Evan Quinlan and Scott Goldberg talking about Troop 12 memories.

00:01 Well, I guess we should introduce ourselves.

00:03 So, I'm Scott Goldberg.

00:04 I was a scout from 2008, I think, to 2015. That's what I was. A member.

00:11 Very good.

00:12 Yeah.

00:12 My name is Evan Quinlan, and I was a member from around 1993 to 2001. Awesome.

00:19 Yes. I've liked with this weekend, especially being able to meet people from different areas. I know me and my friends when I was in scouting probably had a pretty similar experience. I mean, I know going on the same trips and everything, but it's been cool to hear stories from people who were in it before I was in it or even now, like, the ones who are been in it since 2015. When I aged out, I moved away. So I wasn't. I didn't keep up with it, really, because I was in South Carolina, but it's fun to think back and then. So you said you're still in the area, right?

00:52 Yes. Yeah, I live in Hollis. Well, you know, I want to ask you a question, actually. You were in that era. How much did you ever use the gps on your phones to find your location? Or was that completely issued for the traditional map and compass methods?

01:11 I don't think. As far as I know, for most of our trips, I don't think we ever really used volunteer chief gas. I remember still, we were doing orienteering with Mister Noyce, and we wouldn't have to do that every time usually. It was pretty basic.

01:25 You're following the trail.

01:27 You got the map. As long as. Yeah, as long as you're staying on the trail, then there's not too much to worry about. But I don't think at any point where we're like, all right, turn left to the next trail marker by pulling our phones.

01:38 Right. Well, I guess that would defeat the purpose of orienteering, but no, I was just thinking that no matter what, like, even if we weren't practicing those skills, I was thinking, like, oh, you know, we had. We had to have a map and a crowd. We didn't. We would just get lost in the woods. So we're just like, put the fear of God in us. But I was thinking, wow, these days, I would just whip out my phone and be like, where am I?

01:59 Which way is the highway? Yeah, I know. When I'm getting around myself right now, people try to tell me, like, oh, take this road number. Take this. I'm gonna put on my phone.

02:10 I'm just gonna put the address in.

02:11 We'll get there. It is interesting, though, you start to see that even now, with all that available, we're still doing the map. And compass. And we talked a few days ago, someone said something like, oh, maybe in 100 years they won't be using compasses. Maybe not the general public, but I would suspect that Boy Scouts might hold on to that for a long time, because I know it was cool to see when I was to see the traditions and still follow, but now it's cool to also see things that we kind of got started while I was in the troop, and now they're still doing it now. So it's been fun.

02:48 It's all part of that preparation. I think that's such a great skill that you get out of this, the respect that you have for making sure that when you go out into a situation, you've got the right gear and the right knowledge beforehand so that no matter what goes wrong, you have the best possible shot of getting out of it right.

03:09 Definitely.

03:10 And, yeah, that's something that I think stayed with me. Yeah, it's always tragic reading about people that just go out to Tuckerman's routine and completely unprepared or something.

03:24 Go ahead. No, even that. But, like, too, the fact that not only does having the right gear, but how to use it properly, too, I think, because I know sometimes people might have think like, oh, I bought all the best stuff, so I'm good to go. But then they're trying to let us know if they've never lived before and don't know what they're doing. So it's good that we had that ability to actually learn it in an environment where you get that chance to do it, but, you know, you have that supportive group. So in the event I can't get my delight or go, the troop isn't gonna let me go hungry.

03:56 That's right.

03:57 Awesome to have that. But, yeah, I think definitely be prepared. And it's cool to see, too. Like, I know for scouting, like, focusing, camping, hiking, whatever it might be, it's definitely strong for that. But I know, I think for other things, too, outside of that kind of realm, that being prepared for has still come through for me. I know when working on something for work, or even if I'm just packing for a personal trip, I'm thinking, like, what could go wrong? Okay, what should I have? Unfortunately, when it comes to, like, flight travel, it has led to me overpacking.

04:29 So I know I'm like, all right.

04:30 I've gone for three days. I have to be prepared for anything. Eight shirts that would have any good. Hopefully that's enough temperatures covered, even though.

04:38 You'Re going to Orlando in August.

04:41 All right. Probably a sweater or two. Don't know, but it's been good to see that. I know, I think probably being prepared, one of the most beneficial things I think that really got drilled in that I've still cared for after leaving scouting or after leaving being as active. Yep.

05:02 Now were you, so Warren Poulter was scoutmaster still for a few years when.

05:06 You were a few years for, I want to say, one or two maybe.

05:10 Yeah.

05:11 And then Ken St. Hilaire took over, which was cool for me because he was one of my dead leaders from Cub Scouts. So I went from dense six with him and Mister Barry Amos and their sons were in my den course. And then to go into the troop and then see my leader then kind of switch, it's like, okay, so that was a cool experience to really be able to develop that relationship over that period of time. Yeah. Had some time with Mister Poulter and then Mister St. Hilaire Ken St. Hilaire I liked to refer to as the Ken dynasty. So he had those two in a row, and then I think he was still scoutmaster when I graduated high school. But I think it was Mister Poulter for you the whole time, right?

05:53 It was, yeah.

05:54 I think he's the longest serving scoutmaster, at least for twelve, maybe in the world, but certainly.

06:01 Yeah, maybe in the world. No. And that was, that was just such a, it felt like such a selfless act. I mean, I'm sure he got a lot of great things out of it, but to be like a second father to so many people.

06:14 Right.

06:14 And what a role model. You know, he's kind of, in my mind, he sticks there as like the quintessential american man of yesteryear.com person. You know, it's like he came from Utah. He sort of had this like, big, you know, sturdy frame and like friendly, firm manner, you know, like strong morals and a leader type, you know, clean cut, but also rugged. You know, it was just like everything that you would sort of expect a scout leader was there. And sometimes I think back and I'm just blown away as having to, having to have the chance.

06:56 That's a difficult sentence to put together.

06:58 To have learned from him and got to look up to him.

07:03 Absolutely. I think, like you said, all those things about him, you might think at first like, okay, sounds like the Brung man. How is this going to be that now with those younger scouts? I thought it was great. I remember when I first crossed over like you're 1010 and a half years old, and then you see on the other side of the Hardy hall all the older scouts, you see all the leaders like, oh, they're all so established. I'm just this little kid, but then they treat you like that. You're a scout now, you're part of this group. And so that was cool. And then I know we had talked about like on trips there'd be scouts would be playing whatever games they're doing. And then I remember seeing the adult age like, oh, I know how to play garbage and then I'm playing with Mister Poulter So it's cool that like, it was like, oh, you know how to play.

07:49 Okay, you're in.

07:50 Like, that was it. There was, there wasn't any kind of like barrier into being accepted as part of it. Awesome, you're in.

07:59 Yeah, yeah. Really did. It was, it was very inclusive, definitely. And yeah, there were all kinds of people in my troop. I remember I didn't go along with all of them all the time.

08:13 Right. But.

08:16 Yeah, strong, strong bonds were forged. I just saw him under one of my scoutmates, Andrew Bigelow. He was here earlier and he's got a couple of kids now.

08:25 Yeah.

08:26 But I got, I got my 48 4000 footer in the White Mountains with him. White Mountain National Park, New Hampshire. Years after scouts ended, we got going on hikes.

08:40 Yeah.

08:41 Till we got all 48.

08:43 That's awesome. And so you said you just saw recently, do you still keep in touch with, with a bunch of people from scouts or. I know, like when I moved back to New Hampshire, those so far have been. The people I'm seeing are the guys that named from sketch. One of them lives in my building upstairs. So that's cool that they're all, that. Some of them are still around. Like you said, you're not knowing. We get along with everyone but the fact that we're able to create those bonds that are lasting. But I thought it was interesting too. Not even just between the boys, but like the leaders too, when I'm now keeping in touch with them as I've moved out and gone on to other things. By now, when I moved to South Carolina, I was still keeping in touch with my old leaders and when I come back, people I'd be seeing and so it was, I think, beneficial in so many ways. That's another cool thing.

09:33 Yeah, yeah, I haven't, I haven't kept in touch with a lot of them. Part of it is I'm not on Facebook these days and that's how you keep your barely there connections going, right? Yeah, but no, I know. Yeah, I know. My friend Andrew and I know that there's a couple other people who, if I ran into them, and we'd be able to pick up where we left off.

09:55 Right.

09:56 But obviously, Dave Lawrence, who organized this event that we're at today, I've kept in touch with him. Yep. I ran into Bob Faler at the library the other day, so I guess he's still involved.

10:12 Yep. Absolutely. Yep.

10:14 Yep.

10:14 Yeah. And that's. I think another cool thing is that people are staying involved even after they might. Their son or I. Maybe they didn't have a son who's in the troop might be gone, but they stayed because they're passionate about it. So it's been cool to see, like, these are people who are actually. They're invested in. They care. It's not just, oh, yeah, my kid does this activity, so I punch in, but they're, like, fully invested in it all.

10:40 And I think that, you know, scouts does well. It did. And this can't be true all the time, I'm sure. But it seems to self select for kids who want to be there and who are generally going to be thankful that you've given this time to them. Yeah. It's got a reputation for being a little bit nerdy. It's not the coolest thing to do. Maybe it is now. I actually have no idea what. No. Okay. So Gen Z is still a little skeezed out.

11:13 Bye. I feel like it's one of those things, like, when you're younger, it's not cool. But then I know, like, when I got to college and like, something like, oh, yeah, when I was in scouts, like, oh, you're. I was in scouts, and then people don't really seem to care then it's not that, like, oh, you're. You're one of those scouting. You're like, no, that's just what you did.

11:33 Yeah.

11:34 But it's also been a cool way to get to know people from all over the place because, like, when I went to school, I didn't know. I never. I grew up in South Carolina knowing these people. I mean, you're in college, so no one really knew anyone. But then that was a really easy point. Like, oh, what you do? Oh, I was involved in scouts and then immediately, oh, I was involved in scouts and then. That's a good starting point.

11:58 Yeah.

11:59 But I know it's been. It's been cool to talk to people and learn what other troops are doing, too. Was there any, like, trip in particular, anything from trip twelve that really stood out as your favorite or as a memorable one?

12:11 Well, I loved going to Utah. Yeah, I think part of that was that, you know, Warren Poulter was so happy to be there. He grew up in Utah, was a scout in Utah, like Indiana Jones.

12:26 Was he on that trip?

12:27 Yeah, I think so. Yeah.

12:29 Well, that was fun.

12:30 Going to. Going to double Arch and being like, this is familiar.

12:33 Yeah.

12:36 But I loved being out there in that completely open sky and those sort of alien rock formations and the arches and the needles. And it really. It connected me to nature in a way that I wasn't used to. You know, I'm used to rolling hills and pine forests of things. But, you know, Utah showed me a part of the american west I had never seen.

13:03 Right.

13:04 Really made me feel connected to the country. I remember at that point, I was getting kind of senior. I was part of a group of kids that were called the psycho hikers. Because we would hike really fast and really far in front of the group. In fact, we got in huge trouble one time, because we're supposed to stop. They started telling us to stop every 15 minutes and let everyone catch up.

13:29 Right.

13:29 This was in the whites. And so we hiked for 15 minutes, stopped, and Warren showed up and said, I've been hiking for 50 minutes to catch up with you. You're supposed to be stopping. Sorry. We won't hike so fast, you know, but we just love to run. And I remember in Utah, we were trying to get to see, like, all of the arches in this loop.

13:55 Right.

13:55 We had an option to veer off, and it was getting late, and everyone was tired. And they said, well, evan, we'll let you decide whether or not we go for it. And I sort of looked around and decided, okay, I guess for the good of the group, that's ours. Too far. And I remember that that was them teaching a leadership skill.

14:16 Right.

14:17 And I'm sure we all would have gone. I don't know, actually. Would they have overridden me if I made a choice? Decision.

14:24 Make a better choice.

14:26 That was the wrong thing. Nice try.

14:29 We think you meant so.

14:32 I really think fondly of that trip as a period, as an adult.

14:40 Well, that's why you said Utah. I also went on a different trip to Utah. We did that one, the trip in southern Utah in general, a few times. But that was what I was thinking of. Like how you said, like, we're kind of used to. I grew up in Hollis since I was two. So the New England or the New Hampshire wilderness, that was my camping and Boy Scout experience. So to then go to a desert and be in the canyons and things like that was brand new and I haven't experienced anything like that since then. And so that was one that stood out. I think the big trips are unique too, because I know from talking to people from different troops, it seems like most of them stick with one of the name of a certain name for the type of film on or sea bass. Those things are really cool. And I would never, I'm not speaking ill of those at all, but it's cool. I think that true twelve has found something where they are able to really cater it more to what they are looking for in that trip. Whereas for something like film honor sea base, I'm guessing there's a bit more of a rigid schedule and form. And this is what the trip is and this is where you go and what you do. But for us, like, where do you guys want to go next time? We all voted Alaska. Okay, let's figure out what we're gonna do.

16:02 Wow.

16:03 And so that's. It was cool that we. That it, I know, is always described as a boy run troop, but it's supposed to be like, no, it really is what the scouts want to do. And of course you have the guidance from the leaders, and when you need someone to step in and be that authority, you know who you kind of default to.

16:22 Right.

16:23 But it is amazing to see that scouts really had that kind of take charge and they were the ones who, for a lot of times, were the leaders.

16:31 Yeah.

16:33 And I think that's something, too. It was a good skill that I got out of it. I think going forward, kind of like how we talk about even outside of that scouting realm.

16:42 Sure.

16:43 You're still able to bring those tools and skills into the world. So I know when I'm doing things for work or when I was in school still, it would still be coming out.

16:52 Yep.

16:53 And that was good. Did you find similar kind of thing?

16:56 Sure. Yeah.

16:57 I mean, I think it.

16:57 These experiences get baked into who you are and even if you're not using them directly, they show up.

17:09 Definitely.

17:11 And how you handle problems.

17:14 Yeah.

17:14 And also it does. I think it toughens you a little bit in that it's not like a boot camp or anything like that. You know, once you sort of realize that you can successfully spend the night in freezing weather, you know, covered in snow, you sort of feel like you're a little bit more capable of handling.

17:37 The problems that are thrown at you. Right.

17:40 Even. Yeah. Even if it doesn't, you know, make you emotionally tougher or physically as a person it just.

17:45 It shows you that you're able to.

17:47 Yeah. That you can make it through. So I think that's been important to me.

17:51 Yeah. Is that on the flip side, were there any trips you had or went on where something went wrong or.

17:58 A million.

17:59 I know, I know. Hopefully in like, kind of fun way. Nothing too serious. I know there was one trip I was on, it was just a. It was a car camping trip at Rocky Pond. I think we were working on like a merit badge or we were doing like, kind of a requirement weekend where we're doing all those outdoor ones. But that night it felt like a tornado. And at four in the morning, I wake up to other scouts tents that collapsed. So I got out to help the leaders with the younger scouts tents, but then in the meantime, my tent collapsed and one of the stakes actually broke. And so I'm sitting in my tent for a while, holding up the walls of the tent as the wind is blowing it down. And so I gave up. I shoved my tent in the cabin, sleeping in my car. By that time, I was like, it's only. It's five. It's gonna be an hour or two. I'm not dealing with this.

18:50 That's good. You got most of it sleeping.

18:52 Exactly. And normally I would avoid doing that, but at the time, it's like draining. It's windy. My tent is open and wet to the elements. We all got an hour.

19:04 The troop encouraged hammocking. When I was there, I remember it was one of the, what we call the freezer Freezes

19:13 Yes.

19:13 Rocky ponds. And there was a lot of snow, and it was very cold, very wet, heavy snow. And in the middle of the night, my, like, my knot gave out and I just ended up, like, into the snow. And everything was soaked. Yeah. And I couldn't. I couldn't get back up there. And so I called into my friend's tent, and his tent had just been leaking all night. He set it up terribly. He, like, didn't know how to do the fly, so he was already in a puddle of freezing water. He just both shivered there for like 6 hours. It was really, really bad. That's one of the most miserable nights I've ever had.

19:54 But hopefully now you can look back on, like, on it. Some of those, like. Yeah, it's not funny in the moment, but afterwards, my friend Andrew that I.

20:03 Just saw, I remember when we were up at a place called Shoen Meadow, Shoen field in Beaver brook, which is a tree farm in nature preserved here in Hollis, and he was trying to decide the night before whether to set up his hammock from between tree a and b or b and c. And he ended up making a choice. And during the night, a tree fell over in between the other two trees.

20:32 So he picked.

20:32 Well, yes. And he woke up and he was freaking out in the morning.

20:36 Yeah, yeah.

20:37 But it's, you know, you have some close shapes like that. But I guess that he might have been.

20:43 Okay.

20:45 Glad. We don't have to, like, we don't have to know.

20:48 Yeah, we don't have to know. We know he's good now.

20:51 Yeah, there's things like that, and I've climbed things I shouldn't climbed.

20:54 Yeah.

20:54 It's always afterwards you realize, like, oh, I could have slipped and, you know, broken my arm. At the very least, I would have been an end to this trip for everybody. Right. And it's really nice when those things don't happen and you can learn from them that way.

21:09 Yeah.

21:11 Yeah.

21:13 Like, it's cool. I've had sometimes where I'll have things happen and trying to think of, like, a good example. Like, I'll learn things from scouting and then I'll use it later on. And sometimes I don't have always attribute it right away, but there'll be weird things where I'll know, like, I think of something for, like, cooking, for example. There'll be something come up like, oh, I know this has to be done this way because that's the safe way to do it. It's like, how do I know that? Oh, right. I did the cooking merit badge with Kathy Boulder. That's how I learned this. So it's interesting then to see, like, how all those things sometimes you know where it's from and it's good to have those problems in case you realize, yeah, maybe that wasn't a good idea afterwards, but it gives you the opportunity to find those things out and hopefully in a safe environment or with people who will support you afterwards.

22:01 That's right.

22:03 Yeah, I know. Like, sometimes when someone had cut their hand on accent or something, I know what to do. I mean, for a cut a lot of times, sometimes self explanatory, but I know going through the woods with friends at school, like, go on a hike, like, oh, what's this plan? Like, nope, don't touch that. You will regret it. Don't do it. And then. Yep. Got that from scavenging.

22:25 Yep. Even being able to assess the degree of a burn.

22:30 Right.

22:30 You know, you touch the stove, you get to figure out, how serious is this just by looking at it.

22:35 Right.

22:36 From scouts as well.

22:38 Yeah. Good one. Sink. Love it. So thank you for doing this.

22:46 Thank you, Scott.

22:53 All right, cool.