A boy scout troop was formed in 1918 with L. W. Soule as scoutmaster and H. L. Bothel serving as his assistant. Professor Minard was listed as treasurer and Harold Gilbert as scribe. The following boys were enrolled as members: Fred Doane, leader of the first patrol; Noel Floistad, leader of the second patrol; F. E. Jones, Leslie Limbeck, Joseph Holien, Albert Mosby, Harold Bullard, Herbert Bernatz, Ernest Holien, Percy Bullard Jr., Melvin Hauge, Hosea Bullard, Darrell Cornell and Harry Johnson. This was the group mentioned as "guarding" the cage that held the effigy of the Kaiser during the Armistice celebration. They also marched in the Victory parade and the Peace Jubilee celebration.

We find evidence of a troop of Girl Scouts in this early period, but nothing about their membership, leaders or activities.

In 1931, a Boy Scout troop of three patrols was formed. R. E. Montagne and V. A. Pattison served as scoutmasters. The following boys were listed as members:

BEAR PATROL—Norman Brown, Francis B°yle, Harold Klisart, Wilbert Beckman, Victor Liebold and Robert Holder.

LION PATROL—Willard Schlee, Ralph Anderson, Ralph Cornell, Rodney Nicholson Jr., Lawrence Schlee and Thearon Hauge.

COBRA PATROL—Wilbur Peyer, Robert Allen, James Dessel, Clair Cornell,

Lyle Holder, Cletus Schneberger, George Dessel and Cyril Geskin.

The patrols planted and cultivated flower gardens on three vacant lots located on Lydia and Main streets. The lumber for the garden's lattice work was furnished by the Legion; the paint for its beauty by the Auxiliary. Julius Geskin donated the use of his truck to haul fertile black soil to the sites. The gardens were a success and improved the looks of the town's business district.

The most ambitious project attempted by this group was the deepening of the creamery pond with the expectation of its becoming a community swimming pool.

John Brockman granted the use of a team of horses and my father allowed us to borrow a pair of his mules. Two earth scrapers were scrounged from the town and hitched to the draft animals. The pond was drained with the consent of the Silver Springs officials. Lyle Holder and I drove the teams, and fellow scouts assisted in filling and dumping the scrapers until a deep hole was dug in the east end of the pond. A diving board was built and the pool filled with water.

Unfortunately, the swimming hole never became popular. Its unlined bottom, composed of soft, oozy mud, stuck to the feet and legs of the bathers. This discouraged many. A few were willing to tolerate this flaw, but a knockout blow to swimming in the creamery pond was delivered when one of the local young men, who was among the first to use the facility, was suspected of being infected with a venereal disease. The rumor circulated throughout the community and reached the ears of the mothers of Ossian. Despite the assurance of Dr. Juen that the contagion could only be spread by contact, these ladies were not inclined to allow their offspring to risk this perverse infection. This ended the swimming pool.

Ralph Cornell was awarded a certificate of heroism, issued by Daniel Garter Beard, the national scout commissioner, for rescuing a fellow scout from drowning while swimming during an overnight campout.

In 1937 after several years of inactivity, the troop was reorganized under the sponsorship of the American Legion Post. Art Andresen and Ralph Anderson agreed to serve as scoutmasters. The members of this group were; Jerry Scholz, Richard Dvorak, Junior Witt, John Andresen, Raymond Carey, Robert Sand, William Dessel, Robert Klisart, Hugo Barthelme, Tommy Scholz, Blaine Jones, Arthur Baker and Donald Larson. Jerry Scholz and John Andresen were selected as delegates to represent the Wapsipinican area of N. E. Iowa at the national scouting convention in St. Louis .

Under the direction of leader Ralph Anderson, several baskets of groceries were distributed to needy families on Christmas Eve of 1938. Four local girls accompanied the scouts and sang Christmas carols to the families receiving the bounty.

Local troop 88 held a camp at the Knights of Columbus Hall early in 1940. The twenty three scouts gave demonstrations and set up exhibits in all four corners of