Local cub scouts serve the Five Towns

A local Cub Scout troop that has been conducting community service projects in the Five Towns for the last three decades is hard at work this year while at the same time marking an important anniversary.

Cub Scout Pack 20, based in Cedarhurst, is honoring the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America movement while at the same time conducting numerous projects to help the Five Towns community. Since being founded in the late 1970s the group of elementary school aged boys has been conducting numerous projects to help the local Five Towns community and are hoping to continue this work for many years to come.

Cub Scout Pack 20 features 32 boys in first grade through fifth grade with the youngsters split off by ages. The first grade boys are called Tigers, the second graders Wolves, the third graders Bears, and fourth and fifth grade students considered Webelos. Despite, the different groups for the boys, the goal remains the same for all 32 Cub Scouts, and that is to prepare boys to become boy scouts.

Led by Cub Scout Pack 20 Chairman Kinga Tzach, the boys are taught key values of scouting such as being loyal, trustworthy, friendly, courteous, obedient and kind, to name few. The boys exemplify these values in their committed dedication to community service.

“I am very proud to help the boys meet their requirements,” said Tzach.

“Community service is such an important part of scouting and I feel it is important to instill that in them at such a young age, said Michael Stuparich, a den leader for the Cub Scout Pack 20 Tigers.

In this past year, the boys have done various community service projects, including a food drive, reading and playing with daycare children at the Five Towns Childcare Center in Inwood, collecting blankets an animal shelter and playing games with seniors citizens at The Bristal in North Woodmere. Most recently, on May 26, the boys of Cub Scout Pack 20 made over 100 sandwiches for the local soup kitchen called the Inn in Hempstead Village.

“Reading to the children at the Five Towns Childcare Center made me feel proud as a cub scout to be able to share my love for books with young children,” said Matthew Stein, a 10-year old Webelo member of Cub Scout Pack 20. “I felt like a brother to them."

Aside from the community services events, the boys also partake in scouting activities throughout the year. These activities usually include outings, camping trips and sleep-overs to museums such as Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute and Lower Hudson Valley Challenger Center in Suffern, N.Y. More locally, the Five Towns cub scouts visited the Atlantic Beach Water Rescue Squad headquarters where they learned how to raise and lower the American flag, and how to retire a used flag and post a new one.

“They were able to get into all the rescue vehicles and learned what happens at a rescue station,” said Cub Scout Pack 20 Wolf Den Leader Adam Feller. “They all left knowing more about the job these brave volunteers perform for all of us.”

Other places the Five Towns cub scouts have visited include the Nassau County Fourth Precinct headquarters in Hewlett, the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Firehouse and card collection stores in Lynbrook and Bellmore. However, though the boys enjoy the trips, one activity in particular is the ultimate highlight for the troops and that is the Pinewood Derby. The scouts, with the help of their parents, create a car from a block of pinewood and race it with their friends.

“The actual competition is filled with excitement and good sportsmanship, while families and friends cheer each other along,” said Cub Scout parent, leader and volunteer, Ilana Davidov.

There are a number of summer outdoor activities planned this year, such as camping, fishing and hiking. Tzach encourages anyone who wishes to find out more about the group to call (516) 582-0857 or (516) 547-0588.

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