On July 7th, 1917, Boys Scouts of America's Meridian Troop 1 opened their door and for the last century, they haven't stopped. Hitting the century mark makes them the 13th oldest troop west of the Mississippi. Charted by American Legion Post 113 they have a simple goal.
"It teaches young men how to be better humans and better citizens. Better community persons better people and the basic value of that," said Meridian Troop 1 leader Doug Fry.
From father to son, hundreds of Treasure Valley boys have joined their ranks. On Saturday the troop celebrated their centennial at Kleiner Park and also paid tribute to veterans and acting service members. For many alumni, the gathering brought back great memories.
"When I heard they were having a 100-year celebration all these memories started coming back, just being a kid again," said Jason Tully a Troop 1 Alumni.
For the troops newest members, their long and rich history pushes them to try harder to help those in need. From learning how to swim to CPR, they hope to put their skills to use to make the world a better place.
"When I grow up I want to join the the military and think that this was a great opportunity because most of the stuff I've been doing in scouts is stuff you do in the military," explained Troop member Beau Peccheino.
Leaders and members say they hope the troop will last another hundred years.
