As the Boy Scouts of America prepares to kick off its 100th anniversary, the Hudson Valley Council reports that a record number of Boy Scouts earned the Eagle award last year.

The final number of Eagles for 2009 came in at 162, said Scout Executive Stephen J. Gray, CEO at the Newburgh-based council. That is more Eagle Scouts than the Council has ever seen and above the 140 to 150 Eagle Scouts in a typical year.

The council covers all or parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland and Sullivan counties in New York, and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

“The number is testament to the drive of Boy Scouts in the program today, as well as the work of volunteer leaders in 121 Scout troops across the region,” Gray said. At the end of 2009, the Hudson Valley Council had 2,963 Boy Scouts, the program for boys 11 through 17.

“Our Boy Scout troops are turning out young men who are ready to be the leaders of tomorrow,” Gray said. “They have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities. They have high moral character. I’m thrilled and encouraged that so many of our Scouts earned the award last year.”

Earning the Eagle award involves substantial demonstrations of leadership ability through a service project to benefit the community. To be an Eagle, Scouts must also complete 21 merit badges demonstrating mastery of a range of Scout skills, from camping to physical fitness.

Other required merit badges cover citizenship in the nation, world and community, first aid, communications and environmental science, among other topics. Completion of the award is actually quite rare; in the 100 years of Scouting in the United States, only about 2 percent of all Scouts have earned Eagle.

News of the162 Eagle Scouts comes as Scouting is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The Hudson Valley Council will take part in a slate of local and National events throughout the year, including a council-wide “CamporAll” in mid-May (May 14-16) at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, sending five troops (180 youth and 20 leaders) to the national Jamboree in July, and a 100th Anniversary Event at West Point on 10/10/2010.

Scouts across the council also plan to do 10,000 hours of additional community service during 2010, beyond the 40,000 completed in a typical year. “These actions personify the meaning of character; with an act of service that has defined us for 100 years because of four simple words, “I am a Scout”’, said Michael Caporlingua, Council President.

For 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has created a strong foundation of leadership, service and community for millions of America’s youth. Scouting is as vital and relevant today as it was when the journey began in 1910.

The Boy Scouts of America, Hudson Valley Council currently serves more than 8,600 young people through Scouting and Learning for Life Programs in the New York Counties of Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

More information on Scouting in the Hudson Valley or Scouting’s 100th Anniversary can be found at www.hudsonvalleyscouting.org, or by calling Diego Aviles at the Hudson Valley Council office at 845-566-7300 x318 or via email at Diego.Aviles@Scouting.org.

Source: Hudson Valley Council Press Release.

The Staten Island Advance has an article about a rally to save Camp Pouch Scout Camp.

In an attempt to prevent a beloved piece of Island history from falling into the clutches of private developers, approximately 1,500 Scouts and supporters of William H. Pouch Scout Camp braved the cold yesterday evening to rally against the potential sale of the Sea View site.

Armed with candleholders reading “Scouting without Pouch… Ouch,” the hundreds in attendance filled the lawn in front of Susan Wagner High School prior to the camp’s annual holiday lighting ceremony. They came from all five boroughs, with some even from Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida to sign petitions preventing the site from being sold.

Read the rest of the article and see pictures at the Staten Island Advance.

The Daily News has a nice feature article on Austin Boyd, the ninteen year-old Scout from New York that was killed in a car accident on Wednesday night. The story shows how the Scouting community is showing their respect, how friends and family remember Austin, and paints a picture of a young man that was dedicated to helping others.

Too often after the top Boy Scouts complete the requirements to become an Eagle Scout, they “vanish” and seldom return to their troops, said Jak Kohmann, a Scoutmaster in Clarendon.

Austin Boyd wasn’t like that. After the Eagle Scout graduated from Holley High School last June and enrolled in Monroe Community College this fall, he made attending weekly Scout meetings for Troop No. 59 a priority. Boyd, 19, was the troop’s assistant Scoutmaster.

“He meshed so well with all the kids in the troop, especially the younger ones,” Kohmann said. “This kid was in college but he still came back to every Scout meeting, religiously.”

Boyd died in a car accident last Wednesday evening, while returning home from a Scouting camp kickoff event in Batavia with his father Ron. Another motorist drove through a stop sign at the intersection of Route 31A and South Holley Road and crashed into the Boyd’s vehicle, killing Austin. Hundreds of Scouts from across the state are expected to attend a memorial service 4 p.m. Saturday at the Disciples United Methodist Church, 4410 Holley Byron Rd.

Read the entire article at The Daily News.

Photo Credit: Tom Rivers/Daily News