The following poem was drafted by Scoutmaster Anthony Alaimo for the Troop's 50th Anniversary Dinner (held a year late, in 1990):

WELCOME TROOP 111 OF PRESENT AND PAST THRILLS
WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT FOR A PARTY - WITH FRILLS!
SIT BACK AND I WILL TELL YOU OF MY PAST LIFE AS A SCOUT.
OF HOW I GOT IN - AND HOW I GOT OUT.

I WAS A BOY SCOUT ONCE, MADE IT TO FIRST CLASS.
WENT TO SCOUT CAMP FOR SIX WEEKS, BUT THAT WAS ALL IN MY PAST.
`TIL MANY YEARS LATER, WHEN MIKE LABBE AND I BECAME FRIENDS,
HE TOLD ME OF A BOY SCOUT TROOP THAT WAS AT THEIR WIT'S END.

MIKE WAS THE SCOUTMASTER AND HE WAS MOVING OUT OF TOWN.
THE TROOP WAS SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT, BUT NONE COULD BE FOUND.
SO THEY INVITED ME TO DINNER AT JUDY'S HOUSE FOR A FEAST.
SAID I MIGHT CONSIDER BEING AN ASSISTANT AT LEAST.

WHILE I DEVOURED THE BEST MEAL I HAD EATEN IN A WHILE,
THE PARENTS OF THE SCOUTS WERE SITTING AROUND - ALL SMILES!
I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW, BECAUSE IT HAPPENED SO FAST.
BUT IN THE ROLE OF NEW SCOUTMASTER IS HOW I WAS CAST.

I QUICKLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MAN I REPLACED:
THE LEGEND OF MIKE L'ABBE, WITH WHOM TROOP 111 WAS GRACED.
MIKE BUILT THE TROOP FROM A SMALL GROUP OF BOYS
TO A LARGER GROUP OF MEN WHO SHARED MANY JOYS.

HE TOOK THE RESPONSIBILITY TO HEART, MET THE CHALLENGE WITH ZEAL,
AND RECRUITED 30 BOYS WHO FOUND THE EXCITEMENT WAS REAL.
THEY HIKED AND CAMPED AND CANOED AND TALKED,
AND SKIED AND RAFTED AND SUNG AND WALKED.
THEY WORKED AND LAUGHED AND SWAM AND PLAYED,
AND TRAVELED AND FOUGHT AND CRIED AND PRAYED.
THEY COOKED AND ATE AND TRAILED AND CAVED,
AND SCREAMED AND COMPLAINED AND RANTED AND RAVED.

MIKE RAN THE TROOP WHERE THE BOY SCOUTS CAME FIRST.
HE WELCOMED THEM ALL -- THE BEST AND THE WORST.
FOR THREE YEARS MIKE LABBE AS SCOUTMASTER STOOD TALL.
HIS GREATNESS IN SERVICE WILL BE REMEMBERED BY ALL.

THE EVENTS ARE SO MANY, BUT SOME REALLY STAND OUT.
IT IS THESE EXCITING MEMORIES I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT.
THIS MORNING AT HOME, MIKE RECOUNTED THE PA8T.
HE MENTIONED SOME EPISODES THAT IN HIS MEMORY WOULD LAST.

THE TROOP HIKED THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, AND FROM THEIR CAMPSITE WERE TOSSED.
CHIP O'DELL THUMBED A RIDE WHILE CLAIMING HE WAS LOST.
THEY PICKED UP THEIR TENTS AND MOVED THEM TO A NEW SITE
AND AFTER A FABULOUS MEAL THEY CLEANED UP WITH NO LIGHT.

BUT THOUGH HE WOULDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT'S MEETING,
FROM THE PARENT'S COMMITTEE MIKE WOULD TAKE A BEATING.
YOU SEE MIKE WAS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SINS OF EACH SCOUT,
AND TOMMY JUNK HAD USED HIS TOWEL TO CLEAN HIS MESS KIT OUT.

ANOTHER TIME AT GOSHEN WHEN THE SCOUTS WERE A BIT SAD
MIKE HAD THEM WRITE POST CARDS HOME TO EACH MOM AND DAD.
THEY WROTE ONLY SAD THINGS AND RECOUNTED EACH BAD EVENT,
MIKE GATHERED THE CARDS UP AND SAID THEY WERE SENT.

BUT HE WISELY DIDN'T MAIL THEM 'TIL THE BOYS HAD FINISHED THEIR TOUR,
OR IT WOULD RAVE BEEN FLAMBE LABBE AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR SURE.

MIKE REMEMBERS OLD RAG, THE FIRST BACKPACKING TRIP,
WHILE GOING THROUGH FAT MAN'S SQUEEZE HIS BUNGEE CORD SLIPPED.
MIKE'S SLEEPING BAG POPPED OUT AND PICKED UP SPEED AS IT ROLLED.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST IF NOT FOR A HEROIC TREE I AM TOLD.

MIKE TOOK ME WITH HIM WHEN THE TROOP WENT ON TRAIL,
ONE SUMMER AT GOSHEN, FOR A WEEK WE SET SAIL.
IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIKE THE BOYS HAD A FIGHT,
WE HEARD THEM SCREAMING IN THE DISTANCE MOSTLY FROM THE BITES
OF A THOUSAND ANGRY HORNETS WHOSE NEST HAD BEEN CRACKED
BY A ROCK THROWN AS ONE OF THE BOYS WERE ATTACKED.
THEY ALL MANAGED TO GET STUNG, TOBY HAD IT THE WORST.
I CARRIED HIS PACK FOR A MILE, NEARLY DYING OF THIRST.

IT WAS A FUN INTRODUCTION THOUGH I NEVER BELIEVED
THAT IT WOULDN'T BE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF BEFORE I WAS RELIEVED.

WHEN I TOOK OVER THE TROOP I HAD PLENTY TO LEARN
BUT THERE WERE MANY HELPFUL PARENTS TO WHOM I COULD TURN.
MIKE ORTEGA IS ONE GUY ON WHOM WE ALWAYS RELIED,
AND BILL HOEHN HARDLY EVER MISSED AN OVERNIGHT RIDE.

ON THOSE WEEKEND EXCURSIONS ON A TROOP SPONSORED EVENT,
YOU USUALLY FOUND AT LEAST ONE OF MY BROTHERS IN A TENT.
SALLY AND JUDY HELPED PLAN EVERY ONE OF THOSE TRIPS -
BE CAREFUL WITH OUR KIDS WERE ALWAYS THE LAST WORDS FROM THEIR LIPS.

I REMEMBER THE CAVING TRIP, IT WAS WHAT SCOUTING'S ABOUT.
OUR SPELUNKER STILL CAN'T FIGURE HOW MY BROTHER VINNY MADE IT OUT.
RAFTING WAS TERRIFIC, FOR WHICH WE HAD LEE DIETER TO THANK.
ON THE SKI TRIP, GHOST STORIES WERE TOLD BY MY BROTHER FRANK.

THE MEALS WERE EXCITING, JUST SURVIVING WAS A POOR BET.
BUT NATE TRYING TO COOK PASTA I WILL NEVER FORGET.
MARK DIETER WAS A COMPLAINER, HE SAW EVERYTHING AS BLACK.
JOSE WENT HIKING WITH 8 LITERS OF COKE IN HIS PACK.

FOR MERIT BADGES AT GOSHEN THE FIRST YEAR WAS DIVINE,
AND SHANE LEARNED ABOUT CLEANUP FROM HIS OFF COLOR SIGN.
EVERY BOY JUMPED OFF THE ROPE SWING, INCLUDING RAY MILLER.
NELSON WAS HOMESICK, AND THE HEAT WAS A KILLER.

THE SECOND YEAR AT GOSHEN WE SENT HOME THE BOYS THROWING SPEARS,
BUT TO MIKE BERRA AND PHILIP ARQUETTE WENT TROOP OF THE DAY CHEERS.
SHANE AND NATE MADE IT TO EAGLE, AND BOY WAS I PROUD.
TO SEE TWO OF MY BOYS UP IN FRONT OF THE CROWD.

A SCOUTMASTER HAS UPS AND DOWNS LIKE EVERYONE I'M SURE
BUT THE REWARDS HE GETS FROM GIVING ARE MORE THAN A CURE.
SOME MOMENTS LIVE FOREVER, AND ONE OF MY SPECIAL JOYS
WAS WHEN JEFF HOEHN SAID I HAD BEEN LIKE A FATHER TO THE BOYS.

AFTER MY TURN, PAUL HILL HAD HIS FUN
NOW WE CAN SEE BOB KLEIN UNDER THE GUN.
BUT BOB IS QUICKLY BECOMING A LEGEND ALL HIS OWN.
MIKE L'ABBE WILL HAVE COMPETITION IN THE TROOP HISTORY TOME.

AFTER I SERVED MY TIME A SCOUTMASTER'S PLAQUE I WAS GIVEN.
SIGNED BY THE SCOUTS IN THE TROOP WHO WERE STILL LIVING,
AS A SCOUTMASTER I WANT TO THANK THE PARENTS AND THE SCOUTS
FOR AN EXPERIENCE WHICH TAUGHT ME WHAT THIS LIFE IS ABOUT.

THE JOYS OF GIVING ARE TREMENDOUS AND WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER.
MY TIES TO THE TROOP'S PAST WILL NEVER BE SEVERED.
FOR WHEREVER IN THE WORLD MY FAMILY AND I MIGHT ROAM
THAT SCOUTMASTER'S PLAQUE WILL HANG FOREVER IN MY HOME.

ANTHONY ALAIMO, SM-111

You can email Anthony at aalaimo@mba1981.hbs.edu.