For 10 years, Boy Scout Troop 101 has parked its trailer in a designated area of the parking lot at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Aurora.
Although the trailer was parked next to a large church, Scout Master Doug Jones worried somebody might break the locks on the trailer and steal the Scout gear inside.
Instead, “they took the whole thing,” Jones said with a pained laugh.
The “whole thing” was the trailer and Scout Troop 101’s camping gear: somebody hitched a vehicle to the trailer and stole it.
The gear inside included four tents, a number of sleeping bags, three brand new lanterns, three new stoves, a large garage canopy and three chuck boxes. The chuck boxes are used to store the pots, pans, spices, utensils, plates, cups and silverware used for meals at the camp site.
The 10-year-old trailer is estimated to have a value of at least $3,000, said Jones. The gear inside is estimated to have a value of more than $1,500, he said.
“I was pretty mad, pretty hurt,” said the 58-year-old Jones, who has spent 40 years working with Boy Scouts.
The troop currently has six boys in it – down from 13 a year ago because the others reached the Scout’s mandatory “retirement” age.
The remaining six “are pretty down” about the theft, said Jones.
Jones says his friends in law enforcement say there is little hope of ever seeing the trailer and camping equipment again.
It has probably been taken across the country, Jones has been told.
Members of the troop discovered the trailer gone on Monday. Jones said the Episcopal priest at St. Stephen’s told him he hadn’t seen the trailer during the week prior to that.
Jones said the Scouts earned money for the stolen gear by sponsoring an annual “haunted house” and selling popcorn.
The scouts will hold a car wash this Saturday at the church, 1 Del Mar Circle, beginning at 8 a.m. and going as late in the day as the cars keep coming in.
Jones said the troop is also going to approach St. Stephens, which sponsors the troop, for donations in money and equipment.
He said that a report to Aurora police has been delayed because the registration papers for the trailer were in the trailer when it was stolen. He said the assistant Scout master has had to get duplicate copies of the papers to submit to police.
Jones said the troop is still planning to go on a two-day camping trip at the end of the month – even if they don’t have all the equipment.
He added: “This isn’t going to stop me.”
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
