In 2017 when her son Arnav earned Eagle, Sangeet Srikanth told fellow parents at his Troop 355 Newton Court of Honor: 

“It structures their lives and gives them the most valuable experience that even the best high school education cannot provide.”

“None of the experiences in Scouting can be measured in terms of letter grades, GPA, test scores – but you can witness and experience it everyday in your son’s life,” added Srikanth. “As a parent, I can attest that scouting makes parenting easier.

“But Scouting also does something no other activity can: It helps [children] develop a strong, positive moral character – it is integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, loyalty, being fair and just; caring, trustworthy, and responsible.

“As a high school teacher, I can say that our education system does not teach several life values &  skills in classrooms; you learn them outdoors. 

“It is a latent collection of all these experiences that make them, in the end, self-reliant human beings!”

In his famous essay “Self-Reliance,” transcendalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said of boyhood education:

“The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.”

Over 180 years later, Emerson’s fellow philosopher Srikanth — who emigrated to the United States to achieve a Master’s Degree at Boston University — told the BSA’s official blog, “As a driven and motivated woman, I have been in pursuit of academic achievement all my school years.

“But after coming to the U.S. and getting exposed to a lot of activities that kids can get involved in, I wanted them to be holistically educated and not focus only on academics.”

Through Scouting, Sangeet, a recent addition to the Mayflower Council board, says her son and now her daughter Anishka have done just that and have tried much more than they would have solely in the classroom.

“Many scouting skills prepare them to face a challenge, learn teamwork, and plan ahead of time. And if things go wrong, they go wrong,” Srikanth recently told MayflowerBSA.org. “You bounce back and try to try a different way or a different thing.

“For example, when they’re doing an Eagle project, many things go differently than planned. The deadlines, the project proposal, and many aspects help them understand it’s not always as you plan; you must just be ready for things to change.” 

“And you should be willing to change and make newer plans because the old one doesn’t work anymore,” she said.

Of course, Scouting recently changed, too, just in time for Sangeet’s daughter Anishka to join Newton Troop 209G.

“Fortunately, the BSA started enrolling girls in 2019, and the next thing she did was enroll in Scouting,” said the elder Srikanth, who marveled at the maturity and confidence her daughter garnered through Scouts BSA. “She became accommodating but at the same time stood up for justice and started speaking for herself. 

“Her ability to differentiate and make correct choices helped her mature much faster than some of her peers.”

Through the eyes of her children and with her own Scouter’s eyes (Sangeet is also the Scoutmaster of Troop 209G), Srikanth recently enlarged her Scouting family – several hundred times over.

You see, Sangeet joined the Mayflower Council Board with a focus on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI), and alongside peers across the BSA landscape, will look to ensure Scouting truly is for everyone.

Srikanth believes the national organization is moving closer to the truth of the Scout law through its inclusion initiatives.

“Now that we have started taking girls, it’s more diverse… including kids from different socioeconomic backgrounds, people of color,” she explained. 

“My son, I think, was the only South Asian child. But now I see many Indian families putting their kids into Scouting, whether a boy or a girl,” continued Mayflower’s Diversity Chair. “And I know quite a few families that I can proudly say got inspired by my talking to them in the last three years about how Scouting has shaped my son. 

“And I can definitely tell you that if my son were not in Scouts, with those seven years of Scouting and what it did for him, he would’ve been a completely different person in terms of his personality, taking up responsibilities, and being able to face failure,” she said. “In high school and college, he faced many failures, but he accepted failure and dealt with it much better than I did when I was his age.”

To that point, Sangeet believes Scouts give kids a safe space to try, fail, and try again.

“Failing in front of a boss, a team, or an office, or even in college, is scary,” explained Srikanth, whose son Arnav will soon graduate from the University of Illinois. “But if things have gone wrong [at times in] 5th, 6th, and 7th grade and in front of 20 other Scouts, they learn how to deal with it pretty fast.”

Today, and with those valuable experiences in mind, the new board member is ready to spread the message about the merits of Scouting to an ever-expanding group. Being independent, speaking up to themselves, and being able to go in front of an audience and present themselves are all skills developed through Scouting, explained the Scoutmaster. 

Meanwhile, the fun — especially fun found outdoors — remains a program highlight.

Seeing her children have experiences she did not makes Sangeet Srikanth want to give others the same opportunities.

“The camping and outdoor trips, outdoor experiences with the hiking and the swimming and all the activities that we do, [Arnav and Anishka] both have enjoyed and loved the outdoors,” she said. “I come from a background where I never had any of these [experiences]. I grew up in India and was raised in a very conservative time; there were not many things girls were allowed to do… There were so many restrictions. 

“So I had always wanted to do something adventurous but couldn’t,” she added. “When Scouting came my way, it was like living my life again through my kids.”

And Sangeet’s adventure continues! Look for more from Srikanth and Mayflower Council’s DEI work in the coming months.

The National Eagle Scout Association established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams national Eagle Scout service project of the year award (ESSPY) to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by an Eagle Scout candidate to a religious institution, a school, community or other entity through completion of an Eagle Scout project.

Examples of projects that have been selected for the ESSPY include projects that have benefited underprivileged children, recognized veterans, been international in nature, and have required significant time and resources.

The selection of recipients begins at the local level and is conducted through the council NESA committee (which may utilize a NESA awards sub-committee). The council NESA committee selects a recipient for their respective council from the list of submitted nominations and then forwards a worthy candidate to the National Eagle Scout Association for regional consideration.

Mayflower Council NESA committee will present a $250.00 scholarship.  The winner will then be placed in the regional level.

Please submit the form below to NESA@Mayflowerbsa.org for consideration.

Regional ESSPY recipients are selected by each council’s regional NESA scholarship committee. Regional recipients will receive $500, to be available for their future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or facility. (Local council will also receive a $500 award.)

The recipient of the national award is then selected among regional recipients by a special selection committee of the National Eagle Scout Association. National recipients will receive $2,500, to be available for their future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or facility. (Local council will also receive a $2,500 award.)

All nominations are due annually by January 31.

Earlier this summer, the Venturing Crew 29 and BSA Troop 64 Scout earned the accolade during the American Legion Camporee at Gardner’s Camp Collier.

Recently, the Mayflower Council was thrilled to learn that Dante D. received the American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year Award at the America Legion Camporee, held June 17-19, 2022, at Camp Collier in Gardner, Mass.

“My Eagle Scout Project was to re-side the tool shed at my middle school, Mullein Hill Christian Academy, and to clean up the surrounding area,” explained Dante in the write-up of his project, which garnered the attention of the American Legion. 

“Before I could start any work on the shed, I had to take measurements to see how much siding I would need to cover the shed,” added the Scout. “Then I had to research and see which siding would be the best based on durability, longevity, appearance, and cost.”

No Eagle Scout Project is easy. But Dante’s was especially detailed. Author’s note: Dante’s dedication while completing the task is evidenced by the no less than six Scouters who wrote in this summer to mention it and his American Legion award.

“I contacted a local contractor to ask him if he could donate any materials for the project,” explained Dante in his documentation. “He helped me come up with a list of needed materials, such as corner pieces, flashing, and other smaller items that would be required to finish the project. 

“Once I had a list of the needed supplies and a budget, I contacted local businesses to get donations not just for materials for the project but also for other items such as food and water for the volunteers.”

Working in a short amount of time, Dante made the most of his materials and volunteers.

“The work happened over two days,” continued the Scout. “On the first day, we removed any protruding objects and replaced any of the rotting wood found at the base of the shed.

“On the second day, we finished siding the shed,” he wrote. “Then we had to wrap the shed in Tyvek wrap to prevent future water damage to the shed or siding. We then began to side the shed, having two groups of people, one cutting the siding and the other placing it onto the building. 

“We also placed down a rock bed around the perimeter of the shed and pulling weeds. Once this was all done, we put up some signage and did some touch-up painting around the roof and door of the shed,” wrote Dante.

The results speak for themselves. The work performed by Dante and Co. will have a significant impact.

With the shed re-sided and no longer exposed to the elements, the school’s equipment — the bulk of it being landscaping equipment and machinery — would not be damaged. The new siding also extended the shed’s longevity, helping the school save money on buying and repairing damaged gear.

As a result of Dante’s hard work, the Massachusetts American Legion later recognized him as their Eagle Scout of the Year.

Click here to learn more about Eagle Scout Projects (and the Mayflower Council).

Eric H. of Troop 28 Cohasset Earns Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award

Eagle Scout created “first responder sensory kits” to help first responders 

Wrentham, Mass. — The National Eagle Scout Association established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by a Scout to a religious institution, a school, community, or other entity. 

The award recognizes a Scout for their Eagle Scout leadership service project, which is part of the requirements for earning the Eagle Scout Award. Each year, local councils select a council-level winner, and each region selects a region-level winner from that pool. A national winner is then chosen from the four regional finalists.

On June 13, 2022, The Mayflower Council, BSA proudly presented the 2021 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Award of the Year to:

Eric H.
Troop 28 Cohasset
Sensory Kits for First Responders

Eric’s project raised awareness of autism while providing first responders with the resources and tools they need when they assist people with special needs. His project included: providing 80 sensory kits to multiple towns in the surrounding South Shore towns of Cohasset, Hanover,

Hingham, Hull, Norwell, Scituate.

Eric saw this need for sensory kits after experiences with his older brother, who has autism, where first responders were not equipped to respond to his brother’s needs. To address this need, Eric spoke with a family friend who was a former EMT and Eric’s brother’s teacher at the Amego School in Franklin, Mass., to form his idea of creating a “first responder sensory kit” go bag. 

The kits contain items to help first responders communicate with the person in need as well as bring them comfort.

Following the presentation of the Adams Award, Eric also received a citation and a medallion from Brigadier General (Ret.) Emery Maddocks of the Military Order of the World Wars.

“We have a really outstanding project to recognize,” said Gen. Maddocks of Eric’s Sensory Kits. “For dedication to the principles of the Boy Scouts of America as evidenced by not only by his achievement of the highest achievement in Scouting – the Boy Scout Eagle Award –but further by [earning] the 2021 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award.”

Just before Memorial Day, one Mayflower Council Scout collects clothes for veterans…

Beyond trips to the beach, hot dogs, and lawn mowing, Memorial Day retains one true purpose: Remember.

And while some Scouts will carefully place flags beside the graves of those who served, and many others will proudly march in parades, one Eagle candidate sought to remember and honor those veterans who still walk among us.

Carlie B. of Newton’s Troop 209G explained her project on its GoFundMe page.

“My name is Carlie,” she posted. “I’m a 13 yr old Life Scout in troop 209 located in Newton, MA. I’ve partnered with the… New England Center and Home for Veterans as part of my Eagle Scout Project.”

That partnership – noticed by WHDH – garnered Carlie and the project some well-deserved attention at this important time of the year.

“I think that joining scouting teaches you plenty of great lessons in life,” said Carlie. “it really helps you out.”

And in turn, Carlie – who raised almost $17,00 – helped out many veterans; 250 or so were gifted clothing, toiletries, and shoes.

Speaking of the good turn, Carlie implied she simply followed the example of another Scout.

“My dad, he’s an Eagle Scout,” she told WHDH’s camera. ”And so, when I receive Eagle in the next few months, I will become an Eagle Scout just like him.”

 Here at the Mayflower Council, we think her fellow Scouts should follow Carlie’s example, too.

Scouters, Scouts, Friends, and Family Remain Impressed with Mayflower Council Standout…

Sometimes you just have to stop and listen. Such was the state of affairs at the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) opening event held in January.

Newton’s Grace W., one of the first-ever young women to earn Scouting BSA’s highest honor – Eagle Scout – spoke to a packed room of loyal Scouting supporters. 

Conversations paused, and tasty appetizers remained plated; young and old alike listened to White as she reminded everyone about the many merits of Scouting.

In short, Grace loves it all.

“With my troop behind me and with the motivation of the adult leaders,” began Grace, “I was able to achieve my dream of reaching Eagle.”

“But if I were to sit down and pick out one aspect of Scouting that has shaped me the most, I could not tell you,” she continued. “There have been so many parts of Scouts that have shaped me as a person.” 

However, the final journey to Eagle remains omnipresent in Grace’s mind.

“The whole Eagle process, in general, was really impactful,” said Grace, who now attends college in Boston. “As you all know, every Eagle Scout that you meet they have gone through a lot to get to where they are.”

For Grace, the work toward Scouting’s ultimate goal had a hard stop, particularly as she began her work only a year and a half before her 18th birthday. But while the Scout handbook and merit badge work were daunting, it’s the Eagle service project that dominates Grace’s story.

Meanwhile, with her project set smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, White looked to make an immediate impact with her project – an outdoor classroom.

“I thought that I could benefit my community by building a safe outdoor space for students to learn,” she explained. “During the project, I learned a lot about leadership, and with my time constraints, I had to work extra hard to make sure that everything in my project was absolutely perfect.”

However, even a special Eagle service project has its defects.

“And if I’m being honest, [the project] wasn’t perfect,” admitted Grace. “But I think that’s the thing about doing these projects, especially as a young person, is that it’s not going to be perfect, but you get to learn something from it.”

And, amid her efforts, Grace learned the power of community.

“For me, I learned how nice people can be,” she emphasized. “I got a lot of help with my project; from people in my troop, my friends, and my family – everyone was so supportive, and it felt great to have that kind of people around.”

Of course, at the FOS dinner, Grace was  surrounded by “that kind of people.”Moreover, you can join that fantastic crowd by lending your pledge to help Scouts like Grace reach the pinnacle of Scouting and, in turn, serve others in the process. Click here to begin.

Eagle Scout service project brings “tactile reading” to children Watertown’s Perkins School…

They say, what goes around comes around.

And for Life Scout Jack B. of Troop 12, Plymouth Congregational Church, Framingham, coming back around led him to Watertown. 

As a toddler, Jack participated in an infant-toddler program at Perkins School for the Blind.

Perkins, founded in 1829, was the first school for the blind in the US. Today the school “is the worldwide leader in education services for children and young adults who have multiple disabilities and visual impairments.”

But, according to Dara, Jack’s mom, “Perkins was kind of like a lifeline.”

According to The Boston Globe’s Grace Gilson, who profiled Jack on February 18, the Scout was “​​trying to think of things that were important for me, and my mom remembered the story box, and I did some research, and we realized how important they were for literacy development.”

What’s a “story box,” you ask? Well, it was one way that young Jack engaged with reading.

Gilson explained:

[A] “story box,” [is] an interactive literary tool for children with visual impairments that includes physical objects as part of the storytelling experience.

And for Jack, diagnosed with a visual impairment as an infant, initiatives like the story box were critical. Thankfully, the Scout’s vision improved in time; however, the family never let Perkins drop from sight.

So as part of Jack’s Eagle service project, he and his troop fundraised for and produced 40 story boxes. Each box includes objects important to stories like “Goodnight Moon,” “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” and “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” A QR code points to audio of one of Troop 12’s Scouts reading the story aloud.

As a result, Perkins has new resources, and Jack owns a sense of accomplishment.

“I was really happy to finally give back to the full circle idea,” Jack told The Boston Globe.

If you want to read the full article, click here. To learn more about Troop 12, click here.

What do you do when your Girl Scout Troop stops meeting? Well, if you are Molly J, you join a Boy Scout troop, then found a Scouts BSA Girls’ Troop, earn Eagle Scout, and finally garner the title of “VFW Scout of the Year” in Massachusetts.

NBD. The Order of the Arrow is in there, too, BTW.

Yep, that’s how Molly rolls. She sets up the challenges and just knocks them down. Over and over and over.

Rick Harbert of Wicked Local reported:

Plymouth’s first female Eagle Scout is now also the state Veterans of Foreign War’s Scout of the Year… Molly Joyce won the state VFW’s 2021 title after winning similar honors on the local and district levels. [The junior] at Plymouth South High School received a $1,000 scholarship during ceremonies at Camp Squanto [in August].

A member of the first-ever girls’ class of Mayflower Council BSA Eagle Scouts, Joyce joined Plymouth Troop 1620 after reaching the Girl Scout rank of Cadette. Then, she founded Crew 1920 (a fitting moniker, as the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920, giving women full citizenship in the United States).

She then worked her way up the ranks of the BSA.

Molly, a Senior Patrol Leader, whose Eagle Scout Service Project restored the Stations of the Cross of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church in West Plymouth, became an Eagle Scout on the same day as her younger brother Liam (whose Eagle project created shooting benches and targets for the gun club in Middleborough).

“To have a student reach that level is an incredible accomplishment because it takes a great deal of effort to get to that point,” Denis Russell, commander of VFW Post 1822, told WickedLocal.com. “It’s quite an achievement, and the VFW was proud to have her represent the state.”

Do you know a Mayflower Council Scout who deserves some recognition? Email john@mayflowerbsa.org and send along the details.

Eagle Scout project garnered 300 new LEGO sets for Boston Children’s Hospital

Recently, children at Boston Children’s Hospital received almost 300 new LEGO sets from a former patient turned Mayflower Council Eagle Scout – Thomas R.

Thomas, a sophomore at Willow Hill School and a Scout in Troop 101 Northborough, learned those little blocks’ true value while fighting through illness several years ago.

“During my stay, there was not much I could do because of all the wires attached to me,” he told the Community Advocate last August of his stay at Boston Children’s. “I remember the Child Life Specialist bringing me a new Lego set to build, and that was a lot of fun.”

The Eagle Scout service project, “The LEGO Drive,” was announced in April 2021 via YouTube.

BTW: Shout out to whoever played the LEGO Minifig in the video.

In the video, Thomas explained that he was a patient at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2015; he talked about the cords and equipment and how the distraction of LEGOs was integral to his morale.

“I built [that] set and many more throughout my stay at Boston Children’s Hospital,” explained Thomas. “To bring that excitement to Children’s Hospital, I am hosting a LEGO drive.”

The Advocate elaborated on Thomas’ plan:

Lego sets were collected using an Amazon Wishlist, which shipped directly to Thomas. He also had donation bins set up at his school and house. In addition, a drive-up collection was held at Assabet Park on April 11.

Of course, like many things during 2021, COVID-19 made things difficult for Thomas and his fellow LEGO drivers.

“I delivered 60 sets and will deliver the rest as soon as BCH has lifted their donation restrictions due to COVID,” said Thomas last summer

Although tenacity is not an official part of the Scout Law, it is implied. Despite obstacles, Thomas was definitely HELPFUL to each of the kids at Boston Children’s Hospital who received the LEGOs.

“I am grateful to everyone who contributed to help make this project a success,” he said to the Community Advocate. “I hope the Legos will put a smile on the faces of the patients at Boston Children’s Hospital like it did for me.”

BTW: If you know of a Mayflower Scout who deserves some recognition, email John@MayflowerBSA.com.

Photo submitted to Community Advocate