At 53 years, she’s been a den mother longer than anyone else

Den-mother There's a new entry in the Guinness World Records book this week. That's because Adele Trapp, a Scouter from the Hudson Valley Council, has been officially recognized as the longest-serving den leader in history. 

Trapp, 96, has spent 53 years as a volunteer leader with Pack 263 in Brooklyn. That's more than half of her life dedicated to Scouting!

When she started, her title was den mother, a name that has since been replaced by the gender-neutral den leader.

But no matter what title she holds, she always thinks of her Scouts and fellow Scouters before herself.

"The children, they look at you as though you're their parent," Trapp told the New York Daily News. "You have to really take care of them because they make themselves a part of you." 

"She's just a simple lady who loves children," Trapp's daughter Evelyn Rainford told the Daily News. "That's the bottom line."

Trapp overtakes Marion Rohner as the longest-serving den mother/leader. We profiled Rohner in the November-December 2008 issue of Scouting magazine.

Congratulations, Ms. Trapp, and thanks for your service to Scouting!


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.