Troop 103 celebrates its 100th year, (1924 – 2024), as a continuously chartered Boy Scout Scout Troop in Williamsburg since March 1924. Through all of the years helping to develop young Scouts into responsible young men, we have a little bit of history to tell. The following is a brief history of the last 100 years of the Troop.
An excellent example of the traditions of the Troop is in our Troop Flag. The original flag served the Troop well for over 40 years. In the Peninsula Council’s 50th anniversary article, dated 1968, the Troop flag had been to every National Jamboree since 1937 and had been on some 60 local campouts and area camporees. The flag had flown at the head of the Troop’s formation down Duke of Gloucester Street for various dignitaries to include Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, and the Lord Mayor of London. By 1968, the flag had 4 gold stars embroidered on it to honor 4 former members of the Troop that died in combat during World War II. Today it has an additional 2 stars embroidered for former Scouts lost during the Vietnam War.
In 1926, two years after the founding of Troop 103, President Calvin Coolidge, while on a visit to Williamsburg to celebrate the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the passage of the famous Virginia Resolutions of 1776, held a ceremony near the College of William and Mary to present a special set of colors to the Troop that included a Troop flag and a set of National colors. The colors were a gift from the Rotary Club of Williamsburg. Rev. H. E. Cromer, representing the Rotary Club, handed the colors to the President, who in turn, presented the National colors to Scout Sam Freeman, and the Troop colors to Scout Thorpe.
The original Troop flag was retired in 1965 and encased into a suitable frame and is now prominently displayed in the Scout Hallway, downstairs of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church (our current hosting organization).
The Troop functions as a traditional boy run and boy led Scout Troop practicing the Patrol Method in all activities. The Troop’s Committee, currently led by Chairman David Wunibald, is responsible for all facets of the Scouting program and primarily focuses on the administrative operations of the Troop. The Scoutmaster Corps led by Scoutmaster Don Reeves, handles the day-to-day operations and working directly with the Scouting Youth . A handful of Scoutmasters had the privilege to lead the Troop between 1924 to 1950. In 1950, when Jimmy Fuller became Scoutmaster, the Troop moved to the Williamsburg Methodist Church, which sat at the corner of Boundary and Duke of Gloucester Streets and Richmond Road. The Troop met in the church’s halls and was chartered at the time by the Williamsburg Jaycees until 1984. The Williamsburg United Methodist Church became the new chartered organization of the Troop in 1984 and served that role until July 2022. The church remains a host of the Troop today allowing the Troop to utilize spaces throughout the church to conduct meetings and activities in the program. Today the Troop is chartered by the Veterans Of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4639 located at 106 Jesters Ln, Williamsburg, VA. The current Commander of the VFW Post 4639 is Jeff Martin. The Chartered Organization Representative for the Troop is Michael McCall.
— James A. (Jimmy) Fuller —Before Mr. Fuller became the Scoutmaster of the Troop, he was a war hero during WWII. Stationed aboard a liberty ship that was torpedoed during the war, he used his skills as a championship swimmer from Vanderbilt University to survive and to help save three or four fellow seamen, that couldn’t swim that well, when the ship went down. As the ship sank, he managed to escape dressed only in his skivvy shorts and his 45-caliber pistol was the only thing he saved off the ship.
He was the Scoutmaster from 1950 to 1980. There was a one-and-a-half year period, as Scoutmaster that he switched places with the Troop Committee Chairman because he decided he had been Scoutmaster long enough. It didn’t work out, so he became Scoutmaster again. He was really the only Scoutmaster of the Troop for about 28 years but he was with the Troop for 30 years. In 1978, Mr. Fuller became sick due to emphysema and a host of other health problems. During that time, Mr. David L. Nunn became acting Scoutmaster from 1978 until 1980.
— David (Dave) L. Nunn —Mr. David Nunn became the Scoutmaster in 1980 after Mr. Fuller’s passing. Mr. Nunn would spend the next 24 years building the Troop into one of the finest in the State. During his tenure, his accomplishments included the following:
-
- He was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest award that may be presented by a local council.
- He was the first Scouter in the Commonwealth of Virginia to receive the George A. Meany Award, a national recognition approved by the AFL-CIO Executive Council.
- He was the first adult in the Troop to receive Vigil Honor from the Order of the Arrow.
- He received the Den Leader’s Award in 1976, earned his Wood Badge Beads in 1977, and received the Boy Scout Training Award in 1979 and the District Award of Merit in 1983 along with the Scouter’s Key Award and finally, he received the God and Service Award in 1994.
- He was awarded the Scoutmaster Award of Merit in 1987. At that time, he was recognized as one of the top 70 Scoutmasters in the country.
Along with the many things he accomplished with the Troop, he was very involved with Scouting at much higher levels. He was a member of the team that helped re-write the new Scout Handbook used during the late 20th century. He was also very involved in several of the National Jamborees during his tenure. His first three Jamborees, he was an Assistant Scoutmaster for the Council Contingent Troop and, in 1997 and 2001, he served as the Scoutmaster. In this capacity, he had approximately 300 people working for him. Mr. Nunn was very involved in the Scouting program and in 2004 was promoted to “Scoutmaster Emeritus” or Scoutmaster for Life of Troop 103. Mr. Nunn still lives in Williamsburg, attends special Troop events, and donates resources to the operation of the Troop to this day.
— James (Jimmy) C. Etchberger —Back when Mr. Nunn first became an Assistant Scoutmaster under Jimmy Fuller, one of his first tasks was to recruit one of the Troop’s Junior Assistant Scoutmasters into the role of Assistant Scoutmaster when he turned 18 years old. That was how Jimmy Etchberger became one of the Troop’s adult leaders in 1977 and after 27 years as an assistant, Jimmy Etchberger took over as the Scoutmaster of the Troop in 2004.
Jimmy Etchberger, having grown up in Williamsburg and having an older brother in the troop, joined Troop 103 in 1971. Following in his brother’s footsteps, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1974. They were the first set of brothers to both earn the rank of Eagle in the Troop. As mentioned above, first working as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster and then becoming an Assistant Scoutmaster in 1977, Jimmy had already completed all the required adult Scout leader training. Being very involved in the Scouting program, not only with the Troop, but also with the Council and District, Jimmy earned the Silver Beaver Award in 1985. Mr. Etchberger’s service continues to this day as a critical adult leader in the Troop serving as the Assistant Scoutmaster for Camping. Mr. Etchberger lives in the Williamsburg area and is a local business owner in the area.
— Dave Coppinger —At the start of the 2008 Scouting year, Dave Coppinger was appointed Scoutmaster of Troop 103. He became only the 4th Scoutmaster to serve in that capacity in the previous 60 years of Troop 103 prior to 2008. Dave Coppinger, himself an Eagle scout, followed his two sons into Troop 103 after having served as Committee Chair and later, Cub Master of Cub Scout Pack 103. Mr. Coppinger was called upon once again to serve as the Scoutmaster on 2016 after the departure of Doug Marty and his family from the Williamsburg area. Mr. Coppinger remains a vital adult leader in the Troop and the council to this day still serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster and senior mentor. Mr. Coppinger also lends his special talents to the Council’s Wood Badge Association during courses every 2 years and is a past Course Director of the Nationally accredited Wood Badge Course. Mr. Coppinger still lives in Williamsburg and is a local business owner.
— Doug Marty —In June of 2010, Doug Marty was appointed Scoutmaster of Troop 103 and served in this role up until August of 2016. Doug Marty bridged over into the Troop with his son from Cub Scout Pack 103 and also served as Cub Master of the pack for several years. Mr. Marty continued the troop’s tradition of committed leadership to the Scouts and members of Troop 103 during his tenure. Mr. Marty left the Williamsburg area with his wife in August 2016 to pursue a professional employment opportunity in his home state of Minnesota. Mr. Marty still resides in Minnesota but stays in contact on a regular basis with the Leaders and Scouts of Troop 103.
— Donald (Don) W. Reeves Jr. —
In January 2017, a newcomer to the Troop a few short years before, Don Reeves, was appointed to the position as Scoutmaster of the Troop. Don had served for several years as an Assistant Scoutmaster in the Troop, as well as a WEBELOS I & II Den Leader in Pack 103 during his son’s time as a Cub Scout. Don came to Williamsburg by way of the U.S. Army at Fort Eustis in 2010, where he retired in 2015. Don continues the legacy and traditions of Troop 103, fostered and practiced by those Scoutmasters before him. Through an unbelievable cast of Scout Leaders, Committee Members, and adult volunteers, the Troop is able to continue to provide a vibrant and traditional Scouting program that respects the founding principles and expectations of Scouting started by Lord Baden-Powell over a hundred years ago. Don earned the District Award of Merit in 2020 for his work with the District as the Roundtable Commissioner. Don is also a former Course Director of the Nationally accredited Wood Badge Course, 15-595-2023. Don is a Williamsburg resident and a civil servant working at Fort Eustis.
The Troop is very active throughout each year participating in a variety of activities that include monthly camping trips, community service projects, local high adventure trips, National high adventure trips, annual Summer Camps, conservation projects, long distance historic trips, Scout Sundays, Eagle projects, Courts of Honor, Ceremonies, and more, just to name a few.
Troop 103 has a strong history of Eagle Scouts. The Troop’s first Scout to earn the Eagle Scout rank was Robert “Ross” Cottingham. Mr. Fuller’s first Eagle Scout was Donald Dow in 1952. Under Mr. Fuller, 33 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle. During Mr. Nunn’s tenure, 103 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle. During Mr. Etchberger’s tenure, 29 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle. Under Mr. Coppinger’s two tours as Scoutmaster, 14 Scouts earned their Eagle rank. Under Doug Marty, another 22 Scouts earned their Eagle rank, and under Mr. Reeves’ short tenure thus far, 68 Scouts have earned the rank of Eagle Scout!
We are currently at 296 Eagle Scouts, at the end of January 2024, that have passed through the Scouting program in Troop 103 in the past 100 years!!! The best is yet to come!
