Our History:
Pocatello's Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd decided to charter a Boy Scout troop during the year 2000, and on May 9th of that year, Troop 395 came to be. The goal was to provide an outreach to young families with school-aged children. Troop 395 is proud and happy to be part of the ministry of Good Shepherd Lutheran to the Pocatello area community.
Bob Walsh, a local well-known scouter, was the main force behind getting Troop 395 off the ground. He met up with the pastoral staff of Good Shepherd, and he agreed to be the first Scoutmaster. The troop number, 395, was actually chosen. While the "3" represents the district in the Grand Teton Council in which Pocatello resides, the "95" is representative of the "95 theses" that Reformation agent Martin Luther nailed to the church-house door in Wittemburg, Germany, in 1517.
When Bob Walsh left for Provo, Utah, in 2003, a search committee looked high and low for a new Scoutmaster. They found him in Captain Ed Gygli of the Idaho State Police. While Ed only made it to Tenderfoot scout when he was a boy, he found in Scouting a solution to the problems with youth he saw as a law enforcement officer. Ed served with distinction, helping Troop 395 become known as the "go-to" troop whenever service was needed. Ed also served the greater Grand Teton Council members on the National Youth Leadership Training course, locally known as "Cedar Badge." Grand Teton Council selected him to represent all the Grand Teton Council Scoutmasters at the national meeting in the summer of 2004. For all that he gave to Scouting, Ed was honored with the Silver Beaver Award in 2005. Ed stepped down from the job of Scoutmastering in October 2005. He has continued to serve Scouting when he can, both in the Cedar Badge program, and, in 2007 and 2010, as the Jamboral Chairman.
Troop 395 has also been blessed with a participating and active Troop Committee, and proves that involved parents make Scouting succeed.
As a "community troop," Troop 395 accepts all boys who want to learn and follow the Scout Oath and Law without respect to race, color, or creed. In fact, many members of the Troop belong to other churches in the area.
Troop 395 Scouts have participated in the 2005 and 2010 National Jamborees, the 2007 World Jamboree, and Philmont expeditions. We look forward to a second century of duty to God, country, our fellow man, and ourselves. Troop 395 continues to plan a balance of fun, adventure, and service to build boys into the kind of capable young men America will need in the future.