Judge Chris Altenbernd has been active with the Boy Scouts of America “forever,” he says, but this is his first time as Scoutmaster.

He leads Troop 100 at Academy Prep in Tampa, with help from Assistant Scoutmaster Rocky Milburn. The troop began last October with the 5th grade boys. This year, the core group will be in the 6th grade, and they will welcome in a new group of 5th graders.

So far, the troop has gone on three campouts, two hikes, and one week of sleep-away camp. They have participated in Sierra Club outings and visited Lake Park in North Tampa, Camp Brorein in Odessa, and Flaming Arrow Scout Reservation near Lake Wales.

The troop led the flag ceremony at Mayor Pam Iorio’s Economic Summit meeting, and again were the color guard at the investiture of Federal Judge Mary Stenson Scriven. On Saturday, they are going to Busch Gardens to meet with one of the head engineers and learn about the sorts of engineering projects one might do at a major amusement park and zoo.

“Since I was 21 years old, I have wanted to run an inner-city traditional Boy Scout troop,” says Judge Altenbernd. “This school gave me a great opportunity to run the kind of troop I’ve always wanted to run.”

Judge Altenbernd, who is the immediate past president of the Gulf Ridge Council, is looking for volunteers to help with the troop as they grow. He is looking for anyone interested in volunteering to help at their regular Wednesday afternoon meetings (3:30 to 5:00 pm at AP Tampa), with their off-campus outings, or to teach a particular merit badge.

The judge is also looking for a place where the boys can practice swimming. Right now, most of the group has advanced to the level of Second Class. In order to advance to First Class, each scout will need to swim 100 yards.

“The young men in Troop 100 are model scouts, and the troop has been a wonderful experience for them and for the adult leaders. If these scouts can stay in the troop through 8th grade, I think many of them will reach the highest rank—Eagle—and develop leadership skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.”