Boy Scout Troop 282 of Independence Missouri was chartered in November of 1948 by the Kansas City Area Council to Trinity Episcopal Church at 409 N. Liberty in Independence Missouri.

J. D. Hammontree (Medicine Man Blue Elk) was the Scoutmaster. JD was a Scoutmaster that believed that boys could lead boys and run a scout troop before the Boy Scouts of America. JD was a very dedicated leader to the scouting program as he dedicated his entire life to the Boy Scouts. JD was the Scoutmaster from 1948 to 1969 when he passed away.

JD had prepared one of his Asst. Scoutmasters to take over for him with out this leader even knowing that he had been prepared. This leader was Bobby Morris (Sagamore Silver Water). Mr. Morris was just as much a dedicated leader to scouting as JD. Bobby Morris was Scoutmaster from 1969 to 1983.

Up to this point the Scoutmasters were men who came into scouting as an adult. Mr. Morris learned very well from JD as he had done the same thing as JD he had taught one of his Eagle Scouts who now served as an Asst. Scoutmaster to be the Scoutmaster of the troop. This scout was now 24 years of age and Mr. Morris felt he was ready to take over the troop he grew up in. His name is Scott Howell Jr. (Sagamore Bright Golden Beehive). Scott was unsure at the time if he could fill the shoes of both the pervious great Scoutmasters that had lead the troop before him. Still today as Scott gets ready for the scout meeting each week, he asks himself what would Mr. Hammontree and Mr. Morris say about the job he has done to this point leading their Scout Troop.

Troop 282 has had only three Scoutmasters in their 66 year history an honor that very few scout troops can say that they have had that type of dedication by their scoutmasters.

Boy Scout Troop 282 is very honor that the Blue Elk District, Blue Elk Lodge and Blue Elk Staff at the H.Roe Bartle Scout Reservation are named in honor of our founding Scoutmaster JD Hammontree.

As the scouting program has changed a little here and there in the last 100 years, Boy Scout Troop 282 has kept the old and new ideas of scouting alive in the troop. The troop teaches the scouts to believe in and live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law in their every day life. If this is done the young man will be a better student, a better young man, a better adult, a better husband and a better dad. The troop still believes very strongly that boys can lead boys and run a scout troop as our founding scoutmaster did.