Thursday, October 1, 2026
Swirling winds, the rumble of thunder and a tornado warning for Brooklyn and Queens did not dampen spirits, but they did shorten Saturday morning’s Boy Scout parade and commemoration, as hundreds of members of the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the National Eagle Scout Association came to Rockville Centre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first scout, Arthur R. Eldred, to attain Eagle status, and the impact that scouting has had on millions of boys across the nation.
A bandstand on North Centre Avenue at Parkwood Court was packed with local dignitaries and several generations of the Eldred family who flew in from all over the country for the event. Rockville Centre Mayor Fran Murray and village officials including Trustee Ed Oppenheimer, Police Commissioner Chuck Gennario and Fire Chief John Busching, were joined by local legislators including Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, Councilman Tony Santino and Assemblyman Brian Curran, who all watched as the scouts marched and participated in a flag and wreath-laying ceremony at Eldred Park across the street. Bishop William Murphy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre said the invocation.
In brief remarks, Mayor Murray, one of two officials who spoke at the foreshortened event, suggested that attendees were viewing history. “Look around you and you’ll see the same thing — commitment and devotion to an organization — to a way of life that you believe in. It’s called scouting. That dedication and belief has made Eagles soar for 100 years in America. I salute your accomplishments. Be proud of yourselves. You have earned it.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Murray added, “as I look upon you, I see passion in your eyes for what’s right in our country. I see adult Eagles who have become mentors and teachers. I see young Eagles who are so proud to have stayed the course and completed their journey. I see young scouts who are working hard to achieve their goal to become Eagles. My advice to you is stay on that path, continue the journey, listen and learn from your teachers. America needs you… scouting is what’s right in America, and it’s our future.”
