Troop 41 was started in 1946 by a Sunday School class of World War II veterans at Immanuel Baptist. The troop began to take shape a few years later when Scoutmaster E.B. Sparks took the reigns in 1953; by the end of his decade as Scoutmaster, the troop had grown to be one of the largest in Central Kentucky and had awarded its first 18 Eagle Scout ranks.

Significant changes in the BSA program led to membership declines nationwide in the 1970s, and Troop 41 was not immune to those changes. However, the troop remained active throughout the 1970s-1990s and some troop traditions like backpacking the Mischa Mokwa and attending summer camp at Camp McKee (Montgomery County, KY) took root. The troop celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1996 and routinely met in the basement floor of the CLC (Christian Life Center) of Immanuel Baptist; that level of the building was a functioning rollerskating rink but provided a very large storage space for the troop’s equipment cache, which had grown considerably over the prior 50 years.

Troop 41 underwent a hard reset in the winter of 1997-1998. Membership troubles in the mid-1990s left the troop with only a handful of boys, all of whom were about to either age out or drop out of Scouting. A group of experienced Scout leaders at Immanuel Baptist recruited Assistant Scoutmaster Gene Olson from Troop 13 (Maxwell Street Presbyterian) to begin rebuilding the troop. Chairman Jerry Sublette, Chartered Organization Representative John Culler, and new Scoutmaster Gene Olson set out to construct essentially an entirely new troop, but it was a troop that had the advantage of 50 years of institutional support and equipment.

Membership skyrocketed over the subsequent year, growing from only four boys to three full patrols. With those recruits came a litany of committed adult volunteers including Dan Holt, Richard Powers, Jim Burnside, Bill Silvia, and Mark Eclov. The troop grew to such a size that it quickly relocated to the main building of Immanuel Baptist, meeting in what was then called “Old Fellowship Hall” and building an adjacent troop equipment room that was used over the subsequent 30+ years.

Retention rates among the youth were initially quite low, but by 2003 the troop had developed a system of retaining new Scouts (usually led by Holt, Burnside, and Charlie Ballman) while challenging the older youth with outdoor adventures (usually led by Olson, Culler, Silvia, and John Cook) and using the talents of the troop committee (Sublette, Marilyn Cook, and Karen Ballman) to keep everything organized, equipped, and funded. By 2005, the troop had a full cohort of 6-7 patrols at any given time and was going on High Adventure trips each summer. Meetings shifted from Old Fellowship Hall to the much larger New Fellowship Hall in the same part of the main building. The Blue Grass Council typically hosted council business meetings and the annual Eagle Banquet in this same room, while the local District (initially Thoroughbred District, then Palisades District) used the room for their monthly Roundtables. Immanuel’s campus became an epicenter for Scouting activity in Kentucky, particularly as it held the District’s Cub Scout Day Camp (led by Troop 41’s own Dan Holt) during many of those summers.

During this time, Troop 41 was characterized by high membership (usually rechartering more than 50 youth members each year), a vibrant outdoor program (12-14 campouts per year, plus summer camp and High Adventure), and a cohort of highly committed adult volunteers that included at least eight Wood Badge-trained leaders at any given time. Early in this period the troop transitioned its summer camp program from Camp McKee to Camp Crooked Creek (Shepherdsville, KY) to accommodate its large size.

The BSA’s Centennial year witnessed Troop 41 award a record 9 Eagle Scout ranks during 2010. This was also a period when the troop was so large and full of expertise that the troop routinely ran its own annual Merit Badge Fair, its own New Scout Program at summer camp, and sent multiple crews on the annual High Adventure trip.

Arrowmen of Distinction

Year(s)	Alumnus	Office / Honorific
2010	Charlie Ballman III	Vigil Honor
2012	Charlie Ballman II	Vigil Honor
2015	JD Carruthers	Vigil Honor
2018	Mandie Ballman	Vigil Honor
2024	John Andrew Segebarth	National Vice Chief

Summer Camp Staff

Year	Alumnus	Camp – Position
2007	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2008	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2009	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2010	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2011	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2013	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2015	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2016	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2017	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2018	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2019	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2020	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2021	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2022	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2023	Mandie Ballman	McKee –
2024	Mandie Ballman	McKee –

Crossover Year	Patrol	Notes
2024	Vipers
2023	Tigers
2022	Blackhawks
2021	Pythons
2020	Patriots
2019	Owls
2018	Blue Phoenix
2017	Wolves
2016	Honey Badgers
2015	Falcons
2014	Blue Dragons
2013	Mini Bears
2012	Pink Panthers
2011	Hawks
2010	Indians
2009	Cobras
2008	Vikings
2007	Wolverines
2006	Ravens
2005
2004	Pedros	7 Eagles
2004	Duck Tape	9 Eagles
2003
2002
2001
2001	Flaming Arrows
2000	Dragons
2000	Bears	2 Eagles
1999	Wolves	3 Eagles
1999	Cobras	1 Eagle
1998	Screaming Eagles	7 Eagles

Eagle No.	Year	Eagle Scout	Patrol
1	1953	Wesley Roberts
2	1956	Dicky Hodgetts
3	1956	Tiffy Wilson
4	1958	David Williamson
5	1958	Billy G. Jones
6	1960	Jimmy Jones
7	1960	Charles Weaver
8	1960	Dean Wilson
9	1960	David Sparks
10	1960	Lee H. Townsend
11	1961	David Snider
12	1961	Clyde Honaker
13	1961	Forrest Mercer, Jr.
14	1961	Joe B. Smith
15	1961	John Anderson
16	1962	Richard Sparks
17	1962	Bill Harshbarger
18	1962	Mike Moore
19	1964	Mike Martello
20	1965	Barry Eldridge
21	1965	Tony Elam
22	1965	Steve Yonts
23	1966	John H. Sparks
24	1967	Kenny Noland
25	1968	Jim Bob Satterwhite
26	1968	Tommy Hardigree
27	1968	Rusty Hopkins
28	1968	Mark Hopkins
29	1968	John Culler	Pine Tree
30	1969	Edward Hayman
31	1969	Glen Hoskins
32	1969	Danny Vantreese
33	1969	Kevin Martello
34	1969	J.R. Whilhite
35	1969	David Culler
36	1971	Paul Culler
37	1971	Daniel Elam
38	1971	Michael Banks
39	1972	Mike Haggard
40	1973	Tom Litton
41	1974	Paul Miller
42	1974	Mark Hyde
43	1974	Dan Hardigree
44	1975	Mark Sisk
45	1975	Randy Logan
46	1975	Jere Butcher
47	1975	Jeff Wallace
48	1976	Jeff Story
49	1980	James R Whitmer
50	1983	Joel Satterly
51	1984	James Haggard
52	1985	David Tulloch
53	1985	David Hibbard
54	1987	Phillip Cathy
55	1988	Dale Sparks
56	1989	Franklin Vaugn III
57	1994	William Travis Ewton
58	1994	Thomas Scott Roberts
59	1995	Matthew Sublette
60	1995	Stephen Culler
61	1997	Jamie L. Ewton
62	1998	Justin J. Stroud
63	1998	Michael W. Culler
64	1999	Kelly C. Gess
65	2001	James Barlow	Screaming Eagles
66	2002	Sugarbritches	Screaming Eagles
67	2002	Paul Bennett	Screaming Eagles
68	2003	Brent Burnside	Wolves
69	2003	Alex Silvia	Wolves
70	2003	Matt Wade	Screaming Eagles
71	2004	Nathan Underwood	Screaming Eagles
72	2004	Drew Eclov	Wolves
73	2005	Andy Holt	Screaming Eagles
74	2005	Robert Jones	Bears
75	2005	Nash Cox	Screaming Eagles
76	2005	Zachariah Claytor
77	2006	Sam Staggs	Beavers
78	2006	James Cook	Bears
79	2006	Eric Burnside	Dragons
80	2006	Richard Wharton	Cobras
81	2007	Thomas Claggett	Pedros
82	2007	Matthew Beegle	Pedros
83	2007	Michael Patrick Toll
84	2008	Adam Kidd
85	2008	Charlie Ballman II	Flaming Arrows
86	2008	Matt Kirk	Pedros
87	2008	Ryan DeMuth	Duct Tape
88	2008	Patrick Dahlstrom
89	2008	Taylor Beegle	Pedros
90	2008	Richard Stephan
91	2009	Christian Merkel	Duck Tape
92	2010	Thomas Cook	Duck Tape
93	2010	Zach West	Duck Tape
94	2010	Austin DeMuth
95	2010	Cameron McCoig	Pedros
96	2010	Will Bryant	Duck Tape
97	2010	Josh West	Duck Tape
98	2010	Sam Bryant	Duck Tape
99	2010	Sam Claggett	Pedros
100	2010	Joseph Claggett	Pedros
101	2011	Arti Vula	Pedros
102	2011	Eli Jackson	Pedros
103	2012	Benjamin Whitmer
104	2012	Michael McFadden
105	2012	Paul Young
106	2013	Ty Greer
107	2013	Patrick Merkel	Wolverines
108	2013	Matthew Vassil
109	2013	Eric Ash	Vikings
110	2013	Ben Gardner
111	2014	Thomas Gilbert
112	2014	Austin Applegate
113	2015	Patrick Dome	Wolverines
114	2015	Spencer Horman
115	2015	Johnathan Sales	Indians
116	2015	John Gosper
117	2015	Evan Kinniard	Hawks
118	2016	Benjamin Lindemuth	Indians
119	2016	Andrew Lin	Indians
120	2016	Tommy Gardner
121	2016	Michael Dickson
122	2016	John Christian Helm	Indians
123	2016	Dawson Spraggins
124	2016	Alex Ryssemus	Cobras
125	2016	Jason Burke	Indians
126	2016	Thomas Priest	Indians
127	2017	Michael Sproull	Hawks
128	2017	Blake Stacy
129	2017	Joseph Lindemuth	Pink Panthers
130	2017	David Carruthers	Indians
131	2017	Brennan Johnson	Indians
132	2017	Ryan Dome	Hawks
133	2017	Benjamin Horman
134	2017	Kevin Ensor
135	2017	Thomas Ensor
136	2018	Matthew Lin
137	2019	Sam Charas
138	2019	Danny Gardner
139	2019	Elijah Cardona
140	2019	Kane Jackson
141	2020	Aaron Helm
142	2020	Aidan Isaac
143	2020	Liam Snyder
144	2020	Andy McCleese
145	2020	Alex Nichols
146	2020	John Andrew Segebarth
147	2021	Benjamin Lin
148	2021	Connor Stewart
149	2021	Eli Horman
150	2021	Cameron Schilffarth
151	2021	Nathan Foster
152	2021	Ralph Bright
153	2022	Isaac Gawlik
154	2022	T.J. Nichols
155	2022	Michael Rushing
156	2022	Logan Dievert
157	2023	Luke Sylvester
158	2023	Michael Mungillo
159	2023	Isaac Ammerman
160	2024	Broox Golden
161	2024	David Lin
162	2024	Kyle McCleese
163	2024	Nathan M.
164	2024	Chris Barreiro
165	2024	Andrew G.
166	2024	Michael Brown

Leon McKinney (1946 – 1948)

[pending]

Lee Winn (1948 – 1949)

[pending]

William T Bond, Sr. (1949 – 1950)

[pending]

R.T. Ayers (1950 – 1951)

[pending]

Carroll Forston (1951 – 1953)

[pending]

E.B. Sparks (1953 – 1963)

An Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, Scoutmaster E.B. Sparks took Troop 41 to levels that wouldn’t be matched for more than 40 years. His tenure saw the first 18 Eagle Scouts of Troop 41’s history and a youth enrollment that was among the largest in Central Kentucky. He was awarded the Silver Beaver by the Blue Grass Council for his incredible commitment to Scouting in Lexington, but was also well-regarded for his work with the Kiwanis Club. All three of his sons earned Eagle with Troop 41.

Ken Leach (1963 – 1972)

[pending]

Weldon Hunt (1972 – 1975)

[pending]

Jim Whitmer, Sr. (1975 – 1976)

[pending]

John Roberts (1976 – 1981)

[pending]

Mike Wash, Sr. (1981 – 1984)

[pending]

David Sparks (1984 – 1992)

Troop 41 Eagle Scout (1960) and son of Scoutmaster E.B. Sparks, David followed in his father’s footsteps and led his alma mater for nearly a decade.

Jerry Sublette (1992 – 1995)

Jerry began his Scouting journey as a Cub Scout leader for his son, following through until he had the opportunity to serve as Scoutmaster of Troop 41 in the few years leading up to his son’s Eagle. Jerry’s indelible mark on the troop, though, came from his decades of service in guiding the Troop Committee, including the 1998 rebuild and through the tenures of more than eight Scoutmasters.

John Culler, III (1995 – 1998)

A Troop 41 Eagle (1968) and the eldest of three Troop 41 Eagle Scout brothers, John served as Scoutmaster in the middle of his very long tenure as a Troop 41 leader. During the first half of that tenure, he saw his two sons achieve Eagle. During the second half, he played a founding role in rebuilding the troop and fostering the backpacking program, being a fixture on almost every backpacking trek for the decade after he served as Scoutmaster. Both of his sons earned Eagle with Troop 41.

Gene Olson (1998 – 2005)

Troop 41 actively recruited Gene to rebuild the troop as Scoutmaster in the winter of 1997-1998. Gene had spent more than a decade as an Assistant Scoutmaster at Troop 13 (Maxwell Street Presbyterian) where he saw all three of his sons earn Eagle and he had also served as an advisor on three Philmont treks and three Northern Tier treks. Upon arriving at Troop 41, Gene’s Scoutmastership was characterized by an emphasis on outdoor scoutcraft, frequent backpacking trips, and high standards for the Scout uniform. He taught 12- and 13-year old boys how to function as SPLs in an extremely young but increasingly large troop and rekindled troop traditions (such as Mischa Mokwa) that had been lost during the rebuild. By the time he stepped down as Scoutmaster, Troop 41 had produced its first crop of Eagles since the rebuild, had completed a Philmont trek, and was routinely taking more than 40 boys to summer camp.

Jim Burnside (2005 – 2007)

No greater camp chef ever appeared under a Troop 41 dining fly than Jim Burnside. Starting as an Assistant Scoutmaster during the early days of the rebuild, Jim’s profound skill over a camp stove helped solidify the “No Dinty Moore” standard for cooking that produced hundreds of Troop 41 alumni that could cook quality meals for themselves and their families by early in their teenage years. Jim also broadened the troop’s exposure to watercraft programming, culminating in the 2002 Northern Tier canoe trek. Both of his sons earned Eagle with Troop 41.

John Cook (2007 – 2016)

Troop 41 achieved its statistical peak under the guidance of an engineer who turned the troop into a finely-tuned machine. Troop membership was at its highest during John’s tenure, High Adventure treks took place every single summer, and more than 35 youth achieved Eagle. John was instrumental in entrenching Philmont into the troop’s programming, starting with the 2004 trek and continuing through four more treks, several Rayado participants, and numerous alumni transitioning to work on Philmont staff during his term as Scoutmaster. Both of his sons earned Eagle with Troop 41.

Vince Helm (2016 – 2017)

[pending]

James Charas (2017 – 2021)

[pending]

Joe Madden (2021 – 2023)

[pending]

Kevin Coupal (2023 – Present)

Legacy in progress…

Wood Badge

Wood Badge Alumni

Name	Course	Course Year	Patrol
Judy Olson			Bob White
Gene Olson			Owl
John Culler			Owl
Dan Holt			Owl
Jim Burnside		2000	Antelope
John Cook		2000	Fox
Marilyn Cook		2000	Fox
Tonya Claytor			Bobwhite
Charlie Ballman	SR-649	2004	Bear
James Barlow	SR-649	2004	Eagle
Marilyn Cook	SR-649	2004	Staff
Hal McCoig	SR-649	2004
Richard Stephan
Karen Ballman	SR-870	2008	Bobwhite
James Barlow	SR-870	2008	Staff

2002 Boundary waters

The first Troop 41 High Adventure trip in many years. Two crews (lead advisors Jim Burnside and John Cook) traveled by church bus to Ely, MN. The trek was outfitted by Canadian Border Outfitters and the crews designed their individual itineraries upon arrival. Photo page for the 2002 Boundary Waters trek.

2003 Appalachian trail

One crew traveled by personal vehicles to Shenandoah National Park and completed a 50-mile backpacking trek. This served as a prep trip for the 2004 Philmont trek. Photo page for the 2003 Appalachian Trail trek.

2004 Philmont

Three crews traveled by church bus to Philmont. One crew (lead advisor Mike Toll) completed a South Country trek, while the other two crews (lead advisors Bill Silvia and John Cook) completed North Country treks. All three crews hiked in to Base Camp over Tooth Ridge. Photo page for the 2004 Philmont trek.

2006 boundary waters

Three crews (lead advisors Jim Burnside, John Cook, and Bill Silvia) traveled by church bus to Ely, MN. The trek was outfitted by Canadian Border Outfitters and the crews selected their individual itineraries upon arrival. Photo page for the 2006 Boundary Waters trek.

2007 Appalachian trail

Two crews traveled by personal vehicle to Shenandoah National Park. The crews hiked south-to-north starting at Swift Run Gap and finishing at Elkwallow Wayside. Photo page for the 2007 Appalachian Trail trek.

2008 Philmont

Two crews traveled by church bus to Philmont. Photo page for the 2008 Philmont trek.

2009 Boundary Waters

Three crews traveled by church bus to Ely, MN. The trek was outfitted by Canadian Border Outfitters and the crews selected their individual itineraries upon arrival. Photo page for the 2009 Boundary Waters trek.

2010 Appalachian trail

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2010 Appalachian Trail trek.

2011 philmont

Two crews flew to Philmont via Denver. Photo page for the 2011 Philmont trek.

2012 boundary waters

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2012 Boundary Waters trek.

2013 Appalachian trail

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2013 Appalachian Trail trek.

2014 Philmont

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2014 Philmont trek.

2015 boundary waters

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2015 Boundary Waters trek.

2016 land between the lakes

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2016 Land Between The Lakes trek.

2017 philmont

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2017 Philmont trek.

2018 boundary waters

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2018 Boundary Waters trek.

2019 isle royale

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2019 Isle Royale trek.

2020 [None]

2021 boundary waters

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2021 Boundary Waters trek.

2022 philmont

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2022 Philmont trek.

2023 ozarks

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2023 Ozarks trek.

2024 boundary waters

Summary pending. Photo page for the 2024 Boundary Waters trek.

2025 philmont

Summary pending. Photo page for 2025 Philmont trek.

2026 summit bechtel

[pending]

Individual Treks

Participants

Year	Participant	Program
2007	James Cook	Philmont Rayado
2009	Christian Merkel	Philmont Rayado
2010	Thomas Cook	Philmont Rayado
2010	Eli Jackson	Philmont Rayado
2012	Mandie Ballman	Philmont Rayado
2014	Eric Ash	Philmont Rayado

High Adventure Base Staff

Staff Members

Year	Alumnus	Base – Position
2005	James Barlow	Philmont Backcountry: Clarks Fork
2006	James Barlow	Philmont Ranger
2008	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Trading Post
2008	James Cook	Philmont Ranger
2009	James Barlow	Philmont Ranger Trainer
2009	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Ranger
2009	James Cook	Philmont Ranger
2009	Greg Kyes	Philmont Ranger
2010	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Ranger
2010	James Cook	Philmont Mountain Trek Ranger
2011	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Backcountry: Rich Cabins
2011	James Cook	Philmont Ranger Trainer
2011	Thomas Cook	Philmont Ranger
2012	James Barlow	Philmont Ranger
2012	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Backcountry: Harlan
2012	Thomas Cook	Philmont Ranger
2012	Eli Jackson	Philmont Ranger
2013	Cameron McCoig	Sea Base
2013	Joe Claggett	Sea Base
2013	Sam Claggett	Sea Base
2013	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Backcountry: Sawmill
2013	Eli Jackson	Philmont Ranger
2014	Sam Claggett	Sea Base (summer) Sea Base (winter)
2014	Thomas Claggett	Philmont Backcountry: Miranda
2014	Eli Jackson	Philmont Ranger Trainer
2015	Austin Applegate	Philmont Ranger
2015	Eric Ash	Philmont Ranger
2015	Eli Jackson	Philmont Ranger Trainer
2016	Austin Applegate	Philmont Backcountry: Urraca
2016	Eric Ash	Philmont Ranger
2016	Eli Jackson	Philmont Ranger Trainer Philmont Autumn Adventure Guide Philmont Winter Adventure Guide
2017	Austin Applegate	Philmont Backcountry: Pueblano
2017	Eric Ash	Philmont Ranger
2017	Eli Jackson	Philmont: Logistics
2018	Austin Applegate	Philmont Backcountry: Rich Cabins
2019	Eric Ash	Philmont Ranger Trainer
2020	Austin Applegate	Philmont Camp Director: Rich Cabins
2024	Joseph Lindemuth	Philmont Ranger