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New scouts are welcome this Tuesday. 7:00 PM · St. Bonaventure cafeteria
Troop 183 Davie · Scouts BSA
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Since March 2001

25 years of Tuesday nights.

Troop 183 started because a group of 10-year-olds wanted a troop of their own. 25 years, four Scoutmasters, and 83 Eagle Scouts later, the troop still meets at St. Bonaventure in Davie.

How it started

In early 2001, Webelos from three Cub Scout packs were about to cross over, and they wanted to stay together. Their parents liked the idea and went along with it.

  • Pack 383 at St. Bonaventure, Davie
  • Pack 183 at Everglades Elementary, Weston
  • Pack 464 at Griffin Elementary, Cooper City

Among the parents were two past Cubmasters, three past committee chairs, and plenty of den leaders. Greg Ramos, Cubmaster of Pack 383, became the first committee chair. Cliff Freiwald, Cubmaster of Pack 183, became the first Scoutmaster. Father Ed agreed to have St. Bonaventure Church sponsor the troop, and it still does.

The Troop 183 trailer, painted with an eagle, the Scouting emblem, and the words Troop 183, Oh Yeah, St. Bonaventure, Davie, FL.
The troop trailer. Oh yeah.

Milestones

  1. February 2001

    Three packs, one idea

    Webelos from three Cub Scout packs wanted a troop of their own. Their parents met to plan the program and choose leaders.

  2. March 2001

    Troop 183 begins

    Father Ed agreed to have St. Bonaventure Church sponsor the new troop. It started with 32 new scouts and about 15 adult leaders, in the Miccosukee District of the South Florida Council.

  3. July 2001

    The first summer camp

    A rented bus took 31 scouts and 12 adults to Camp Lone Oak in Inverness, Florida. It was hot, and it was a great week.

  4. 2002

    Scouts in charge

    The troop began electing a new Senior Patrol Leader every six months. More than 40 scouts have led the troop since.

  5. 2002–2005

    A camp every summer

    Camp Bud Schiele in 2002, Rainey Mountain in 2003, Davy Crockett in 2004, and Woodruff in 2005. The troop has camped across the country every summer since.

  6. August 2004

    The first Eagle

    Most of the founding scouts were under 11, so the first Eagle took a few years. Joey Hoellerer earned it in August 2004.

  7. 2004

    Crew 183 opens

    Seven Troop 183 scouts, their sisters, and friends started Venturing Crew 183, so girls could join the program too. It began with about 18 youth members.

  8. Summer 2005

    National Jamboree

    Eighteen Troop 183 scouts went to the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Cliff Freiwald served as Scoutmaster of Jamboree Troop 2062.

  9. May 2007

    Second Scoutmaster

    Mark Buscemi took over and led the troop for ten years. Cliff Freiwald stayed on as an Assistant Scoutmaster.

  10. 2016

    Crew 183 closes

    After its last active members left for college, work, and the military, the crew closed after 12 years.

  11. 2017

    Panther District, and a third Scoutmaster

    A council reorganization placed the troop in the new Panther District. Craig Davis became Scoutmaster and served four years.

  12. 2021

    Fourth Scoutmaster

    George Krawczyk became Scoutmaster. He leads the troop today.

  13. 2026

    Twenty-five years

    A quarter century of Tuesday nights, summer camps, and Eagle Scouts, still meeting at St. Bonaventure.

Our Scoutmasters

  1. No. 1 Cliff Freiwald 2001–2007
  2. No. 2 Mark Buscemi 2007–2017
  3. No. 3 Craig Davis 2017–2021
  4. No. 4 George Krawczyk 2021–today

Crew 183

From 2004 to 2016 the troop also ran Venturing Crew 183, so the scouts' sisters and their friends could be part of the program too. Cliff Freiwald chaired the crew committee for all 12 years.

  • Pete Ferguson, Crew Advisor 2004–2005
  • Greg Ramos, Crew Advisor 2005–2011
  • Mike Michko, Crew Advisor 2011–2016

Where we fit in Scouting

Troop 183 is a Scouts BSA troop of Scouting America, chartered to St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Davie. It belongs to the Panther District of the South Florida Council. It began in the Miccosukee District, moved to Pine Island District in 2002, and joined Panther District when it formed in 2017.

The next chapter starts on a Tuesday.

Come see the troop that 32 Webelos started in 2001.

Visit a Tuesday meeting