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Monday, July 21, 2014
Eagle Scout of Year & Other Scouting Honors
Timothy Messmer, son of Colleen A. and James V. Messmer V of Merrick, NY, is the Department of New York Eagle Scout of the Year, Scouting Chair Steve Mataraza announced at the convention.
Messner is a member of Troop 577, sponsored by Legion Post 1749 in North Bellmore (Nassau County, 10th District). A 2014 graduate of Chaminade High School in Mineola, where he was in the National Honor Society and other organizations, Messner plans to attend college in the fall “majoring in Homeland and Cooperative Security with the hopes to one day serving in the FBI Counter-Terrorism Department,” Mataraza said.
The scout raised $4,375 to renovate the interior of VFW Post 2770 in Bellmore to show appreciation for the sacrifices of veterans, Newsday reported. “It is because of our veterans that we live in the greatest country on the Earth,” Messner was quoted by the newspaper.
Other top Scouting honorees:
— Cub Scout Pack of the Year: Pack 267, chartered by Fredonia Memorial Post 59 in Fredonia, Chautauqua County, 8th District. “Pack 267 has 48 registered scouts, which is a 23% increase from 2013,” the Scouting chair said. “They earned the National Summertime Pack award as well as the Journey to Excellence Gold award from The Boy Scouts of America, and broke the council fundraising record by selling over $19,000 worth of popcorn. Pack 267 is under the direction of Cubmaster William Brown.”
— Boy Scout Troop of the Year: Troop 4035, chartered by Earl J Manning Post 490 in Stillwater, Saratoga County, 4th District. “Troop 4035’s 20 registered scouts completed well over 300 hours of service to their community and had four boys advance to the rank of Eagle during the past year,” Mataraza said. They are under the direction of Scoutmaster Robert Murnane.
— Adult Scouter of the Year: past Scouting Chair Carl Griffith from Madison County, 6th District. “Carl has been active in scouting since 1950,” the Scouting chair said. “He is a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow which is scouting’s honor society. He has been the Chartered Organization Representative for Troop 7 since his retirement from the U.S. Navy in 1978. Carl has held a multitude of positions at the pack, troop, district, and council levels for the Boy Scouts of America. Carl serves as a past 6th District Commander and he is a past department vice commander. He is a 26-year member of the Munnsville Fire Dept, and served two years as president for the Madison County Fire Police Association.”
Mataraza noted that American Legion Posts across the country chartered 2,477 Scouting units serving 68,864 youth, with the Department of New York sponsoring 235 Scouting units and serving 6,531 scouts.