About

BSA Troop 133, founded April 6, 1940, is the oldest unit chartered by Holt Community House. The Troop originally met in the home of it's first Scoutmaster, Cliff Hirschman, which it rapidly outgrew. For a number of years, the Troop met sporadically in the John Strange gymnasium, at the whim of the school trustee.

In 1958, someone discovered that the construction shed at the new Glendale Shopping Center had outlived its usefulness and was about to be torn down. Under the leadership of Ralph Brandt and Hugh Frey, steps were taken to have the building donated to us, then moved and installed in its present location. This was a monumental job. The building was so long it had to be cut in two to be moved. It was rolled down Kessler Boulevard to Olney, then, north on Olney, where the entire troop turned out to remove the mailboxes along the side of the street and replace them after the building passed. A concrete block foundation was laid at the new location, and the building was set in place and put back together. The move cost a great deal of money and effort, but with everyone pulling together, the job got done and the building has been our home ever since.

In the 1960’s, a new Scoutmaster, Jim Holt, came along to give extra stimulus to the camping program. Under Jim, we hiked on every campout where there was a trail that could be hiked. Jim was with us until his untimely death in 1971. On March 4, 1973, we dedicated our meeting place to him and renamed it the “James A. Holt Community House.”

In 1980, the passing of the Troops original Scoutmaster, Cliff Hirschman, we named one of the rooms the “J. Clifton Hirschman Room” in his honor.

Abbreviated from Troop 133 History

The Holt Community House is blessed to have business and civic leaders on our Board of Directors who serve actively in the community. Their guidance and leadership are an example to the youth and adult volunteers who participate in our programs throughout the year.