By:John C. O'Connell
Seven in VS troop earn Eagle rank
Though Valley Stream has seen a number of its young men achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, this may well be the first time that so many had it happen all at once. Seven young men were elevated to Eagle Scout on Sunday, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America organization.
Michael R. Becker, Ryan Chiachiere, Matthew B. Lowery, Joseph Charles Rossetti, Garrett Russo, Nicholas J. Santino and Terrance Thorgramson celebrated earning the Eagle Scout rank at ceremonies May 20 at St. Joseph's Church in Hewlett before a large crowd of fellow Scouts, Scout leaders, parents, relatives and friends.
Each of the young men belongs to Valley Stream Troop 116. Sunday's Eagle Scout Court of Honor officially conferred their previously earned Eagle ranks.
The seven bring the total number of Troop 116 Eagle Scouts to 31.
Michael Becker became a Tiger Cub in 1990 and has since risen through the Scouting ranks to serve as a Troop scribe, instructor, assistant patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader. His Eagle project, one of the culminating acts of service required to earn the highest rank, was to renovate the nurse's office at St. Joseph's Church School. "To fund my project, I ran a car wash and solicited donations of paint, carpeting and conference room furniture from local businesses and large corporations," Becker said. He earned his Eagle rank in February.
Ryan Chiachiere began as a Tiger Cub in 1987. He earned merit badges in archery, camping, canoeing, citizenship in the community, nation and the world, communications, computers, environmental science, family life, first aid, fishing, home repair, lifesaving, music, management, railroading, safety, small boat sailing, swimming and wilderness survival. His Eagle project was to conduct a blood drive for New York Blood Services, which collected 68 pints of blood. He earned his Eagle in March 1999.
Matthew Lowery has held positions of quartermaster and instructor during his 11 years in Scouting, which began as a Tiger Cub in 1990. As part of his Eagle project, Lowery cleared and landscaped the property surrounding two homes owned by senior citizens in the Gibson section of Valley Stream. This included painting of garages and planting new flower beds and shrubbery. He raised money for his project by conducting a bake sale at Holy Name of Mary Church in Valley Stream. Lowery earned his Eagle rank in April.
Joseph Charles Rossetti has been in Scouting since 1988. In that time he's been a quartermaster, crew chief, instructor, assistant patrol leader, senior patrol leader and junior assistant scoutmaster. His Eagle project involved preparing and waterproofing 600 feet of stockade fencing surrounding St. Joseph's Church in Hewlett. He funded his project by organizing a bake sale and a car wash. Rossetti earned his Eagle in March 1999.
Garrett Russo has served as the troop historian as well as other service positions. For his Eagle project, Russo solicited donations of toiletries from Scouts, community organizations and residents; assembled the toiletry kits, which he then distributed to disabled veterans at the Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Albans, Queens. He started Scouting in 1988 and earned his Eagle in February 1999.
Nicholas Santino began as a Tiger Cub in June 1990. He has achieved such honors as junior leading training Bear Claw, Pope Pius XII religious award, CPR certifications and the World Conservation Award. "I planned and carried out the purchasing and installation of a wooden stockade fence with a gate," Santino said of his Eagle project. "It now provides privacy for the backyard area of Blessed Sacrament's Pastoral Center." He held a bake sale to fund the project, which included buying and planting flowers near the fence. Santino earned his rank of Eagle in December 2000.
Terrance Thorgramson is quite proud of his Eagle project. "A fountain was constructed at my high school [Locust Valley High School]. The fountain showed my involvement both in the Boy Scouts and in my high school and community. The entire project was funded through the student government of which I was president. With the help of student government members, I completed the project in approximately two months." He earned his Eagle Scout rank in August 2000.
American Legion Andrew Fatscher Post 854's officers George Schuchman and Helen Cardona were on hand to present Good Citizenship Awards to each of the new Eagles. The Andrew Fatscher Post sponsors Troop 116.
And just as proud as the new Eagles themselves were Troop 116 Scoutmaster Charles Vardakis. "The Eagle Scout rank is not easily achieved," he told The Herald. "Only approximately 2 percent of all kids in Scouting get this rank. These are seven exceptional Scouts. They came to us and we nurtured them from 11-years-old up, and they were some of the finest; they represented some of our best. They've all gone on to college. And all their projects were very well thought out. They picked very worthwhile and challenging projects that were beneficial to the community.
"It says quite a bit about our troop and about our Valley Stream community and the other troops here," Vardakis said, "that we have these seven today and we also have five more potential Eagle Scouts working on their projects right now. The other troops, 109 and 369, also have a long and fine history of advancement and Eagle recipients as well."
Participating in the ceremonies as well were Master of Ceremonies Gerard Meyer and Committee Chairman Michael Vagnone. Junior Assistant Scoutmaster John Attianese, Jr., and honor and color guards Daniel Caban, Keith Gotcliffe, Andrew Padilla and Christopher Lowery. The fathers of two of the Eagle Scouts, Becker and Santino, are assistant Scoutmasters.
"I am bursting with pride and joy today that I have two Eagle Scouts," said another happy dad, Frank Chiachiere, Sunday. "Today, my son Ryan, who will be a senior at the University of Virginia, is becoming an Eagle, and Frank, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania is already an Eagle Scout.
"At a time when there's so much concern about whether young people have a clear focus, here we have seven young men earning this high honor," Chiachiere said. "As parents, and as a community, we should be very, very proud of them."
Town of Hempstead Councilman James Darcy said that to have seven young men get this is highly unusual. "Less than 3 percent ever earn this highest rank and for Valley Stream to have seven at once from this troop is really a special event. It's a real credit to them, obviously, but also to their parents and the troop. The community should be proud of these Scouts' accomplishments. They represent a real hope for the future," the councilman said.
