Port Jervis scouting rebounds, Pack 173 returns after pandemic pause

Why Pack 173's return matters

Port Jervis is rebuilding a piece of its youth infrastructure, and the comeback of Cub Scout Pack 173 is part of that reset. Troop 173 stayed active through the disruption, but the younger pack paused during the pandemic, leaving local families to look beyond the city for age-appropriate scouting, including trips to Milford, Pennsylvania.

That local gap matters because scouting offers something many families keep searching for after school, on weekends and over the summer: a steady, structured place where kids can stay busy, learn skills and build friendships without waiting for a sports season to open. In a small city, that kind of continuity is more than a convenience. It is one of the few dependable ways to keep young people connected to one another and to the community around them.

A welcome sign at the open house

A recent open house for parents and scouts showed that the revival is not being treated like a dry recruitment drive. Leaders from the Greater Hudson Valley Council of Scouting America paired the gathering with hot dogs cooked over a fire, a simple but effective reminder that scouting still relies on hands-on activity, shared routines and a sense of fun.

That kind of event matters because it lowers the barrier for families who may be looking for something familiar but practical. It also signals that Pack 173 is not trying to recreate the past as a museum piece. The focus is on making the program feel welcoming, active and ready for new children to step in.

The home base on Sussex Street

Pack 173 and Troop 173 are sponsored by First Presbyterian & Reformed Church, which provides meeting space in its fellowship hall at 60 Sussex Street in Port Jervis. That local base is a big part of the story. Youth programs last when a place, a leader and a schedule all hold together, and the church is helping provide that framework.

For families, the location is a practical advantage. A program rooted in the city is easier to reach, easier to sustain and more likely to become part of weekly family life. It also keeps the money, attention and volunteer energy flowing through Port Jervis rather than sending younger children across the county line for something they should be able to find at home.

A legacy that still shapes the present

The current rebound carries emotional weight because Port Jervis has already produced a scouting legacy worth remembering. Mid Hudson News noted the late Marion Rohner, one of Pack 173’s den mothers, served 43 years and received Guinness World Record recognition in 2001 as the world’s longest-serving den mother. That kind of longevity is rare in any volunteer role, and it gives the modern pack a direct line back to a time when local adults were building enduring traditions one den meeting at a time.

Guinness World Records now lists Adele Trapp of the United States as the longest-serving den mother, with 53 years of service verified in 2010. The comparison is useful not because records are the point, but because they show how a youth program can become a lifetime commitment for the adults who sustain it. In Port Jervis, that history makes today’s revival feel less like a fresh start and more like a restoration.

What scouting offers now

Scouting America says Cub Scouts serves youth in kindergarten through fifth grade. Scouts BSA is for ages 11 to 17, and the organization welcomes boys and girls in its programs. That broader welcome is important for families who want something modern, inclusive and age-specific rather than the narrower scouting model many adults remember from decades ago.

The program also has a practical rhythm. Scouting America says troops typically meet once a week and may add service projects and outdoor experiences. That mix fits well in a place like Port Jervis, where kids can benefit from a steady weekly commitment but also need room for adventure, movement and visible community service. Leaders have also pointed to an upcoming nature scavenger hunt for cub scouts, another sign that the pack is building around active, hands-on programming rather than passive meetings.

Service is part of the lesson

Port Jervis scouting is not only about badges and campouts. Local scouts have also helped place flags on veterans’ graves and taken part in Memorial Day observances, including the May 25 ceremony at Orange Square Park. Those are the kinds of moments that connect children to the city’s civic life in a tangible way.

For young scouts, that service teaches that being part of a community means showing up for it. For parents, it shows that scouting can reinforce respect, responsibility and local memory at the same time it gives children something constructive to do. In a town that values its traditions, that combination still carries real weight.

A program rebuilt for local families

The return of Pack 173 gives Port Jervis families a closer, more flexible option for youth development, and it does so with a model that fits modern expectations. The program reaches both younger children and older youth, meets in a church hall in the heart of the city, and keeps service, outdoor activity and leadership at the center of the experience.

That is why the comeback matters beyond the scouting circle. It restores a place where Port Jervis children can gather regularly, learn from adults they know and stay rooted in the city after school, on weekends and during the long stretches when families need something steady.