Boy Scouts of America (Troop 32 and 322)

The Boy Scouts of America have been one of the premier civic organizations for young men for many many decades.  Troop 32 was chartered in Hueytown on February 24,1949, at what was then known as The First Baptist Church of Hueytown (today this church is known as Vineland Park Baptist Church).  The Troop initially held meetings each Thursday evening at 7pm at the church.

The first Scout Master was Mr. Fred Gibson.  His troop began with just fourteen boys.  They were Walter Looney, Larry G. Minyard, Harold Mason, Carey Coston, Don Miller, Jerry Davis, Jeff Vines, Bobby Skates, Glenn Langston, Richard A. Johnson, Jerry Knight, T. F. Crowder, Ray Palmer and John Allen Ford.  Several of these young men would grow up to be leaders in there community.

The Troop would continue to grow and flourish under its second Scout Master, Mr. Carlton Cummings whose leadership with the Troop would involve them in many prototype events.  They would be the first Troop in the United States to take the Boy Scout Fifty Mile Hike.  This would take the Troop on a round trip hike from Hueytown to Bucksville in nearby Tuscaloosa County.

For a variety of reasons, The Troop experienced changes which would lead to the Troops' acquiring a new sponsor in 1959.  Under the sponsorship of The Hueytown First United Methodist Church, the Boy Scout Council would renumber the unit as Troop 322.  Like all organizations, there would be years of explosive growth when the unit would have as many as 38 members and some lean years with as few as six.  During this time another dozen Scout Masters would guide the young men.   They were David Haynes, John Adams, Lawrence Stocks, Leonard Madderra, Gaston Edmonson, John Coleman, Gene Jones, Wayne Kendricks, Dennie McCoy, Silas Lindsey, Vince Shields and Tom Campbell.

Troop 322 has long been one of the leading troops in the Birmingham metropolitan area helping young boys grow into good young men.  Troops 32 and 322 have produced a combined total of 71 Eagle Scouts from 1952 through 2001.  Recent activities of the Troop include Scuba lessons, rock climbing and rappelling, white water rafting, and canoeing, cave exploration, horseback riding, back packing trips, summer camps, and trips to Gatlinburg, TN; Pensacola, FL and to the U.S.S Alabama Battleship in Mobile, Alabama.