It’s safe to say that the residents of Seadrift, Texas look forward to the Boy Scout Troop #106 Annual BBQ all year long! I had never attended the fundraiser, but I’ve heard about it from numerous people; everyone says the barbecue is superb! The idea to host a barbecue as a fundraiser was originated in 1974 by then Scoutmaster, Pete Hall and Assistant Scoutmaster, George Andrus. At that time, the Troop sold each plate at $2.00 and a cake went for as high as $11.00. George remembers that a man sitting next to him could not believe someone would buy a cake for $11.00! “At that first event we raised about $1,110. This annual event came to be how the Troop was financed,” said Andrus. “All of the money goes back to the boys, either directly or indirectly.” Over the last 37 years, the Troop has been able to remodel the Scout Hall which was originally built in 1951, pay for annual insurance, yearly maintenance, camp outings, meals and part of each Scout’s summer camp fees. The cost for one Scout to attend summer camp is almost $200.00. This year the Troop plans to go to Boy Scout Camp Karankawa in Mathis. They hope to pay for as much as $150.00 of each Scout’s fees with the money they raised at the barbecue.

Back row: Committee Chair - George Andrus; Joseph Mendez; Chris Vasquez; Marcus Carabajal; Joe Aguilar; Hunter Cady; Assistant Scout Master and Cub Master - Fred Mendez. Front row: Unit Commissioner - Ralph Belter; Caleb Aguilar; Felix Ruelas; Collin Carabajal; Fernie Mendez; Justice Cunningham; Joseph Mayorga; Scout Master - Patrick Henley.

Volunteers and Troop leaders worked the night prior and all day to prepare the barbecue dinner consisting of 850 lbs. of brisket, 80 lbs. of beans and other sides. They sold about 625 meal tickets, which is average. Andrus says that they have served as low as 600 and as many as 900 people. George, now Committee Chairman said, “Many people that help don’t have any kids in the Boy Scout troop; neither I, nor Ralph Belter, nor does Patrick Henley.” George moved to Seadrift in 1966 and taught at the school. As a school teacher, it helped him to involved in the local Scout troop as they shared many of the same interests. “The Scout Troop will be 70 years old in November of this year. It was started one month before Pearl Harbor,” he said. “I like to think of it like this; we take good boys and keep ‘em good.”
BBQ Fundraiser originator Pete Hall was Scoutmaster from 1974 to 1991. Patrick Henley, the current Scoutmaster, has served in that position since 1995. Fred Mendez is the Assistant Scoutmaster and was the lead in cooking the barbeque. “Fred stayed up all night barbecuing and he’s still here. Tanya Cady, whose son Hunter received his Eagle award in December,  was a great help in the kitchen along with members of the Seadrift Lions Club and Troop Committee member Mary Kay Belter,” District Committee member and Unit Commissioner, Ralph Belter said. “This receives tremendous support from our community. We begin planning this event two months in advance, but remember many of us have been doing this for over 30 years, so we have a system down.” Ralph was a Boy Scout for 11 plus years in his hometown of Wichita Falls, where he was an Eagle Scout.  He also volunteered in a troop in Washington D.C. area.
Towards the end of the evening, Fred Mendez was still helping run the show surrounded by several Scouts, plus bidding on various different desserts. Fred’s son, Joseph Christopher Mendez, was recently awarded the ranking of Eagle Scout on January 22 in Seadrift. Brother Fernie Mendez is also a Boy Scout and hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps. It is easy to see the common bond all of these boys and men share alike: the great outdoors, leadership and fun.
There are 15 boys in Troop #106 today and 10 boys in the Cub Pack. Ages range from as young as 8 years old to 17. George reports that is an unusually low number for the Seadrift Troop #106. Recently the Scouts had a 2-night camp out at the Lane and participated in the Crab Trap Cleanup.
In my research I found on the Scouting.org site: Since 1910, Scouting has helped mold the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes and, through nearly a century of experience, understands that helping youth puts us on a path toward a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.
The fundraiser ended with the now famous, Cake Walk which had about 50 items ranging from cherry cheesecakes, biscotti, Italian crème cakes to crocheted animals and other crafts. As the bidding wars began, auctioneer, Mark Daigle started the bid off at $20. Several items went for quite a bit of money and I’m sure the gentleman from 1974 would not believe his ears. “I got 50, now I got 60… now looking for 80, I need 80…” boomed Marks voice. Several moments and bids passed; finally a punch bowl cake generously donated by Nan Burnett went for $170.00! Two hours later, the night came to a close as local businesses, non-profits and several individuals walked away with a number of mouth-watering sweets.
Special thanks to the entire town, businesses and volunteers from Boy Scout Troop #106. I hope to see you at next year’s barbecue; I’ll be the girl in the front, taking pictures and with chocolate all over her face. Till next time!

Justice Cunningham walks around enticing the crowd with one of the delicious treats that were donated by community members.