Our History
Troop 9266 was first chartered in 1966 with The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and remained there until the Troop moved to the Elk’s Lodge in Olympia with the unit number 186. The troop met in different locations until returning to The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in 1987 where it has continuously met, even today. Since 1995, 209 scouts have earned their Eagle rank from this troop.
Scoutmasters
- Bill Beckham: 1985 – 1989
- Bill Reeve: 1989 – 1990
- Carl Fehring: 1990 – 1991
- Dave Workman: 1991– 2003
- Dave Palmer: 2003 — 2008
- Barry Kirk: 2008 — 2010
- Jan Skoropinski: 2010 — 2014
- Mike Coleman: 2015 — 2018
- Will Cox: 2019 — 2023
- Ryan Kappedal: 2023 — present
Our Troop is on the move, has a positive focus and approach to Scouting and enjoys strong parent support and involvement. We welcome new members who wish to join in the fun, learning and fellowship opportunities of Scouting.
Our Story
We have a strong program offering a wide variety of challenging activities. We have Troop led camps at Camp Thunderbird and Snow Cave Camping at White Pass. We participate in Pacific Harbors Council run camps and attend summer camp in several camps, both in Washington and Oregon. We have backpacked at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, cruised the Florida Keys through Seabase and canoed the Northern Tier. We have sent scouts to the US and Russian National Jamborees. We have local hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail that have been done in a day or camping overnight. We also help sponsor the council Night Hike. We have sailed the Puget Sound with the SSS Odyssey located in Tacoma. We also like to attend hockey games, have fishing derbies, go bowling, attend Aviation Day in Seattle, swim at local pools, go roller skating, have scouts participating in Order of the Arrow and have many service projects for the community.
Meet part of the Leadership Team
You will find these leaders and many more leaders attending every Tuesday meeting and helping the scouts. Feel free to visit with any one of these people when you stop by a Troop meeting.
Ryan Buchanan
Troop Committee Chair
Ryan Buchanan is the Committee Chair for Troop 266. Ryan participated in scouting as a youth. He grew up in the Sierra Nevada Foothills near Yosemite, and he took full advantage of it. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. He earned the rank of Eagle in 1993 with Troop 123 Coarsegold, CA. Ryan follows a line of scouts in his family, Grandfather, Father, Ryan, and his boys. He was heavily influenced by his Grandfather Gene Buchanan. Gene was a lifelong Scouter and also a silver beaver recipient.
As an adult, Ryan served as Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 35 in Fresno CA from 2016 to 2018 and Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 266 Olympia WA from 2022 to 2024. As Assistant Scoutmaster, he worked to improve the camping opportunities and outdoor program of both troops.
Outside of Scouts, Ryan enjoys his sailboat, working on his old Ford truck, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Ryan Kappedal
Scoutmaster
Ryan Kappedal is the Scoutmaster of Troop 266. He joined the Cub Scouts in 1985. The highlights of his Cub Scout career include winning the Pinewood Derby and having his egg survive the helicopter egg drop. As a Boy Scout, he held many leadership roles including Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He also attended the National Scout Jamboree on 1993 and is a Brotherhood Member of the Order of the Arrow. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1993 as well.
In his professional career, Ryan is a retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel with service in Japan, Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy, Master’s from the Air Force Institute of Technology, a PhD from the University of Washington and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Prior to becoming the Scoutmaster of Troop 266, Ryan’s other Scout Leadership experience includes helping to establish an international Scouting Troop in Baghdad, Iraq. He currently works as a Principal Data Scientist at Johnson and Johnson.
Ryan is very excited about the opportunity to lead troop 266 and empower and enable Scouts to grow into adult contributors to society and their local communities.