Since early in Seattle’s Scouting history there were a group of Asian American Scout troops and packs. These troops in Japantown, Chinatown, and on the east side of First Hill catered primarily to Japanese American and Chinese American youth. They were all numbered from Troop 50 to 59. Today two continue as 252 and 254.
This article describes them all, and also presents an introduction to troops that served Black youth. At the time it was called Boy Scouts, and now we call the troop program Scouts BSA and the organization Scouting America. In this article I refer to the program, organization, and movement as Scouting and the youth as Scouts.
Background and future of Seattle’s Asian American Scout troops
I am currently the Scoutmaster of Troop 252, and former Cubmaster of Pack 252, at Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple. I was a local historian before I was a Scout leader, so I have been filling gaps in local Scouting history on this website. There are links to those at the bottom of this article. One thing that caught my eye early on was our relationship to Troop 254 at Chinese Baptist Church (now Beacon Hill Church), and the similar number of famed Troop 53, which continued into the 2000s at Japanese Baptist Church.
I learned that there were even more troops, all related by the ancestry of the youth, numbered from 50 to 59. This is a brief introduction to each of them, based on information available in the contemporary Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Northwest Asian Weekly and Northwest Times. I also searched in Densho’s archives and of course done general web searches including newsletters. I also have access to a list of every Scout leader who received the Silver Beaver award in Seattle, the highest honor a local Scout council can give to an adult leader. So that is my foundation.
I know this is incomplete, and has errors. I expect to correct and expand it. So I would appreciate any additional information, and I encourage you to please share personal stories and any pointers to other sources. My email is on the top right of the site, and comments can be left on this page. I hope to expand the histories of troops that operated after World War Two (50, 251, 252, 53, 254, and 55) as resources become available. Additionally, I intended to add lists of Scoutmasters and Eagle Scouts as I find that information. Probably that means I will split some of the stories into new pages in the future.
Seattle’s Scouting numerology
For the first five years of Scouting in Seattle, 1910 to 1914, there were no troop numbers. Troops were described by the place they met. For example, there was the “Collins Field troop”. In early 1915 numbers were finally assigned, and newspapers used them interchangeably with the location the troops met or organization that sponsored them.
Over time, Seattle’s Boy Scouts of America council adjusted and updated the numbering system. This was due to growing numbers of troops as well as changes in the council boundaries as it expanded into new areas, even including Alaska, then split into smaller councils, and eventually began absorbing other councils again. If you’re familiar with Seattle’s bus systems, then you can think of the number system as similar to how two-digit buses stay in the central city, 9x are streetcars, 1xx buses go to south King County, 2xx buses go to East King County, etc. Like Metro, the Scout council divided into districts which had number ranges assigned.
Our period of interest starts in 1920. That’s when Seattle’s first Japanese American troop, Troop 53, formed. Coincidentally, Seattle apparently introduced three digit troop numbers in 1920, causing a shuffle in numbers. George Nakashima’s troop in Columbia City, for example, was renumbered from 35 to 205. From 1920 until incarceration of Japanese Americans in 1942, Seattle Council had three zones: single and double digits in Seattle proper; 1xx troop numbers in the one hundreds to the north; and 2xx numbers in the two hundreds to the south. I believe the Ship Canal, Lake Union, and Montlake Cut were the northern border. The southern border was north of Mount Baker and south of Yesler somewhere on the east. Below downtown, the border was probably Dearborn Street. Also, all troops in West Seattle were in the 200s.
Troop numbering led to the number 5x troops being on First Hill and the area between it and Beacon Hill. Because of discriminatory constraints on where non-white people could live in Seattle, this eventually led to almost all of the 5x troops chartered by Asian American religious organizations.
Today, those neighborhoods are part of the Duwamish District which covers Seattle south of the ship canal and bordering cities like Burien and Des Moines. That actually operates as part of the Seattle Territory, which goes all the way north to the county border. The districts were much smaller in the early decades. In 1933, Troop 55’s area was called the Renton Hill District, referring to the area around Trader Joes on the ridge east of First Hill. In 1936, 50s troops were in an area called the Lakeside District, managed by commissioner Ed O. Leigh. By 1940 the name of their area was the First Hill District, under district commissioner William Adams. That 1940 district had 11 troops, four Cub packs, and a Sea Scout unit. Almost all of those units were primarily Asian American.
This article presents the troops in numerical order. At the end I describe their start and end in a timeline.
Seattle Troop 50
Troop 50 met at the Maryknoll school at the corner of 16th and Jefferson from at least 1933 until 1942, then 1948 until about 1953.
The council reused troop numbers as units came and went. The earliest mention of a troop number 50 was in 1919. At that time it was a troop led by Scoutmaster W. P. Hathaway. They met at Interbay School which was at 16th Avenue West and West Barrett Street. This troop continued for at least a few years.
Later, the number was reused for a troop at Plymouth Congregational Church at Third and University in 1928. That group also continued for a few years, until about 1931.
The Maryknoll school was a Catholic school at 16th and Jefferson that began in 1920 as a kindergarten for children of Asian immigrants. Maryknoll is a Catholic mission from America aimed at countries outside of Europe and America, mostly Africa and Asia. Seattle was a new venture for Maryknoll, first of a series of churches and schools in the United States supporting youth of first generation immigrants from Asia. The Seattle school was mostly comprised of Japanese American youth, but also had Filipinx and Korean immigrant students.
Based on photographs in the Maryknoll collection at Densho, Maryknoll’s Boy Scout Troop 50 and Cub Scout Pack 50 formed by 1933. It was clearly after Plymouth’s final mention in 1931.
Per an interview with his sister Kajiko Hashisaki, Francis Bako Kinoshita was a patrol leader in Troop 50 around 1940.
The troop, and the entire school, shuttered after Japanese Americans were illegally sent to prison camps in 1942. Father Leopold Tibesar, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, tried to defend them to the press and government. Failing that, he traveled with them to Camp Harmony (current Puyallup fair grounds) and then the Minidoka prison camp in Idaho.
I expect that many of Seattle’s Scouts continued activity and advancement at Minidoka. One example is probably Roy Uenishi, who began attending the Maryknoll School in 1935. The Minidoka Irrigator reported on June 26, 1943 that he attained the rank of Star. It’s possible that he completed Tenderfoot through First Class in the prior year, but he at least knew of Scouting from Maryknoll.
After World War 2, pack and troop 50 restarted at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, the church that grew out of Maryknoll. It restarted in 1948 but did not last long. The entire church closed in 1953. Father Tibesar was in Japan after the war helping rebuild ministries there, and the congregation never truly reestablished itself.
[plaque on swedish was installed in 2013]
Troop 51 / 251
Troop 51 formed at St Peter’s Episcopal Parish at 16th and South King Street and met from about 1935 to 1942, then 1952 until the early 1970s as 251.
The number was previously used by a troop that started at the Summit School at Summit and East Union in about 1920. That building is now the private Northwest School. In early 1922 they moved to Broadway High under Scoutmaster and architect Arthur Loveless. The troop returned to Summit School in 1925.
Troop 51 has a few mentions with little details over the next decade, but by 1934 a troop with that number was meeting at Lincoln High School.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church arose from a group that began meeting in 1908. In 1932 they built their first church, located on King Street near 16th Avenue South.
Soon after, in 1934 or 1935 St. Peter’s formed a new Boy Scout troop numbered 51. The first mention appeared in a list of Scouts who attended summer camp at Camp Parsons that year, which included Troop 51’s George Fujimoto. Later that year he and Wataru Asaba attended the Sixteenth International Patrol Leader Convention, which took place at Aberdeen Junior High School.
I don’t have much information about Troop 51 yet, so I’ll dwell a moment on George Fujimoto. He was the son of Riichi Richard Fujimoto and Hisano Fujimoto, co-owners of Nara Company, a men’s clothing store (men’s furnishings) at 101 1st Avenue South in the Schwabacher Building. Fujimoto went on to study biology at Harvard. He was finishing his senior year in 1942 when his parents were sent to Camp Harmony at Puyallup and then the Minidoka prison camp. As his statement to Yuri Kochiyama attests, his family was left destitute, and racism caused his exclusion from admission to doctorate programs and then jobs. He has a brief Wikipedia page as the co-discoverer of the Fujimoto-Belleau reaction for creating steroids.
There’s a nice description of the troop in the late 1930s in an oral history interview with James Nishimura who said:
“No, I wasn’t [in martial arts,], but I was… St. Peter’s had a Boy Scout troop, and my older brother was a bugler, and they won awards in the parades, the municipal parades. The Troop 51 Drum and Bugle Corps, and it was a proud moment to see them marching down the streets of Seattle on, I think it was Fourth of July. But I was a good scout, I just became — you know, I was really not quite of age, but I remember going to scout meetings and going to Mercer Island for overnight trips, and going on, being taken on snipe hunts. I don’t know if kids today, if scouts today do things like that, but, yeah, they were happy memories. Yeah, to be a member of the scouts.”
In another interview, Shig Kaseguma described Troop 51 in the late 1930s. He was more interested in judo, but when Troop 51 formed his mother forced him to attend.
The troop resumed after parishioners returned from prison camps after World War Two. When it chartered again, the number changed to 251. It restarted by 1952 under Scoutmaster Paul Uno, and continued until at least 1970 based on newspaper articles.
The number 51 was used again for a troop at Chong Wa Benevolent Association in the 2010s. It was formed by Ryan Yee and Richard Huie.
After merging with Grand Columbia Council, there is now an unrelated Chief Seattle Council Troop 251 in Yakima.
The first Troop 52
The first Troop 52 that appeared in the Seattle Times met at the Pacific School, which was at 11th and Jefferson. That is currently part of Seattle University Park, SU’s baseball and track field. Troop 52 started by 1918.
In that troop, all of the Scouts were Black youth. The Scoutmaster was Nelson T. Fisher, the only Black man in Scout leadership in Seattle in this era that I know of.
Nelson’s son Harold T. Fisher got his photo in the Seattle P-I in 1920 for the “Junior P-I” insert’s cover photo about summer camp registration. I assume the photo is of him at Camp Parsons in 1919. He was one of the first 75 Boy Scouts at Parsons along with George Nakashima and Elmer Katayama. Harold was very active and mentioned often around 1920 in Scouting articles. As a young man he himself became scoutmaster of Troop 52.
Another name that appears frequently connected to Troop 52 is Presly Holliday, the troop’s scribe. He signed all of his dispatches to the Seattle P-I, which were printed every few weeks around 1920. He also became a patrol leader in 1923. Presly’s father was Presly (or Presley) Holliday, Sr, a member of the “Buffalo Soldier” 10th Cavalry which fought in the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba in 1898. “Buffalo Soldiers” were segregated units with Black soldiers created after the Civil War. Presley Sr’s letters to newspaper editors and US Presidents encouraging desegregation of the military have earned him enduring admiration that has spilled into the Internet. In particular he refuted Teddy Roosevelt’s account of Black soldiers during the war in Cuba. He earned a silver star 26 years after the fact. Rep. Warren Magnuson got him additional retirement help in his first year in Congress in 1937.
By 1932 Troop 52 disbanded — the Great Depression factored into that for sure. Maybe the troop’s parents didn’t have enough free time, or maybe key families left the area to find work. But also, starting in 1932 one of the Presley Hollidays was involved with leading Troop 23, a troop of Black youth sponsored by the Lewis Ford Post VFW Post 289, a segregated VFW for Black veterans. The troop was later sponsored by Elks lodge 109, a segregated lodge for Black Elks.
The second Troop 52 / 252
Troop 52, later Troop 252, started in 1932 briefly, restarted from 1940 to 1942, then restarted again in 1948 and is still operating.
In May 1932, the number Troop 52 was reused for a new troop at Seattle Buddhist Church. Per temple history Mukashi Mukashi, Bishop Masuyama, head of Buddhist Church of America, declared that each temple should start a Boy Scout troop and a Girl Scout or Camp Fire group. Seattle Buddhist Church’s troop only drew in 8 boys, probably from Troop 59 at Bailey Gatzert School. Tokuyoshi Kawasaki served as Scoutmaster, and Troop 52’s leaders observed Bailey Gatzert’s Troop 59 as a model. This first try at Troop 52 lasted only a few months, and the 8 boys then joined Troop 59.
Troop 52 formed again at Seattle Buddhist Church in 1940. Like other local Japanese American troops, Troop 52 ended when the Scouts and leaders were sent to Puyallup’s Camp Harmony and then the Minidoka prison camp in 1942. Any youth who continued must have been in the troop of Ted Takahashi, described here under Troop 56.
In April 1948, just a few years after the Japanese community returned to Seattle after imprisonment in Idaho, the troop formed again with a new number, 252. Leaders of the new troop included Reverend Matsunaga, Dr. Kazuto Harada, Fred Imanishi and Harry Kurimoto. Chief Seattle Council found a Scoutmaster for the troop, Charles Moore. Along with the troop, the temple chartered a Cub Scout Pack for the first time, which catered to younger boys. Shigeo Akada was the first Cubmaster.
The first Scouts in 1948 were Jack Ishida, Bob Kurimoto, Tom Miyata, and Thomas Matsumoto. Kurimoto was the troop’s first Eagle Scout in 1952 and also the first recipient on the west coast of the Sangha religious award for Buddhist Scouts. At that time the troop had grown to 39 Scouts. Later, Bob also served as an assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 252 as a young adult.
In 1954, Troop 252 expanded into Explorer Post 252. Explorer Scouts addressed 14 to 21 year olds, which kept Kurimoto and the older Scouts active. The post soon formed 252’s famous for the Drum and Bugle Corps. Drum and Bugle performances date back to much earlier eras of Scouting. For example, the Port Angeles Wolf Cubs were expert performers. And in the 1930s and ’40s, several of the number-50s troops put on drum and bugle performances and joined together to form the First Hill District Drum and Bugle Corps. During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the drum and bugle corps at Seattle Buddhist Church became a draw for every Japanese American young man. Many members of other troops were also in the 252 corps. In 1970 the represented Seattle at the Japan Expo, sending 135 Scouts and corps members.
Pack and Troop 252 is currently the last of the historically Japanese American Scouting units in Seattle. Community activities include annual support of Day of Remembrance event at the State Capitol, and two Memorial Day events with Nisei Veterans Committee.
Troop 252 Eagle Scouts
This list is a placeholder for later expansion. Please contact me if you are an Eagle Scout from any of the troops mentioned on this page with your troop and month plus year. If you know of an Asian American who received Eagle in the 1920s or 1930s in the Seattle area I would also appreciate a comment or email.
- Bob Kurimoto, November 1952 (“original member of Troop 252 organized four years ago”) – First 252 Eagle Scout
- Scott Oki, March 1963
- George Sakai, May 1963
- Brian Hata, June 1963
- Robert Mito, June 1964
- Paul Aoki, June 1964
- Scott Kyono, April 1967
- Richard Anzai, January 1970
- Dennis Miyauchi, January 1970
- Peter Adachi, June 1971
- Terry Hanada, June 1971
- Bryan Maruhashi, June 1971
- Ky Kuwahara, September 1973
- Dale Miyauchi, September 1973
- Sam Umeda, November 1973
- Alan Hoshino, November 1973
- Roger Fujita, January 1974
- Ray Terada, January 1974
- (73 as of 2008)
- Harrison Chinn, April 2011
- Russell Kato, April 2011
- Dan Sordetto, April 2011
- Taylan Yuasa, April 2011 (95 Eagles until this point)
- Trey Umeda, 2012
- Alex Sakamoto
- Jason Yokoyama
- Tegan Yuasa, September 2016
- Nathan Sheffield, June 2017
- Chase, June 2018
- Joshua McKinney, June 2018
- Samuel, June 2018
- Jacob, June 2018
- Brent Nakashima, June 2018
- Ichiro, June 2018
- Evan Kato
- A B, June 2023
Troop 252 Scoutmasters
Again, this is a placeholder for later expansion. Please contact me if you know of a Scoutmaster I’m missing from this or any troop 50-59 and 251-254, or if you yourself were the Scoutmaster. Please include the years that you know. Apologies if you know you’ve already told me.
- Charles Woods, 1938-1942
- Fred Yoshio “Yosh” Imanishi, 1948 to 1957
- Katsumi Isomura, 1958
- Mack Mori, 1959
- Tsu Kanzaki, 1960-1962
- Bob Kurimoto, 1963
- George Omura, 1964-1965
- Paul Sakaguchi, 1966-1971
- Kay Saito, 1972-1975
- George Yamamoto, 1976-1977
- Tomio Hamatani, 1978-1980
- Roy Ikegami, 1982-1987
- Dale Kaku, 1988-1997
- Doug Hanada, 1998+
- Alan Hoshino
- Gary Kato
- Sam Umeda, 2008
- Nelson Harano, to 2011
- Mark Yuasa, 2011 to 2018
- Corey Murata 2019 to 2023
Troop 252 recognized leaders
A number of Troop 252 leaders have received the Silver Beaver award, the top award given to adult leaders in Chief Seattle Council. Here are the leaders, with year of receipt and a biographical sketch.
- Harry M Kurimoto, 1960
Helped re-established Troop 252 in 1949. “Muneyuki Harry Kurimoto”
Harry was a gardener for King Street Station from 1917 until his retirement in 1967. He managed the famous “Station Master’s Garden” that was just south of the station. The garden was reduced when the Kingdome was built, and removed completely with the construction of Seahawks Stadium (Qwest Field then Lumen Field). Kurimoto served as district commissioner for the South East District at the time he received the Silver Beaver award.
- Ted T. Taniguchi, 1990
Taniguchi was awarded the Silver Beaver for 30 years of Scout leadership, including as Scoutmaster of Troop 252. Professionally, he was the Director of Pharmacy at UW Medical Center https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/bellevue-wa/theodore-taniguchi-11589746
- Thomas M. Kubota, 1991
Chief Seattle Council’s Seattle District annually give Thomas Kubota Award for District Service. This was previously given in the Duwamish District and Thunderbird District.
Kubota started with 252 as a youth and was a founding member of the famous Drum and Bugle Corps in 1954. As an adult leader, he energized leaders from other units and revitalized district leadership at a time that the former Thunderbird District was struggling.
- H. Dale Kaku, 1999
Dale Kaku received the Silver Beaver for district leadership activities like Thunderbird District Commissioner for two years and leading district popcorn sales for three years while he was also Scoutmaster of Troop 252. Soon after received the award, he took over as commander of the Nisei Veterans Committee, and is still involved in day to day affairs and events. In 2023 he received the Order of the Rising Sun by the government of Japan for his involvement in the Japanese American community and promoting friendship between the United States and Japan. Dale helped coordinate meeting space at NVC for Troop 252 after Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple’s fire on Jan 1, 2024.
- Scott Oki, 2003
Scott Oki earned Eagle Scout with Troop 252 in 1963, and was a member of Explorer Post 252 during the Drum & Bugle Corps era. He was an adult leader in a different troop, but I’ll take the liberty of listing him here. His accomplishments are frankly too long to list, and I invite you to read his Scouting America alumni page or watch his Seattle College profile. In 1996 he started Densho, one of my key resources for writing this article. Around the time he received the Silver Beaver, Oki founded the council’s Scoutreach program for underserved youth. He also earned the Silver Antelope award, which recognizes regional Scout leaders, in 2014. More recently he was on the National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America. Last year Scott Oki wrote a book about his life and values, titled On My Honor I will Do My Best. Another important act: Scott Oki created my first job out of college, and so my career.
- Alan Hoshino, 2005
Alan completed Eagle Scout with Troop 252 in 1973. He was active in district and council leadership as Scoutmaster in the 2000’s. Alan remains involved in temple leadership including executive director of the Wisteria View Housing retirement home. I rely on Alan’s advice and knowledge.
- Mark Yuasa, 2020
While Scoutmaster of Troop 252, Mark took leadership roles in Order of the Arrow. He started with the local T’Kope Kwiskwis Lodge and is now active with the National Committee. Mark is a journalist and avid fisherman. He wrote important articles touching on local Scouting events in the Seattle Times that I drew information from. Mark has mentored me as a Scoutmaster.
Troop 53, Seattle’s first Asian American Scout troop
Troop 53 formed in 1920, the progenitor of Seattle’s Asian American troops. It ended in 2009.
The first Scoutmaster of Troop 53 was Rex Strickland. The troop was formed together with Clarence Arai, UW student and George Nakashima classmate, who took over as Scoutmaster by 1923. He was a captain in the Army reserves, notably the first Japanese American in the reserves. He later played worked to create the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). In its first year, the troop met at least part of the time at the Central School. The troop had 13 Scouts in its first year, including George Tsukumo and Tadao Kimura.
The troop went dormant in the late 1920s and was restarted by Reverend Emery Andrews in 1930. It’s not clear to me if they knew each other at the time, but Reverend Andrews was a student at the UW at the same time as Clarence Arai. Reverend Andrews served as Scoutmaster until 1968, except the gap while the Scouts were at the Minidoka prison camp. However, Reverend Andrews moved his family to Minidoka and visited members of Japanese Baptist almost every day from 1942 to 1945.
After Reverend Andrews, Frank Nishimura took over as Scoutmaster and himself led the troop for 30 years, 1968 to 1998. Debbie Eng-Coe took over after Nishimura, and led the troop 11 years until its end in 2009.
Per the Seattle Times, February 1942 the following boys joined Troop 53: Tadashi Nakauchi, John Miyahara, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Sunichi Nakagawa, Frank Nakagawa, Edwin Sasaki, John Okamota, Junior Kurosaka, Shigeo Nezu, Fred Takemaka, Toshihisa [?], Katsumi Okamoto, Henry Karikoma, George Tanabe, Yukio Yamauchi and Hiashi [?]. (There are transcription errors in the article, so the question marks are my best guess at their names.) Just two weeks later Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt, and soon they were all sent to prison camps.
In 1956 the Seattle P-I described a special awards ceremony for leaders of Troop 53 for a total of 110 years of service to BSA. At the time, Reverend Andrews had 35 years, Clarence Arai 30 years, Grant Beppu 20 years, George Okada 15 years, and Howard Sakura 10 years. For Howard Sakura it must have included time leading Troop 56 in the 1920s as a youth, and again as a parent with Troop 53.
Troop 53 was active during the 1920s when local papers recorded every Scout trip. There is a rich history available in the papers. In the 1960s they were mentioned for interactions with Japanese troops, and for example attending the 1973 national jamboree. For 20 years leader Frank Nakano coordinated exchange trips between Troop 53 and troops in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan.
Part of the troop’s long tradition was an annual award ceremony with awards given to top Scout and top leader. For example, after Reverend “Andy”s death in 1976, the troop created the Reverend Emery E. Andrews Memorial Award for top Scouter (Scout leader) in the troop. That was given in 1977 to Scoutmaster Frank Nishimura, in 1978 to Hiro Hasegawa, and in 1979 to Hideo Hoshide. The Clarence T. Arai Award was given by the Scoutmaster to the top Scout. From 1968 to 1979 the recipients were in order: Gerald Miyazaki, Walter Campbell, Jon Nishimura, George Abe, Timothy Goon, David Tomita, Clifford Miyazaki, Matthew Shigihara, Jeff Yamane, Michael Nishimura, Howard Lee, David Kadekawa, and Carl Shibayama.
Troop 53 recognized leaders
A number of Troop 53 leaders have received Chief Seattle Council’s top award for Scout leaders, the Silver Beaver. Also, several of them are honored with awards named after them for annual leader awards.
- Rev Emery E. “Andy” Andrews, 1958
page 6 https://downloads.densho.org/ddr-pc-30/ddr-pc-30-11-mezzanine-23381c5757.pdf – quote of presentation
“It was the biggest thrill of my life!”
- Hideo Hoshide, 1970
Hideo Hoshide dinosaur award
Started as Scout leader in 1951. He recieved the Silver Beaver in 1970 after 19 years. That many years makes most people a dinosaur, but Mr. Hoshide volunteered with Scouting for many more decades. Outside of Scouting he volunteered for the Army from the Minidoka prison camp, and was assigned to the Military Intelligence Service in India and Burma. He was a founding member of the Nisei Veterans Committee in 1946, and served as Commander of the NVC in 1963.
- George Uchida, 1970
I’m not positive what George Uchida’s activities were in the district at the time he got the award. However, I believe it is related to his leadership of high adventure at Camp Sheppard in the 1960s, which continued in the 1970s. He was a mountain search and rescue trainer and leader, and was remembered in that capacity by Gary Locke: “He impacted thousands of scouters and search-and-rescue people who have never met him. And he touched hundreds of people who had the privilege of getting to know him.”
- Frank K Nishimura, 1971
Frank Nishimura, who went by “Mr. Nish”, was Scoutmaster of Troop 53 from 1968 to 1998. Among his best memories in Scouting were trips to Mt. Rainier, Mt. Fuji, and Philmont. Like Hideo Hoshide, Mr. Nishimura also volunteered for the Army from Minidoka. Each year in the Thunderbird District, then Duwamish District and now Seattle Territory, Frank Nishimura Award for Outstanding Scout Troop Leadership of the Year is awarded.
- Hiroshi Hasegawa, 1976
I don’t have details of his activities when he received the award. I had a brief chat with his son Senator Bob Hasegawa, who told me that Hiroshi was in Troop 53 in the 1930s. I note that there was a Hiroshi Hasegawa that joined (or rejoined?) Troop 53 in February 1942 per the Seattle Times. That was a month before Executive Order 9066.
- Kiyoo Yamamoto, 1978
Another leader that I don’t have details of his activities when he received the award. I know that he served in the MIS. Believe he was active with Troop 53.
- George Yamane, 1979
I also don’t have details of his activities when he received the award. George Yamane was an ASM in Troop 53. His son was Mark Yamane, a Troop 53 Eagle Scout who later volunteered for the Army and died serving in Grenada in 1981.
- Henry Ken Hayashi, 1985
I’m hoping to connect with Ken Yahashi soon. I’m not sure what his district or council contributions were in 1985. Until recently at least he was active in the Order of the Arrow, and received the national Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award in 2012, and the Silver Antelope regional award for Scout leaders in 2014.
- Janet Nakano, 1994
The Janet Nakano Award for Outstanding Cub Pack Leader of the Year was given in Thunderbird District, then Duwamish District when it merged with Aquila, and now Seattle Territory after it merged with Aurora. Janet Nakano was another leader from Pack and Troop 53. This award was created just after her death in 2018 and remembers her for her work not only with Pack 53, but with other packs in the district as well. Mrs. Nakano received the Silver Beaver in 1994, and was a proud recipient of both the Hideo Hoshide award and Thomas Kubota award.
- Debbie Eng-Coe, 1995
After receiving the Silver Beaver award, she was Scoutmaster of Troop 53 from 1998 to 2009. I haven’t found what her district or council activities were in the mid 90s.
- Dean Nishimura, 2000
I haven’t yet found out what Dean Nishimura’s activities were for the council around 2000.
Troop 54 / 254, Seattle’s oldest Asian American Scout troop
After the success of Troop 53 at Japanese Baptist Church, leaders of the Chinese Baptist Church at 8th and King started a troop as well. It formed in 1923 and is still a strong troop in 2025.
In 2023, Troop 2024 celebrated its one hundredth anniversary. To commemorate it, Brad Vanderburg created a fantastic video featuring former Washington State governor, US transportation secretary, and ambassador to China Gary Locke. I highly recommend pausing your reading or at least bookmarking the video and learning more about the troop from it.
Here’s a brief view of Troop 254’s history. The first Scoutmaster in 1923 was Locktin Eng. Eagle Scout Willard Jue, a student at the UW, took over in 1926 and led until at least 1951. Scoutmaster Jue was also active at the district and council level, according to news reports.
Troop 54 was renumbered 254 in the mid 1940s. The number 54 was reused at least once in the 1960s.
The veteran Scoutmaster of Troop 254 is Tim Louie.
Recognized adult leaders of 254
The following Troop 54/254 leaders received the Silver Beaver award for their significant contributions to Chief Seattle Council outside of the troop.
- Ryan Yee, 2009
Scouts in Troop 254 use uncle when they talk about their leaders. Uncle Ryan remains active in troop leadership, as well as helping leaders of other troops and Seattle Territory leadership. For many years Uncle Ryan was a leader of Thunderbird District including organizing yearly Camporees and events at Seward Park. As mentioned briefly under Troop 51, Uncle Ryan also formed a troop with community leader Richard Huie in the early 2010s chartered by Chong Wa Benevolent Association. He has also connected 254 Eagle Scout candidates with a series of projects at the Danny Woo Community Garden. He was a tremendous help for me when I held a Cub Scout day camp in 2019, and I continue to rely on him.
- Sam Eng, 2015 and “North Star Award” 2012
Chief Seattle Council prepared a video for Uncle Eng’s receipt of the North Star Award in 2012, which you can watch online. He was on staff for the first summer of Camp Omache and 1957, and in 2012 was recognized for his continued contributions to Scout camps. He designed the current campfire bowls at Camp Parsons and Camp Pigott that I myself enjoyed. For a more thorough profile, read the national Order of the Arrow article Sam Eng: A Lifetime of Scouting.
Troop 55
Started in 1924, Troop 55 met at the Japanese Methodist Church at 14th and Washington. That church site is currently part of Bailey Gatzert Elementary School’s grounds. In 1956 the church was renamed Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, and in 1962 it moved to Beacon Hill. I almost overlapped with this unit. In 2019 I ran a summer camp for Cub Scouts, and the contact list I received included Pack 55 although their charter had just lapsed.
In 1935 the Scoutmaster was Jack Uchida.
According to the Seattle Times, in February 1942 the following boys joined Troop 55: Takeshi Tada, Arthur Yoyozu, Arthur Tanaka, Shoji Nagamatsu, Takeshi Tada, Raymond Hikida, Thomas Tsutakama, Bobby Tsutakawa, Shigeru Kozu, Arthur Yoshisuka, and Bobby Yasunoba.
The troop did not restart until 1958, long after families returned from Minidoka and other prison camps. For some time the Scoutmaster was Jim Akutsu (the model for No No Boy), who had a long history of working to invigorate and inspire youth. He did that in the prison camps as a young man, at McNeil Island, and then after World War Two at Seattle and Tacoma area churches. The renewed troop awarded its first Eagle to Roderick Yasuda in 1967. Akutsu was probably Scoutmaster soon after that, when his son entered the troop.
Troop 55 continued until at least 1984. Pack 55 was still recently chartered when I tried to reach out to Cub Scout leaders in 2019 to advertise my summer day camp.
Recognized adult leaders of Troop 55
- George Y. Watanabe, 1983
I don’t have details of George Watanabe’s activities when he received the award. Perhaps a coincidence, his granddaughter goes by “Scout”.
- Kazuo Kobayashi, 1985
I don’t have details of Kazuo Kobayashi’s activities when he received the award. I believe he was a leader in Troop 55. His funeral in 2002 funeral was at Blaine Memorial.
Troop 56
A new troop at Japanese Presbyterian Church began in 1927. They met at JPresby’s church at 9th and Weller.
A troop number 56 existed prior to 1920, when it combined with Troop 37 and became Troop 63. I’m not sure where they met, but I suspect the new number reflected that they were not in the First Hill and Central District area.
Scoutmaster (Charles) Theodore Takahashi started the troop. Later he was commissioner of all Scout activities in the Minidoka prison camp during World War Two, including troops, packs, and any special units. Despite his Scout values, after World War Two he was targeted as anti-American and ‘regarded as the “number 1 objectionable Japanese”‘ according to a United States government intelligence document. The import-export company he started in 1926, C. T. Takahashi & Co, still operates in Seattle and Tokyo.
One of the assistant Scoutmasters that helped found Troop 56 was Howard “Chip” Sakura, a 17 year old Eagle Scout from Troop 263. Sakura was the younger brother of Seattle’s first Asian American Eagle Scout, Chet Sakura, who I mentioned in my article about George Nakashima.
The troop at JPresby ended by 1934, when a Japanese-American Courier article (page 4) listed active Japanese American troops: 51 at St. Peters, 53 at Japanese Baptist, 55 at Japanese Methodist, and 59 at Bailey Gatzert. Those same units were listed in 1938.
Troop 57
This was not one of Seattle’s Asian American Scout troops. It formed by 1919, before the first Japanese American troop did at Japanese Baptist in 1920. So this troop picked up the number based on location.
Troop 57 met at the Rainier School at 23rd and Lane Street. That site is currently the Seattle Central College Woodworking school.
The Scoutmaster of Troop 27 was Claude Ritchie for 36 years according to his obituary, so the troop must have been around until at least about 1955. Newspaper articles describing Troop 57’s activities did not mention any Japanese names until Elmer Katayama, who I wrote about a few years ago, joined in 1922.
I did not spot any other Japanese Americans after Elmer through the final newspaper mention of the troop in 1941. That simply means that there wasn’t a significant Asian American presence, not that Elmer was the only one.
Troop 58
This also was not one of Seattle’s Asian American Scout troops.
There are occasional mentions of a Troop 58 starting in 1920, but it is not clear to me if there were several different troops over time. No articles included Asian names. Newspapers reported that at least starting in 1934, Troop 58 met at the First M.E. Church at 5th and Marion. The last mention of Troop 58 was in 1938.
Troop 59
Troop 59 started by 1935 and lasted until 1942.
An earlier Troop 59 was sponsored by a fire station in 1924.
Troop 59 was a Japanese American troop that met at Bailey Gatzert School. The school was at 12th and Weller and sponsored by American Legion Seattle Post 1. It formed before 1935 and was maintained with no Scouts after they were sent to prison camps in 1942.
I tried to determine the grade bands of Bailey Gatzert School while the troop met here. However, I’m not exactly clear on the timeline of intermediate or middle schools in Seattle. When the troop started in 1935, I think Bailey Gatzert served through eighth grade, with students heading to a high school after that. In 1938 the nearby Washington School became a middle school, and I believe that means Bailey Gatzert switched to only through sixth grade. If that’s correct, Troop 59 served Bailey Gatzert’s 6th to 8th graders until early 1938, and then only 6th graders after 1938. Scouts who moved on to high school to begin with, and middle school after 1938, would travel to the elementary school for meetings.
The American Legion also operated a Cub Scout pack, which I assume was also located at Bailey Gatzert. Transitioning to the troop would be more natural with the location being the same as the pack. A Sea Scout ship was also chartered by the American Legion by 1940.
Bailey Gatzert had a high ratio of Japanese and Chinese American youth. The Japanese community felt such a strong connection to the school that principals were sent on retirement trips to Japan by parents in the 1940s and 1970s. However, I’m not yet sure why the American Legion focused specifically on Japanese American youth.
A Seattle Times article in January 1942 commented on how the American Legion chose to continue operating the troop despite America being at war with Japan. A month later that effort was rendered moot by Executive Order 9066.
The only known Eagle Scout of Troop 59 are Sadayoshi Masuda (1930). In 1930 the Scoutmaster was Monroe Peaslee.
Other troops
Of course Asian Americans were not limited to these troops. In fact, churches and temples created troops 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 to provide youth activities for their own members and to attract new families. They were a response to societal segregation not Scouting segregation. Previously I provided George Nakashima, the Sakura brothers, and Elmer Katayama as examples of Japanese American youth in other troops, and I expect there were many other Asian Americans in Seattle Scouting as well.
I’m very interested to learn about the troop that met at Collins Field. It formed in 1910, one of Seattle’s very first troops. Troops met at several parks, a reflection that the city parks department ran the Scout council for many early years. Many Japanese community leaders signed a defense of the park manager who was also Scoutmaster, leading me to conjecture that Japanese boys may have been in that troop. In the 1930s there was still, or again another, troop at Collins Field, Troop 45. The Japanese community already spread Japantown out into that area and again I wonder if the park troop had Japanese American boys.
I’m sure there are other troops I need to know about. I’ve read that the Jackson Street Community Council chartered a Scout troop in the 1950s but don’t know the details.
Recognized leaders, unsure of unit
Ronald T. Hiraki 1990
Seattle fire fighter, was in IDEC. I am in contact with Mr. Hiraki and will update this page.
Of course, other Asian American Scout leaders in Seattle have received the Silver Beaver outside of the troops described on this page. Thank you all for your service.
Troop 50 to 59 timeline
- 1920: Troop 53 formed
- 1923: Troop 54 formed
- 1924: Troop 55 formed
- 1927: Troop 56 formed
- 1932: Troop 52 formed briefly, perhaps a year
- 1933: Troop 50 formed (or perhaps 1932); Troop 56 ends
- 1935: Troop 51 formed; Troop 59 formed (or earlier)
- 1940: Troop 52 restarts
- 1942: Troops 50, 51, 52, 53, 55 and 59 ended due to leaders and Scouts sent to prison camps.
- 1945: Troop 54 renumbered to 254 (estimated year)
- 1948: Troop 50 restarts. Troop 252 restarts, renumbered from 52
- 1952: Troop 251 restarts, renumbered from 51
- 1953: Troop 50 ends finally (date is a guess)
- 1958: Troop 55 restarts
- 1970: Troop 251 ends (after 1970, possibly early 1970s)
- 1984: Troop 55 ends (or later)
- 2008: Troop 53 ends
- 2010s: new Troop 51 starts and ends
- current, 2025: Troops 252 and 254 still have joint events and launch new Eagle Scouts
Further reading
Related writing by Rob Ketcherside
Seattle Scouting:
- George Nakashima in Scouting
- Elmer Katayama at Camp Parsons’ opening
- Seattle’s first patrol leaders
- The Start of Scouting in Seattle
- Seattle’s first Eagle Scout
Seattle Cub Scouting:
- Cub Scouts began in Port Angeles (part 1)
- Camp DYB, 1925 Cub camp in Port Angeles (part 2)
- Wolf Cubs lost at war (part 3)
- Blue Ox Camp, Seattle’s Paul Bunyan themed camp (part 4)
- What did they sing at Blue Ox Camp? (part 5)
- Cub Scout Alphabet
Discover more from ba-kground
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.