Troop 41 of Northport conferred the Boy Scouts’ highest rank, Eagle, on six young men in its June 20 Eagle Scout Court of Honor, held on the grounds of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport. The occasion included remarks from local dignitaries.
New York State Senator Jim Gaughran noted that for a troop to have six Eagles in a single year is “unheard of and speaks to the content of their character.”
Five of the new Eagles are seniors at Northport High School (NHS) and one is a junior at St. Anthony’s High School in Melville. They acknowledged the support, mentorship, and help they received from their adult leaders, fellow scouts, and families.
The scouts completed their projects during the pandemic – when many other troops had shut down operations – which only added to the honor and level of accomplishment. Their projects are sustainable and will benefit their community for years to come.
Other local dignitaries who spoke included Huntington Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, Huntington Town Clerk Andrew Raia, Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class John Revere, Huntington Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman, Northport Chief of Police Chris Hughes, and Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy
Ryan Farrington created a Meadowlark Park/Northport Veterans Administration (VA) walking/running/biking/5K trail. He also installed 30 posts and navigation signs and has maintained the trail.
Will Harnos renovated two, lean-to camping structures at West Hills County Park and installed new roofs.
Lukę Kowalchuk built and installed three handicapped-accessible tables for the Northport VA Medical Center in honor of his grandfather, a Korean war veteran.
Paul Ritter constructed a 36- by 20-foot stone retaining wall at the Northport VA Medical Center Library memorial garden. He also renovated the garden by weeding and adding new plants and mulch.
Mark Baron built and installed a wheelchair-accessible picnic table for the PTSD Residential Treatment Unit at the VA Medical Center.
Thomas Albero, a junior at St. Anthony’s High School, built and installed a bookcase at the Long Island Cares food pantry in Huntington Station. He filled it with more than $1,500 worth of new English, Spanish, and bilingual Spanish/English children’s books, and cookbooks. He also collected more than two dozen boxes of gently used children’s books to replenish the bookcase and donated $1,100 of remaining funds to Long Island Cares for the purchase of new books.
Christopher Henigman, now a freshman at SUNY Plattsburgh, completed his project in 2020 before the pandemic, but passed his Court of Honor during the pandemic. He built and installed two marimba instruments for the outdoor classroom at The Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI).
Troop 41, sponsored by the Northport American Legion post, has produced dozens of Eagles since it was established in 1924.
