Westfield Welcomes Boy Scouts
John Cunningham
Intern
The Boy Scout Council’s home office recently moved to Westfield when the rough economy forced the Council to leave its former Chicopee headquarters.
Officially open late last fall, the scouts’ move was made possible by lifelong member Jeff Glaze, who owns the building the Council has made home. Located on Arch Road, just behind the Wendy’s as you get off the Mass Pike, the new space is proving to be a good fit.
Many scout leaders are happy with the new headquarters, including Dave Flaherty, leader of Troop 109.
Flaherty said the new location is “very convenient for people to find” now that it is located right off the highway.
Flaherty went on to add that it is a “great time to be a boy scout,” because this time of year is when the annual crossing over of Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts takes place.
In the “Arrow of Light Ceremony,” boys aged seven to 11 are accepted into the older group. It is also an opportune time for boys that age who have no previous Cub Scout experience to join up with the Boy Scouts because the troops are always admitting new members.
Those who do may find a life long commitment awaiting them. Local former Boy Scout Harris Tanner joined the Cub Scouts at nine years old, back in 1940. He went on to lead a training course, and now works as the Council Historian, “collecting facts about the Council that would otherwise be lost.”
Flaherty said that the Boy Scouts have “an action packed spring schedule,” including such activities as hiking, camping trips and backpacking; there are also specific events, such as a trip to the Grand Tetons and “a canoe trip in the Adirondacks.”
Scouting events are also beneficial to the community as a whole. Joe Mitchell, the Westfield Veterans Services Officer and leader of Troop 821 said during the fall, the Boy Scouts assisted in the Brush Brigade, a clean up effort, after the heavy October storm. They’ve also helped build the tennis backcourt wall at Franklin Street Park, and cleaned up graffiti at the South Middle School.
Many fund raising events and social gatherings will be held throughout the month of February. The annual Leader Recognition Dinner was held over the weekend at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee, open only to the scout members and their parents. The annual Bowlathon fund-raiser is also being planned and is open to everyone.
For those looking to join the scouts, Flaherty’s troop 109 meets Monday evenings at St. Mary’s. Mitchell’s Troop 821 meets on Wednesdays at Blessed Sacrament; and Troop 820, who meet on Wednesdays at the Sportsman’s Club.
