Community

Valley Stream’s Boy Scout Troop 109 honors four new Eagle Scouts

Troop 109 recognizes new Eagle Scouts

Posted

Valley Stream’s Troop 109 recognized four new Eagle Scouts at its Eagle Court of Honor at the American Legion Post 854 Aug. 8. Nicholas Cavaliere, brothers Alessio and Fabrizio Fratarcangeli, and Ryan Healey reached scouting’s highest rank, a distinction only 4 percent of Boy Scouts attain.
The four honorees stood before a room of family and friends to receive the Eagle Scout medal and a new neckerchief with the emblazoned eagle, epitomizing the best efforts and values of the BSA.
Of the many intensive requirements that must be satisfied to become an Eagle Scout is the completion of a community-service project, or Eagle project. Scouts are tasked with planning and leading projects that benefit the community and put their leadership training to the test.
For his service project, Cavaliere said he wanted to give back to his troop’s benefactor, Grace United Methodist Church, which lent its building to the troop for BSA meetings. Cavaliere renovated a space in the church that has long served as an equipment room for the troop’s camping gear.
“The room used to be a complete mess,” Cavaliere said. “It was not serving its purpose because of how cluttered and outdated things were, making it impossible to find anything.”

Cavaliere raised more than $1,000 to buy the materials needed to revamp the room.
Healey’s project focused on putting together benches for the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island after he learned that a recent storm had wrecked the benches in the children’s playground. His grandmother Marie Healey, who recently died and was a dedicated nurse, lies at the heart of the inspiration for his project.
“The best part was seeing how happy the kids were when I came into the building with the benches,” Healey said.
Brothers Alessio and Fabrizio Fratarcangeli harnessed the power of 3D-printing to make their service project come to life. Alessio 3D-printed four fully functional prosthetics designed for children in the MakerSpaces at the Waldinger Library and Wheeler Avenue School. He included an informational video on how to create the prosthetic and gave a presentation to the students at Wheeler Avenue on his project to excite them about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and enlist their support.
“I had the tech computer lab assistants, several Boy Scouts and students help with the printing process and making the final product,” Alessio said. “It was one of most memorable experiences for me.”
Fabrizio used 3-D printing to craft a tactile Braille map of the Smith Haven Mall for visually impaired veterans to use with their service dogs to practice navigating around public areas. He also created two storage benches that hold training items and dog treats and made over 200 welcome amenity kits for a training facility owned by the Americas Vet Dog Foundation. The basis of his inspiration was the memory of his neighbor, a veteran merchant marine who suffered from PTSD, but whose life “changed dramatically” for the better when he adopted a canine companion.
Having moved away to North Carolina last August, the two Eagle Scout brothers hopped in a car with their family and made the nine-hour ride to attend the ceremony.
“It was really special to see everyone again. It really put everything to a close,” Alesio said.
The friendship among the four honorees stretches back to their days of Cub Scouts. “We all wanted to be in the same ceremony, so why not do it together?” said Cavaliere. Local officials, including Nassau County Legislator William Gaylor and County Judge Robert Bogle, were there to present certificates of achievement.