There may be no such thing as a free lunch in this world, but for the elderly and the homebound, there are the Boy Scouts. The 20 Scouts who make up local Troop 146 are launching a new program this week that offers a hand to those who need it. Scouts will be available to help shovel walks after it snows, pick up groceries and medications, and do other odd jobs, troop leaders say.
Anthony Mignolli, a 15-year-old Scout who is spearheading the effort, runs the new program with military efficiency. Boy Scout officials say that they try and leave as much of the organizing to the boys as they can.When asked how many Scouts could be mobilized the morning after a big snowstorm, Mignolli said, “any Scout who is able to shovel will do so.”
Though the Scouts are re-launching and expanding the program, this is not the first time that the troop has engaged in this sort of activity. Several years ago, 146 ran a program that strictly focused on shoveling the walks of the elderly.
“We still get calls from people who want us to help,” said Norman Kasser, the troop’s scoutmaster who has run 146 for the last six years. “Several years later there are still people who need us. They must have tacked up the [phone] number or something. But we’re still helping.”
Those in need should not expect just any old Boy Scouts to show up. Five of the troop’s 20 active members are a step away from becoming Eagle Scouts, the organization’s highest honor.
In a typical troop the size of 146, one or two boys would be on track to achieve their Eagle badge in any given year. But there are so many in 146 this year that Kasser has had to organize a committee of parents to monitor the boys’ progress and help them with their paperwork.
“I’m two badges and a merit project away,” said Mignolli. “I hope to get it by the end of summer.”
Mignolli, who has been a Boy Scout for three and a half years, said that the competition among the six young men is intense at times.
“There is a lot of envy,” he said. “A lot of us joined at the same time. And now there are concerns about people stealing projects and that kind of thing. But it’s good. We work together well, too.”
The good deeds that the Scouts perform will help them in their efforts to reach the highest rung, Kasser said. “One of the requirements to get the badge is to show Scout spirit,” explained Kasser. “We interpret that as doing good deeds. We have a troop committee composed of six parents who will evaluate their work.”
It appears that the work will be much appreciated. Vinny Barbo, the longtime director of the Hoboken senior citizen programs, said, “We can always use more help. It’s good to see young people volunteering like this.”
To request the Boy Scouts’ help, the elderly or the disabled can call Mignolli at 798-7022 or Kasser at 792-4055.