I was at a gas station recently and bought some really tasty popcorn from a Cub Scout. Having been a Scout myself — Cub, Boy and Explorer — in my distant youth, I had to look into the history of scouting here.

I had no idea that Webster City hosted one of the first troops in the nation. I did know that Murray McMurray was a scoutmaster, having profiled him in an Our Neighborhood article and I’ve watched the movie “Follow Me Boys,” a Hollywood version of McKinlay Kantor’s book.

It was time to do a little diggin’ in Our Neighborhood.

Glenn Olmstead was born in 1903 to parents George and Winifred (Stahl) Olmstead. Going to school in Webster City, along with his future wife, Velma Yungclas, Glenn was active in a variety of school-related activities. He enjoyed being a part of school plays and also was part of the football teams. The picture I’ve included of him in this article is when he was a sophomore with the nickname of Umpy.

Outside of school, in his early teen years, Glenn became part of the Boy Scouts of America troop here in Webster City. There are many articles in newspaper archives about Murray McMurray and what would later be known as Troop 17.

Scouting was a marvelous experience for these boys, with regular meetings that taught so much more than the outdoors. Teachers and administrators of the local schools praised the program for producing students with greater attention, better manners and all-around positive attitudes.

Let’s not forget the camping, fishing, physical exercise and regular tramps through the woods we would now refer to as hikes.

Competition was carefully emphasized in campfire building and other activities. A favorite was water boiling; the boys would each be given two matches to begin. Without partners, each would have to gather wood, build a fire and boil a coffee can full of soapy water until it overflowed the can. First to accomplish this was awarded a number of points. Each week the total points earned was reviewed at the weekly troop meeting and winners were given prizes, which might include scout uniform items or other camp necessities.

I remember my own Scout years with great fondness. I was in a troop in Minnesota that journeyed each summer for a week in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area along with an additional week at Camp Many Point in the northern part of the state. We didn’t sell popcorn back in those years; fundraising was all about Christmas trees and wreaths.

Glenn Olmstead earned his Eagle Scout award, the highest a scout could attain at that time, around 1917. I was unable to establish the exact date, but found references in later news articles to this time period. To me, this would make Glen rather remarkable; today, most Eagle Scouts achieve the award shortly before or after graduation from high school. Glenn would have been 14 at the time of his achievement.

Olmstead moved from Webster City after he married Velma; the couple had two sons, Donald and Russell, and lived in Des Moines and the surrounding area. In 1971 Glenn passed and became a resident of Our Neighborhood, followed by his beloved Velma in 1981.

Having achieved the rank of Life Scout (just below Eagle) myself, I fully admire and celebrate Glenn’s perseverance and tenacity. I went from Boy Scouts into a four-year enlistment in the U.S. Navy when I graduated from high school. When you see a scout, compliment them on their own achievement; it’s not as easy as it seems.

Our Neighborhood is a column by Michael Eckers focusing on the men and women whose presence populates Graceland Cemetery in Webster City.