Every year since its inception, the Gazette has recognized a Citizen of the Year. Sometimes this is for a significant effort – the first chairman of the fledgling finance board, or those who organized the town’s bicentennial celebration. Sometimes residents are recognized for extraordinary involvement with volunteer organizations – the Fire Department, Fletcher Memorial Library, the Ambulance Corp, and sometimes it’s the organization itself which earns the distinction. Once in a while someone is recognized just for being a really good neighbor; more often than not, it’s for lifetime achievement, citizens who have given to the town in every conceivable way for years.
As the editorial board reviewed the history of the recipients, we noticed that one demographic was not represented: youth. We have never recognized a youth organization, or a young (as in under the age of 20) individual. And so, we decided to honor a very deserved group with lots of energetic young people, who earned this honor — not because of their age, but in spite of it — for the many laurels, accomplishments, and projects they’ve completed which have benefitted our town.
A Brief History
The Boy Scouts of America (the BSA) was inspired by The Boy Scouts Association, established by Lord Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1908. According to legend, William Boyce, an American newspaper man and entrepreneur was lost on a London street in1909 when an unknown Scout guided him to his destination. The boy refused Boyce’s monetary tip, explaining that he was merely doing his duty as a Boy Scout. Boyce returned to America and four months later, founded and incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910.
The first Boy Scouts of America program was for teenaged boys but it has grown to become the largest youth organization in the United States, adding cub scout programs for younger boys, as well as girl scout programs. The first pinewood derby was held in 1953. In 1958, a number of programs for older boys were condensed into the Exploring program for boys ages 14 to 20 and in 1969, the BSA added young women to the Explorers. Tiger Cubs were started in 1982 to expand Cub Packs to younger boys, and in 1989, the Venture crew program was launched as another alternate program for older boys. By 1998, Venturing became co-ed. In 2017, Cub Scouts began to have dens for girls and became Family Cub Scouting. In May 2018, the BSA announced a new name for its Boy Scout program: Scouts BSA. The BSA now has national programs for boys and girls from Kindergarten through the age of 21 years. There are 2.2 million youth members and approximately 800,000 volunteers throughout the United States and its territories.
Here in Hampton
In our town, Boys Scouts of America Troop 93 was formed in 1948, celebrating its 75th anniversary last year. Our Cub Pack 93 was started around 1988 by Eagle Scout Dr. Johnson and some other folks including Jane Cornell, Dave Goodrich and Vic Wolmer. The Congregational Church is the charter organization for the three Scout units – the Family Cub Scout Pack for boys and girls in grades K-5, BSA Troop 93 for boys, and Troop 1093 for girls — serving as sponsor throughout the years, aside from a short time under the sponsorship of the Fire Department.
In February 2019 the Scouts BSA program began chartering girl troops. This is when Troop 1093 was formed here in Hampton under the guidance of Deb Garafano as Scoutmaster. In 2021, Genevieve Rondeau became the first Eagle Scout for Troop 1093. Over the years, the Troops and Pack have expanded beyond the borders of Hampton, accepting Scouts from Scotland and then Chaplin when their groups ended. Now we have Scouts from Pomfret, Brooklyn, Plainfield, Moosup, Preston, Baltic, Canterbury, Scotland, Windham, Mansfield, Chaplin, and Hampton!
Accomplishments
Many of the achievements of the Scouts which have benefitted Hampton and environs, particularly our nature preserves, are Eagle Projects. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the BSA, requiring scouts to earn at least 21 merit badges, demonstrate the Scout Oath through service and leadership, and complete an extensive project, including its plan, organization, and completion.
The creation of the Hampton Elementary School Nature Trail was the work of Scout Todd Johnson, and Scott Garafano’s project was the school’s bicycle rodeo. Josh Woodward completed brush clearing and restoration around Teale’s writing cabin at Trail Wood, where Breton Tillinghast built bridges on the trails. At Town Hall, Geoff Newcombe was responsible for the restoration of the baseball field, Micah Mlyniec built the picnic tables for the pavilion, and Alex Grennon built the maintenance shed at the Community Center. Grave stone maintenance included Ben Tillinghasts’ project at the Old North Cemetery and Alex Dinsmore’s at the South Cemetery. At the Blue Flag Meadow, Tommy Garafano and Travis Jacobson built bridges, and Brandon Nickel’s project was the establishment of a trail.
Our troop also worked on project s in neighboring towns. In Putnam, Scott Bogner restored the grounds at Congregation Bnai Shalom and Genevieve Rondeau built picnic tables for the 4H Camp, Josh Rose restored the fence at the Chaplin Cemetery, Chris Day created a trail and built a bench for Joshua’s Trust, Graham Smith produced an anti-bullying video, and there were several projects completed in Scotland where Nick Nunn built a stairway at the Scotland Fire Department, and at Rock Springs Preserve, Sam Nunn rebuilt a stone wall and Matthew Gailey created a picnic area and worked on trail maintenance.
The Troop has contributed to its sponsoring organization, the Congregational Church, by building storage closets in the basement, helping at fundraisers, doing work at the parsonage, organizing the annual community food drive to help supply the church’s food pantry, and in 2015, constructing the storage shed to the rear of the church.
The troop has also cleared trails along the Edwards Preserve in Goodwin State Forest, cleared trails and painted the picnic tables at Buffumville State Park in Massachusetts, cleaned trails at Rock Springs Preserve and cleaned the gardens and grounds at the Fletcher Memorial Library.
Along with all of these projects, the scouts engage in various activities, such as hiking through Goodwin and other forests, camping for a week annually in the summer at the June Norcross Webster Scout Camp in Ashford, and participating in the Scottish Highland Festival every fall in Scotland, where they conduct kids’ versions of Scottish athletic contests, such as caber toss and throwing weighted objects over pole–vault type bars. These have become one of the main events of the festival. And all the while, the members earn merit badges and advance through the ranks with their many individual accomplishments.
Praise
“Collectively, the Scout units have been a wonderful place to grow and learn and, yes, sometimes fall short. Scott Garafano Sr. once said to me that ‘Scouts is a place for kids to fail safely’ and I have taken that to heart,” says leader Michelle Mlyniec. “As these kids learn citizenship, life skills and leadership, they are testing themselves and learning from their mistakes. This is what makes them knowledgeable, resilient, strong members of our community. And I, for one, could not be more grateful for the opportunity.”
Says leader Rob Rondeau: “I for one have seen my three kids and others in the troop benefit greatly from scouts. It has taught them confidence and independence in a lot of ways. Every meeting starts by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the Scout oath, and the Scout law. If you live by those words they will serve you well in life.”
The Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
The Hampton Gazette joins the rest of the community in applauding the scouts of our local troop for exemplifying these principles!