Noll Remains In Scouting, But In A New Role
Bill Noll became a Cub Scout at age 8, a Boy Scout at 11, an Eagle Scout at an unusually early 14, a leader at 18 and a scoutmaster at 42.
Becoming a Scouting legend … well, that took a little longer.
Noll has been involved in Scouting for 60 years. Now, one chapter is ending and another beginning for Noll and his Scouts.
Noll has received numerous awards during his remarkable service. More important to him, however, are the awards his Scouts earned – and the life lessons they learned.
During his 26 years as scoutmaster of Troop 368 at St. Theresa Parish in Evansville, all of his Scouts have earned religious emblems. Every one.
The number achieving the coveted Eagle Scout rank is phenomenal. More than 26 percent of Noll’s Scouts have earned their Eagle – a total of 22. Nationally, less than four percent of Scouts advanced to Eagle in the same time period.
A self-described avid runner, Noll calls pursuit of the Eagle rank a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. “Most of the boys take six to seven years. How many young people stay with an activity for that length of time?”
He believes the small size of Troop 368 and the resulting camaraderie that developed contributed to the number who earned their Eagles. “It fluctuates, but we have maybe 10 Scouts,” he said. “Some troops have maybe 35 to 60 boys, so they can have ‘high adventure.’ Our focus is on the basics of Scouting, doing things right, having good manners, using Scout skills to mature and learn how to be better Scouts, better people and better Christians.”
He considers Scouting a youth ministry. “We focus on their relationship with God,” he said. Planning for campouts begins with Mass schedules. “If we can’t find a Mass, we don’t go. There’s no excuse for not doing that.”
Noll said fun also is a necessary element in achieving success for the troop. He cited several adventures the troop has enjoyed, including whitewater rafting, spending a night on a submarine and visiting such attractions as the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio. “If it’s not fun, it’s not going to last,” he said.
Last it did, for decades. As Noll approached his 60th year in scouting, Troop 368 celebrated its own 60th anniversary last year with a large gathering that included its first scoutmaster, 98-year-old Robert Bornefeld, and the troop’s first Scout, Bornefeld’s son Larry.
Noll and Troop 368 have received numerous awards over the years. Noll has received the Silver Beaver, the highest adult Scouting award, as well as the Bronze Pelican and St. George awards for outstanding service. He also has received a district Award of Merit.
He has chaired the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting (DCCS) continuously since 1995. Under his leadership, the DCCS has received the Quality Diocesan Committee Award from the national organization, the NCCS, for 14 consecutive years.
The DCCS has given Troop 368 a Helping Hands Award every year since 1990 for service to the parish. The NCCS gave the troop a Gold Medallion Unit National Recognition award five years and named it a finalist several other years. The troop also has received the NCCS Pope Paul VI award every year since 1990. Boy Scouts of America has given 368 its Quality Unit Award (now called Journey to Excellence) every year since 1990.
Its Feb. 27 meeting served as the final chapter for Troop 368. The closing of St. Theresa School last year and the merging of the parish with Good Shepherd Parish have led to the end of the troop. “We will have only one troop, at Good Shepherd, because of the merger,” Noll said. “Even without the merger, with the closing of the school we wouldn’t have had enough to continue.”
There were light moments at the final meeting … and a few tears – along with gifts and two standing ovations for Noll. Scouts received their 2015-16 awards, and Noll looked at past successes and activities. Flags collected by the troop over the years were retired in a solemn bonfire ceremony.
After a “campout” in the school gym and Mass the next morning, the troop inducted its final Eagle Scout, Nick Market, later in the day.
Brothers Adam and Matthew Kremer are among the Troop 368 Scouts who earned their Eagles under Noll’s guidance. Adam, now an engineering student at Purdue who remains a troop leader, said recently he will carry with him for the rest of his life the lessons he learned while in Troop 368.
“At the end of each meeting, before we recited the Scout Oath, Mr. Noll would give a ‘Scoutmaster’s Minute’ where he would share an experience or anecdote that related to Scouting and gave us something to think about,” Adam said. “Many of those short talks have stuck with me throughout the years. The central theme was that Scouting was not just an organization but a way of life. I have found that no matter where I am in life, I am still called to be Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.
“Mr. Noll also made it a point to share his faith with us. He encouraged us to earn religious emblems and shared his knowledge about the church with us at our meetings. Mr. Noll was not only our leader but an example to us as to how we could live out our faith and embody the spirit of Scouting.”
Noll is encouraged that his younger members have indicated they will continue in Scouting. He will become an assistant for Good Shepherd’s Troop 362 and said he looks forward to new experiences there. His 26 years as scoutmaster – not to mention 60 years overall – is rare. He said many scoutmasters last only 2-3 years. One online report said the average is 10.5 years.
Noll considers his service a payback for the men who mentored him when he was a Scout. “I was able to do things I never would have gotten to do otherwise. I learned how to camp, to have different kinds of experiences. I took a book-binding merit badge. Who would have learned book binding but through Scouting? Tying knots, which I’ve used all my life. And I’ve been called many times to administer first aid that I learned in Scouting.”
Noll remains positive as he leaves the troop to which he has been devoted for more than a quarter-century. “I’ve been involved in Scouting all my life,” he said. “I’ve never quit.”
