For our fifth #meettheteammonday on Mayflower Council’s social media, we sat down with Rob Difazio, Mayflower Council Senior Membership and Unit Service Executive and Membership Growth Captain…

Rob, what is your favorite aspect of Scouting?

“I enjoy so much about the Scouting program, from enjoying the outdoors and camping to learning new skills and especially the friendships I have made as a Scout and in my role with the council.”

What brought you to the Mayflower Council?

“Before the pandemic, I owned and ran a mobile entertainment company where I entertained weddings and corporate events and was a nationally recognized kid’s entertainer. When things shut down, I began to look at what my options would look like after the world re-opened. In 2022, I saw an opportunity to work here and applied as I thought the time might be right for a new challenge and a change from running my own business. It turns out that that decision has been one of the smartest decisions I have ever made!”

What is your Scouting background?

“I grew up in Scouting. I was a Cub Scout and a Scout in my hometown of East Bridgewater, where I received my Eagle Scout rank and award in 1987. I am an Ordeal member of the Order of the Arrow and have attended two National Jamborees, once as a Scout in 1985 and most recently as a service team member in 2023. I am also a member of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA).”

Council Duties

“I am a Senior Membership and Unit Service Executive and Membership Growth Captain. I work with my team to develop council membership strategies to help our units grow their membership and remain strong for the communities we serve. I also identify opportunities for individual units to ensure they have the resources to have a strong presence at local community events in their towns. In addition, I also am the Staff Advisor for the Venturing Officer’s Association.”

Rob’s Personal Favorites

Favorite

color Red

drink Diet Dr. Pepper

treat DQ Reese’s Blizzard

hobby Camping and cooking

food “I am Italian… pizza!”

animal “Brady, my golden retriever.”

place Maine Seacoast

music “Being a former DJ, that’s a dangerous question, but I love 70s and 80s music.”

Feel free to contact Rob if he can help enhance your Scouting experience.

For our fourth #meettheteammonday on Mayflower Council’s social media, we sat down with Sarah Leach, Mayflower Council Membership & Community Partnerships Executive…

Sarah, what is your favorite aspect of Scouting?

“My favorite aspect of Scouting is spending quality time with my family and other amazing Scouters and volunteers. When we wear our uniforms, we feel a sense of pride and belonging to something special. It’s seeing youth thriving in a program that brings out their best. Scouting teaches and instills beliefs and morals that our children are not getting elsewhere, and I love to see them living out the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. Watching the Scouts in my pack grow from year to year has been my pleasure.”

What brought you to the Mayflower Council?

“I was involved with my son’s pack and believed very strongly in the program already. I was passionate about sharing Scouting with my community. I then had the opportunity to meet and work with one of my now colleagues as he helped support our pack at the Council level. I had been considering a career change, and seeing how he represented BSA and his love of the program was inspiring. As luck would have it, the council posted a job opening shortly after. I applied, and the rest is history.”

What is your Scouting background?

“My youngest became a Cub Scout as a Kindergartener. I knew the program aligned with my views and would be great for him as he loves anything outdoors. We went to a meeting, and when we left, he said, ‘I can’t wait to be a Lion and make new friends and go camping.’ Soon after I was ‘voluntold’ as committee chair, I was hooked and realized I would likely be what we Scouters call a lifer. Being a professional with Scouting America gives me a valuable perspective from both sides of the program.”

Sarah’s Personal Favorites

Favorite

color “Red, white & blue…”

drink Tonic water with lime

treat Pumpkin pie

hobby “Camping…”

food Steak

animal Dog

place The White Mountains/NH and Montana

music Country & 90s

Council Duties

• Sarah is part of the Mayflower Council growth team and works with existing units to recruit youth in their communities;
• Attends community events to share the Scouting program and support packs and troops;
• Helps create programs to assist leaders and volunteers in growing their towns’ Scouting programs.

Feel free to contact Sarah if she can help enhance your Scouting experience.

For our third #meettheteammonday on Mayflower Council’s social media, we sat down with Aaron Christian, Mayflower Council Membership & Unit Service Executive.

Aaron, what is your favorite aspect of Scouting?

“My favorite aspect of Scouting is its impact on its participants. I am a product of Scouting, and so are just about everyone I grew up with in my life. All of us are not the same people we would be having not participated in the program. Our troop’s Eagle Scout ceremony has a phrase that, to me, sums up what Scouting is. It says: Scouting is a ‘movement that helps a Scout become master of their own powers, helps them get along with others and helps them find a worthy use for their talents.’ Working for the Mayflower Council and in my volunteer service, I see that growth in many Scouts.

What brought you to the Mayflower Council?

“My journey to the Mayflower Council started in 2014 when I interacted with my troop’s district executive. Being the gung-ho Scout I was, I thought that was the coolest job ever. Flash forward to 2021 as I began to wrap up college and look for a career; this whole Scout thing came up again, and I decided to consider it. Luckily, when I graduated six months later, that opening was still there, and I jumped at the opportunity. I can proudly ‘report’ to my 14-year-old self that this is indeed one of the coolest jobs ever.”

What is your Scouting background?

“I started Scouting at nine when I joined Pack 41 Abington as a Webelos Scout. I crossed over into Troop 41 a couple of years later. I proudly served the troop as den chief, assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader (for three terms, too!), and junior assistant Scoutmaster. I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2016.

“After aging out of the Boy Scouts [now called Scouts BSA], I founded Crew 41 Abington and served as crew president for the entire duration I participated. In 2020, I earned the Venturing Summit Award and the Council Venturing Leadership Award. I was also a founding youth member of Sea Scout Ship 323 in Weymouth.

“From October 2019 to October 2020, I served on the Tantamous Lodge Executive Committee as the Japeechen chapter chief and vice chief of chapter operations. I was awarded the vigil honor in 2021.

“Today, while I serve in my role with the professional service of Scouting America, I also happily serve as an assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 41 Abington, assistant Cubmaster with Pack 41 Abington, and skipper of Ship 323 Weymouth. It was my pleasure serving as an assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 41 to attend Florida Sea Base in the Summer of 2023. As I say to those who ask about that experience, it was the smelliest, dirtiest, grossest, most disgusting thing I’ve ever done, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

Aaron’s Personal Favorites

Favorite

color Blue

drink “Good Old H2O!”

treat Hornstra Farms chocolate frappe

hobby Singing barbershop music/playing guitar

food Ceasar salad with chicken

Animal Dogs

Place The mountains (specifically the White Mountains)

Music Classic Rock/alternative

Council Duties

• Aaron is the team captain for the Community Partnerships Team;
• Builds meaningful relationships in communities to form new units;
• Develops and implements stewardship plans  with chartered organizations to maintain strong relationships;
• Provides support to the Council’s Roundtable program;
• Serves as the Tantamous Lodge professional staff adviser.

Feel free to contact Aaron if he can help enhance your Scouting experience.

For our second #meettheteammonday on Mayflower Council’s social media, we sat down with Felicia Vaytsman, Mayflower Council Membership & Community Partnerships Executive.

Felicia, what is your favorite aspect of Scouting?

“My absolute favorite thing? That it’s a FAMILY program! That we’re all in this together, as a family! My son and daughter both enjoy the program, the outings, and the events that Mayflower offers our community. I love hiking with them and doing things we may not otherwise do. When we go camping, it’s such a fun experience, and it fills my kid’s ‘nature bucket,’ which, for them, is a deep bucket and really, truly, brings such good energy to their souls. When they get to walk the field at Fenway or Polar Park donning their uniform with ‘Den Leader Mom,’ it gives them such pride to do those special things and wear their important uniform.”

What brought you to the Mayflower Council?

“In very early 2024, my kids were interested in the WooSox sleepover. As I was on the Mayflower Council website, I saw there was a job opening for a ‘Membership Executive.’ The role sounded a bit intimidating, especially since I had been a stay-at-home mom for five years by that point. However, so much of it sounded appealing and something I wanted to try! I was also very pleased by our Scouting experience thus far and found myself passionate about spreading the word about Scouting.”

What is your Scouting background?

“Scouting first piqued my interest when my son entered Kindergarten in the fall of 2021. We were at his school’s open house, and the Cub Scouts had an info table. I was talking with one of the moms who was a Den Leader. She explained the program, and it sounded really interesting and something I thought he and I would love. However, the Pandemic was still going on, and… I opted to wait a year.

“Then, a huge change in our lives came about. My husband’s job required him to relocate to Massachusetts from the Chicago area. We got here in June 2022, just as summer was beginning, and the first thing I did was research ‘Cub Scouts near me,’ and there, our journey began.

“I inquired about the program and also said, ‘I also might be interested in being a Den Leader.’ Which, if those words are ever uttered… It’s over, you’re hooked.

“So, I became his Tiger Den leader and loved it. My son was so excited about what they were learning and really proud that his mom was his Den Leader. That following year, my daughter was entering Kindergarten, and I asked my son if he would mind if I switched and led her Lion Den to encourage her Scouting career—he, of course, obliged.

“So now both of my children are in Scouting; I’ve completed Tiger Den and Lion Den leader, became the New Member Coordinator this year, and am the Lion Den leader for the 2nd time to support the newest Cub Scouts in our Pack.”

Felicias Personal Favorites

Favorite

color pink

drink Polar seltzer

treat DQ ice cream

hobby walking the neighborhood admiring the old homes and architecture

food all of it?

animal cat

place the beach

music 90s rap & alternative

Council Duties

• Felicia helps foster relationships in communities to form new units where they are needed;
• Works with charted organizations to ensure strong relationships;
• Attends community events to promote Scouting across the board.

Feel free to contact Felicia if she can help foster your Scouting experience.

For our initial #meettheteammonday on Mayflower Council’s social media, we sat down with Ryan Piazza, the Mayflower Council Camping Director!

Ryan, what is your favorite aspect of Scouting?

“Scouting is an experience everyone can participate in, where you become a better version of yourself. As we encounter more digital and consumer products in this modern-day era, Scouting can become an escape to achieving advancements that can greatly benefit the mind, soul, and body. At Mayflower Council, we consistently see individuals who achieve the rank of Eagle propel themselves forward toward future success—both personally and professionally.”

What brought you to the Mayflower Council?

“My path before joining Mayflower was based on a career focused on an industry that took me away from my roots. My wife [fellow Mayflower Council employee Jen] redirected me back to Scouting, a world where I can enjoy working for an organization that allows focus on personal and professional development.”

What is your Scouting background?

“I joined Cub Scouts as a kid, and today, I recall my favorite program being the Pinewood Derby, as my dad and I loved building and racing cars. I later attended sports camps and went to school for outdoor education. As a kid who struggled with traditional learning, I found Scouting essential in obtaining life skills through experiential education outside the classroom.”

Ryan’s Personal Favorites

color purple

drink Coca~cola

treat Snickers

hobby disc golf

sport soccer

food Shake Shack

animal cat

place home

music Christian Music

Piazza Fun Facts

Ryan takes a cold plunge every day…Coaches son’s soccer team…took an ultimate ski adventure in Japan.

The Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner highlighted the achievements of 148 dedicated Scouts who earned the highest Scouting rank in 2023

Wrentham, Massachusetts, June 26, 2024 — The Mayflower Council of Scouting America (nee Boy Scouts of America) proudly recognizes the Eagle Scout Class of 2023. This past year’s honorees were celebrated at the annual Eagle Dinner on June 10, 2024, at Lake Pearl in Wrentham, Mass. The event highlighted the achievements of 148 dedicated Scouts who earned the highest Scouting rank in 2023.

The evening featured inspiring speeches, including those by notable Eagle Scouts of the past and distinguished guests. Robert Brady, Eagle Scout Class of 1989, delivered the keynote address, sharing his journey and the impact of Scouting on his professional and personal life. Four additional Eagle Scout alumni received Outstanding Eagle Awards from the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA).

The Mayflower Council Eagle Scout Class of 2023 includes Scouts from the following communities: Abington, Braintree, Canton, Bridgewater (East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater), Cohasset, Duxbury, Easton (North Easton), Franklin, Framingham, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Kingston, Marshfield, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Natick, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Northborough, Northbridge, Pembroke, Plainville, Plymouth, Sharon, Sherborn, Southborough, Stow, Stoughton, Sudbury, Walpole, Waban, Wayland, Wellesley, Westborough, Weston, Weymouth, Whitman, and Wrentham.

Through their Eagle Scout projects, these Scouts have demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment, and community service, contributing thousands of hours to improving their communities.

As such, special recognition goes to Alyssa B. of Troop 424 Marshfield, who received the 2023 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Award. Ten other Scouts received “Honorable Mention” recognition for their outstanding service projects.

Please view the night’s program for a complete list of award recipients and honorees. A photo gallery of each of our honorees and the event is available.

The Mayflower Council extends its gratitude to the volunteers, sponsors, and families who support Scouting and help develop the leaders of tomorrow. Special thanks to Dick Keogh (Eagle Class of 1949) for his generous gift of commemorative pens for each participant; to Brigadier General (Retired) Emery Maddocks and the Military Order of the World Wars for the Honorable Mention Eagle Scout Certificates.

About Mayflower Council, BSA: Established in 2017, the Mayflower Council serves 62 cities and towns in Central and Eastern Massachusetts, providing Scouting programs that prepare young people to make ethical choices and achieve their full potential. The Council operates three camping properties: Camp Resolute, Camp Squanto, and the Nobscot Scout Reservation, offering over 1,400 acres of outdoor adventures.

For more information, please visit our Contact Page.

Media inquiries? Contact Mayflower Council Scout Executive Juan Osorio.

###

For additional details on the Eagle Scout Class of 2023 and the Mayflower Council,
Please visit www.mayflowerbsa.org.

Today, we conclude Mayflower Council’s Den Leader Appreciation Month for 2024.

Beyond focusing on the Scout Law and Oath, Lord Baden Powell said good leaders often see things from the Scout’s point of view, and that adage still holds

However, one local Cub Scout Den Leader from Pack 49 Norwood also takes BP’s old Scout motto to heart.

Matthew Kelly of Pack 49 Norwood

Cub Scout Pack 49 Norwood

“He’s flexible; takes on anything the Pack needs,” explained Norwood Committee Chair Rebecca Flynn of her nominee, Den Leader Matthew Kelly – our final Den Leader of the Week for 2024.

However, Flynn focused on Kelly’s ability to “be prepared” for her nomination.

“Although he is new to Scouting, he trains himself on what he will teach the children,” said Rebecca. “He’s a teacher by trade, so he connects with them well and illustrates the curriculum with real-life examples.”

Matthew with Cub Scouts.

Of course, a Scout is also cheerful, so Matthew keeps things light for his Cub Scouts.

“He’s funny!” added the committee chair. “He enjoys being with the kids and likes some of the same things they enjoy (like Star Wars and video games).

“He hasn’t forgotten what being a kid is like.”

Den Leader Appreciation Month

This month, the Mayflower Council celebrated extraordinary leaders and recognized our superlative Den Leaders via social media weekly in May. Check out our five superlative Den Leaders, each collected here.

Den Leaders Light the Way