Wally Repsch has a dream.

He also has a dilemma.

How can he reach the boys he wants to help?

Repsch is a proponent — with a capital P — of Cub Scouting for boys ages 7 to 10. He is Cubmaster of Pack 105, which counts his son, Dillon, as a member, and has served in a variety of other Scout leadership positions.

But now Repsch of Strasburg has assumed a brand new role: chairman of a committee to start and oversee a Cub Scout pack devoted to boys with special needs, Pack 1910.

"I've been working on this for the past year," said Repsch, who was inspired by the idea after it was brought up at monthly Scouting roundtable discussions.

"This is my dream."

But, recently, when Repsch held a public organizational meeting introducing Pack 1910, turnout was disappointing, he said.

Repsch is undeterred, believing that he just needs to reach the right kids, and continue to get the word out.

Boy Scouts of America has traditionally espoused promoting "mainstream" inclusion of boys with disabilities, according to the BSA Fact Sheet, available online at www.scouting.org. But there are also units solely composed of members with similar disabilities, or located in specialized schools or centers that make the Scouting program part of the curriculum.

"What we try to do with any Scout who has special needs is to do whatever works for him, and include him as much as possible in the traditional Scouting program," said Karl A. Ziegenfus, assistant Scout executive with the Pennsylvania Dutch Council, which oversees Boy Scouting in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, and is one of 19 councils serving portions of Pennsylvania.

"But we recognize that for some kids, that just doesn't work well. This is for (boys) with any sort of special needs who would feel more comfortable with other kids who have disabilities, and to be able to work at their own pace."

Repsch and Ziegenfus believe Pack 1910 would be the first in the county specifically serving Cub Scout-age boys with any disabilities.

Matt Neidinger, who plans to act as Pack 1910 Cubmaster, said some parents of children with special needs may be especially concerned about confidentiality, prejudice and stigma.

As a Scout leader over the past several years, he has watched a lot of boys with special needs struggle to fit in traditional packs and then drop out.

Neidinger hopes to make Pack 1910 a supportive option in which boys can build on each other's strengths and have more specialized attention from leaders — but still participate in activities similar to a traditional pack, such as camping and hiking.

"When you talk about special needs, it's a wide, wide field," Repsch said. "In that same aspect, kids don't like being labeled 'special needs.'

"But I think there are a lot of kids missing out on Scouts."

Founded in 1910, the BSA now boasts 3 million youth members, counting among them 100,000 with disabilities registered in more than 4,000 units chartered to community organizations.

The BSA recognizes the Americans with Disabilities Act definition of a person with a disability: someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, has a record of such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment.

But since the BSA is a private club, it is entitled to maintain its own membership requirements and is exempt from compliance with both the Civil Rights Act and the ADA, a fact that has been challenged in court in recent years.

Although the BSA continues to serve children with disabilities, many volunteer leaders may be limited in training and experience in working with special needs, particularly in traditional troops — and limitations may still exist.

In an effort to nurture and fine-tune Pack 1910, Repsch and other area leaders have created informational flyers and talked with officials in Penn Manor and Lampeter-Strasburg school districts, as well as representatives of Developmental & Disability Services of Lebanon Valley, which charters a special-needs Boy Scout troop.

Jessica Penchard, with DDS of Lebanon Valley, believes that troop has been well received among parents and children. Membership commonalties may help boys feel more comfortable, accepted and better able to reach goals, she said.

"One parent who is very involved said it (had always) hurt to see her son in last place, being outside looking in, and not able to participate."

Julie Cook, who has a son with Asperger syndrome, leads Boy Scout Troop 166 in Landisville, a 2-year-old troop geared toward boys on the autism spectrum. There are currently five members.

"Parents are very involved, and can give a lot more one-on-one time with the boys," Cook said. "We can adapt merit badges (and activities)."

When Repsch was asked to get involved, it was a no-brainer, he said. His own desire to be a Scout was never fulfilled, so in a way, he said, he is living that dream through his son.

"People may think BSA stands for 'baby sitters of America,' where parents can just drop off their kids, but Scouting is all about parental involvement."

Repsch said it can be difficult to recruit and retain boys as well as adult volunteers.

"If you give the boys a good program, they'll come back," he said.

Dillon, now 9, said he especially likes Scouting outings, such as trips to Barnstormers games. His uniform is covered with an assortment of badges and patches, and he has had perfect attendance at Scout meetings.

Of course it does help that dad is Cubmaster.

"He's grown a lot since being involved, and his confidence has really gone up," Repsch said.

Repsch wants to continue to help other children gain that confidence, regardless of their limitations.

"The idea is to build our program around the kids."

sjurgelski@lnpnews.com