiously, the flag also listed the Livonia Elks Club as the Charter Organisation, the same place that agreed to host our new troop!

In our very first meeting with the Elk's Club House Committee, we met Mr. Joe Antonishek, past Exhalted Ruler of the Elks--and as we were all so exciting to learn, the very first Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) of Troop 732 back in 1961.

Mr. Antonishek also pointed out that his brother Steve was the first Eagle Scout of the Troop in 1964.

Mrs. Antonishek (Joe and Steve's mother) has graciously allowed us to scan in photos from (what was this event?) dated May 16th, 1964.

Joe & Steve: We need to know The names of each of the people stadning in these photos, and as much other information about the origianl troop as you can remember. I'll remove this text and provide these details when you send me more info.

On the occaion of the new Troop's first Court of Honor, Mr. Joe Antonishek was our Honored Guest of the Court, addressing the scouts with some of the history of the troop and what scouting has meant to him in his life. He welcomed Alan H. as the new troop's first Senior Patrol Leader and made a gift of the whistle that Joe used to get his troops attention when he was SPL.

His brother Steve, the first Eagle Scout of Troop 732 has offered us the following letter:

TO TROOP 732
 

I am honored that my brother Joe has asked that I write a letter to Troop 732.
 

I was honored to have stood shoulder to shoulder with my brother Joe when we each received the Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America so many years ago.  I have very fond memories of our Mother & Father on stage for the ceremony and especially when Joe & I each presented our Mother with the “Mother’s Eagle Scout Pins.”
 

Joe & I were Charter Members of the original Troop 732 in Livonia, Michigan, which our Father, Joe Antonishek, helped to start and build.  The great memories of Scout meetings, camping, fund raising, and just the sense of belonging to such a worthwhile and fun group, has meant a lot to me over the years.
 

When I graduated from Law School and began to prepare for the Michigan Bar Exam (to be admitted to practice law), I felt that it helped me to prepare for the two (2) day exam by following the Scout Motto (“Be Prepared”) & the Scout Oath, especially “To keep myself physically strong & mentally awake.”  I prepared for the exam not just by studying, but by also working out every day - and as a result believed I was mentally & physically ready for the exam.  I was “Prepared.”
 

I have been a lawyer for more than 30 years and have endeavored to always “Be Prepared” just like the Scout Motto, and for over 30 years have never appeared in Court without first being prepared.
 

As an attorney I am often asked to help others, and I enthusiastically try to follow the Scout Slogan, and “Do a Good Turn Daily.”
 

The Mission Statement of the Boy Scouts of America:

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
 

The Vision Statement of the Boy Scouts of America:

The Boy Scouts of America will prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.

The Mission & Vision Statements of the Boy Scouts of America have been met for almost 100 years.  The Boy Scouts of America is the largest youth organization in the United States and was founded in 1910 as part of the Scout Movement.  Since 1910 each President of the United States since William Howard Taft has taken an active part in the work of the movement.  Since then each President of the United States has served as Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America during his term in office.  This is a demonstration of the importance and significance that Scouting carries in our society and country.
 

As the Boy Scouts of America approaches its 100th Anniversary, I want to share with you quotes about Scouting from two (2) of our Presidents of the United States:
 

Our current president, George W. Bush, made the following statement to 40,000 Scouts at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia, in July of 2001:
 

“Times and challenges change, yet the values of Scouting will never change.  Scouts of any era would recognize every word that you live by today, because those words have always defined Scouting.  The goodness of a person and of the society he or she lives in often comes down to very simple things, and the words found in the Scout Law.  Every society depends on trust and loyalty, on courtesy and kindness, on bravery and reverence.  These are the values of Scouting, and these are the values of America.”
 

The first Scout to become President of the United States was John F. Kennedy, who was a member of Troop 2, Bronxville, New York, from 1929 to 1931. 
 

President John F. Kennedy said the following about Scouting:
 

“For more than 50 years Scouting has played an important part in the lives of the Boy Scouts of this nation.  It has helped to mold character, to form friendships, to provide a worthwhile outlet for the natural energies of growing boys, and to train these boys to become good citizens of the future.  In a very real sense, the principals learned and practiced by Boy Scouts add to the strength of America and her ideals.”
 

If each of you approaches Scouting with the same enthusiasm as my brother Joe & I did, you will enjoy a rewarding and enriching experience that will help prepare you for life.
 

This letter is respectfully submitted to Troop 732 by:
 

Eagle Scout Steve Antonishek

November 30, 2007