Troop 478 announces new Scoutmaster and Committee Chair

Troop 478 will enter 2026 with new adult leadership in its two primary positions. The troop is grateful for the years of service that brought it here and focused on what comes next.

Thank you to Dr. Wes Long and Josh Benoit

Leading a Scout troop is a voluntary commitment that asks more of adults than most people outside the program understand. The Scoutmaster and Committee Chair are responsible for the safety, structure, and direction of everything the troop does and both roles demand consistent, sustained investment over years, not months.

Dr. Wes Long served as Scoutmaster and Josh Benoit served as Committee Chair for several years, giving their time and energy to a program that benefits the young people of this community. Every Scout who camped, advanced, and grew during that period did so with the support of their leadership. That contribution is real and it is appreciated.

Both remain connected to the troop -- Dr. Long as an Assistant Scoutmaster and Mr. Benoit as a Committee Member -- and both have sons active in the program. Their investment in Troop 478 continues.

Understanding the roles: Scouting America's big three

Scouting America structures unit leadership around three distinct roles, each with a defined responsibility and a clear line of accountability. Together they are sometimes called the "big three" of troop governance.

Chartered Organization Representative

This is the link between the troop and its chartered organization, Spring Branch Presbyterian Church. The COR ensures the troop operates in alignment with the values and mission of the chartering body and serves as the troop's voting representative within the district and council. Garth Heitshusen holds this role, bringing 75 years of Scouting experience and four decades of direct investment in Troop 478.

Committee Chair

The Committee Chair leads the troop's volunteer committee which is the adult body responsible for resources, finances, advancement support, and the organizational infrastructure that allows the program to function. The committee serves the Scoutmaster and the Scouts; the Chair keeps that body organized and focused. James Ward now serves in this role.

Scoutmaster

The Scoutmaster is the primary adult leader responsible for the program and works directly with the Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leadership Council to deliver a youth-led outdoor experience consistent with Scouting America's mission. The Scoutmaster trains and guides youth leaders without replacing them. Bryan Stamm, a longtime Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 478, now serves in this role.

The foundation this leadership stands on

The transition to new leadership does not happen in a vacuum. Troop 478's Chartered Organization Representative is Garth Heitshusen, whose 75 years of continuous Scouting service -- from Cub Scout in 1946 to Eagle Scout in 1953 to Silver Beaver recipient in 1983 to four decades of direct leadership with this troop -- provides the institutional continuity and values foundation that new leadership builds on, not from scratch.

Bryan Stamm comes to the Scoutmaster role from within the troop's own adult leadership, with direct knowledge of the Scouts, the culture, and the program. James Ward brings organizational and leadership development experience to the Committee Chair role with a focus on structure, accountability, and program quality. Both are Scout dads with sons active in the troop. The program they are helping to build is the one they want their own kids to experience.