MARLBORO – On June 3, Boy Scouts of America Troop 86 of Marlboro celebrated its 70th anniversary. The troop was formed in 1947 and is part of the New Jersey Monmouth Council Battleground District, and was sponsored by the Old Brick Reformed Church, Route 520.
On Feb. 21, 1959, Jim McCreight, Ken Stattel and Tim Whitson became the first three scouts in Troop 86 to achieve the rank of Eagle, according to a press release. All three men were present at the 70th anniversary celebration, along with other notable Eagle Scouts from Troop 86.
The event was led by James Eimont, Troop 86 committee chair and master of ceremonies, who presented a brief history of the Boy Scouts and Troop 86.
Michael De Carlo, the current Scoutmaster of Troop 86, emphasized the importance of community service. He highlighted the community services provided by Troop 86 scouts throughout the years.
For example, he said that during superstorm Sandy in 2012, scouts from Troop 86 manned the community center and helped senior citizens. The scouts also helped to clean up after harvest (gleaning) at local farms and then donated crops to local soup kitchens.
More than 1,000 hours of community service a year are provided by Troop 86 scouts to the community, according to the press release.
Community service “helps the scouts become well rounded citizens. It also helps them to acquire project management skills, people management skills, accept failures and persevere through failures,” De Carlo said. “Troop 86 will continue to give back to Marlboro and Marlboro will continue to look up to Troop 86 and rely on Troop 86.”
Mayor Jonathan Hornik attended the anniversary celebration and congratulated the troop on 70 years of service. He recalled that a Court of Honor for many Eagle Scout candidates was conducted by his late father, Saul Hornik, a former mayor of Marlboro who was a proud Eagle Scout.
“Marlboro is a great town due to contributions made by organizations like the Boy Scouts of America,” the mayor said as he presented a proclamation to the troop which declared June 3 as “Boy Scout Troop 86 Day.”
The common theme echoed through the celebration was the strong commitment to community service by Troop 86, according to the press release.
“Troop 86 provides great quality community service,” said Michael Mahon, the chief executive officer of BSA-Monmouth Council.
“Do whatever you can do to make this community great,” said Priscilla Borges, the Battleground District executive.
The three original Eagle scouts from Troop 86 reminisced on how being an Eagle Scout helped and guided their success.
Whitson said, “Being an Eagle Scout helped me get into college, because surely I wasn’t getting in through the grace of my grades.”
McCreight and Stattel praised the leadership in Troop 86 which helped make them better people.
“What you learn in scouting follows you for the rest of your life. So many impressive leaders are Eagle scouts or were part of BSA. They know when to follow and when to lead. Knowing when to follow is just as important, for that is what makes you a good team player,” McCreight said.
“Be prepared, BSA helps you be prepared and maybe to save a life one day,” Stattel said.