Loose Creek scouts hold meeting at state capitol

By Theresa Brandt, Staff Writer
Posted 1/6/22

Loose Creek BSA Troop 76 and Pack 76 were honored in December to be able to have their monthly meeting at the Missouri State Capitol and get an after-hours tour of the Capitol from District 62 State …

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Loose Creek scouts hold meeting at state capitol

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Loose Creek BSA Troop 76 and Pack 76 were honored in December to be able to have their monthly meeting at the Missouri State Capitol and get an after-hours tour of the Capitol from District 62 State Rep. Bruce Sassmann, who had been driving on Hwy. 63 through Westphalia when he and his wife, Jan, decided to stop and buy a porkburger from the Loose Creek Boy Scout fundraiser at Joe’s Market.  

Sassmann and his wife were so impressed by the troop that they invited the scouts to the capitol.

“He was just driving through,” Loose Creek Boy Scout Committee Chairman Dan Thoenen explained. “It was just a stroke of luck.”

Whether it was luck, a good porkburger, or the big heart of Rep. Sassmann and his wife, the chance meeting turned into quite the experience for the boy scouts that attended.

Forty-seven people from Osage County, gathered under the Capitol Rotunda, including seven cub scouts, 14 active scouts, five current eagle scouts, and various parents and troop leaders.  The scouts’ first stop was the House of Representatives Official Chamber. They were invited to sit in the same chairs as the current representatives. Sassmann and Chief Clerk Donna Miller explained the rules the representatives must follow.

“This is a solemn space, and we act accordingly,” Sassmann said.

He encouraged the scouts to touch the buttons for the voting boxes that sit at each desk.  He walked through the process on how he would be allowed to address the House of Representatives. He reviewed the dress codes that men and women are required to follow and the importance of the work they do.

Miller explained her role is to maintain the rules and procedures of the chamber. She also encouraged the scouts to consider coming back in the future as representatives.

“We need more people to serve,” Miller said.  

She reflected on her career and that the capitol is a wonderful place to work. Miller also noted that there are many former Eagle Scouts currently serving in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Miller challenged the scouts to look for the unofficial mascot that is moved around the chamber periodically. The little gnome was soon spotted by the scouts high above the chamber floor. Miller informed the group, with a big smile, that it is her official duty to keep the gnome’s secrets as well as the other secrets of the House of Representatives.

After receiving a special congressional pin from Sassmann, the scouts conducted their official business under the rotunda.

When asked why he had chosen to run for state representative, Sassmann spoke passionately about service.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to be a scout when I was growing up, but some part of the scout motto is to be of service,” Sassmann said. “I think that has been somewhat of a personal motto my entire life. All of us that come into the workplace serve our fellow man. If you do not go out there and work, you are not helping.”

Scoutmaster Kurt Boeckmann expounded on that, challenging the scouts to take the leadership that they learned in scouting and applying it to their life as they moved on in life.

“You are learning how to be leaders,” Boeckmann said. “The governor, the president — they are big leaders but there are a lot of leaders that are sitting right here in our community.”

“Don’t think that this scouting idea is something that ends when you are 18 or when you achieve Eagle Scout,” Sassmann continued. “It is a lifetime of philosophy. It is really where you grow as individuals.”

“It’s honestly just where it begins,” Boeckmann said.

As the meeting concluded, the scouts split up into two groups and were escorted up to the Whispering Gallery. The scouts then climbed about 200 steps to the top of the dome, where they filed through the door and outside for a spectacular evening view of Jefferson City. From the Governor’s Mansion and tree lit up for Christmas to the view of the Missouri River Bridge and the lights of a busy Missouri Boulevard, the views were spectacular.

The scouts were also given a tour of the Hall of Famous Missourians that was full of bronze statues of important people of Missouri. Jan Sassmann pointed out murals, paintings, sculptures, and important architectural features of the capitol. 

She paused at the bronze bust of Johnny Morris who founded the Bass Pro Shop and reflected on how he had started with just an idea and a small space.

“Everybody starts with the basics,” she explained.  “No one is born the governor.”

Jan encouraged the scouts to follow their dreams. She noted that while she and Rep. Sassmann had not been lucky enough to have children of their own, she had been excited to be a part of the girl scout troop in their area.

She encouraged the scouts to come back for a more in-depth tour of the capitol. 

“It is a shame we as citizens don’t take more advantage of this building,” Jan said as she pointed out the Grand Staircase. “We have the most spectacular capitol.”

The scouts were then invited over to the Governor’s Mansion for the Christmas tour and were able to shake hands with Gov. Mike and First Lady Teresa Parson amid the Christmas decorations and volunteers dressed in period costumes.

The evening concluded with pizza and soda in the basement of the capitol.

The Sassmanns were thanked by scouts and adults for the wonderful evening.

“Our background is in education,” Jan said simply. “This is what we do.”

The scouts and their families were asked to come back to the capitol and explore the building and grounds.

“It is just a wonderful place,” Rep. Sassmann said.