DERBY - Housatonic Council Boy Scout Troop 3 Derby Scout Joseph Szewczyk was recently recognized for achieving Eagle Scout Rank during a Court of Honor held at the troop’s sponsoring organization, the Derby Second Congregational Church.
Joseph B. Szewczyk is the 17 year-old son of Peter and Myra Szewczyk and is the older brother of First Class Scout Michael Szewczyk, all of Ansonia.
Joseph was a Cub Scout in Pack 5 Ansonia, where he earned the Arrow of Light Award prior to crossing over into Boy Scout Troop 3 Derby. He is also a member of Venture Crew 77 of Ansonia.
45 merit badges earned
Joseph was a member of the Troop 3 Ghost Riders Patrol, where he served as Scribe, Quartermaster and Patrol Leader.
As a Patrol Leader, he consistently led his patrol to top five finishes in Housatonic Council Camporee and Klondike Derby competitions. Joseph also served as the Troop Scribe, Senior Patrol Leader, and currently serves as Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. For three years he has also performed as an endman, or joke teller, in the Annual Scout Gang Show.
Joseph has earned a total of 45 merit badges, and he has also earned a Bronze Palm in addition to Eagle Scout Rank.
In addition to enjoying many weekend campouts and weeks of summer camp at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation, Joseph also attended the 2010 BSA National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia and traveled with the troop on a three-week cross country camping adventure, in 2014.
This summer, Joseph will represent Troop 3 as an Exchange Scout to Limerick, Ireland.
Joseph is a lifelong parishioner and altar server at Three Saints Orthodox Church, Ansonia. His Eagle Scout community service project took place at Three Saints Park, in Bethany, where he led a team of volunteers in constructing a 40-foot bridge over a brook and re-establishing a hiking trail.
The project encompassed more than 300 hours of teamwork and included digging footings, pouring concrete, laying telephone poles across the span, securing the decking, and installing railings.
Szewczyk is a senior at Ansonia High School, where he is valedictorian of his class.
He attended American Legion Boys’ State and is the Co-President of the National Honor Society, where he has helped to create a peer-tutoring program in addition to coordinating blood and book drives. He is pursuing a career as an actuary and will attend the University of Connecticut with a major in Mathematics and Actuarial Science.
Eagle Scout Justin Patten served as Master of Ceremonies for the court of honor. The program was under the direction of Troop 3 Scoutmaster Randy Ritter. Mayor David Cassetti of Ansonia and Mayor Anita Dugatto of Derby presented gifts and proclamations to the Szewczyk behalf of their communities.
Also giving greetings were Housatonic Council Scout President Gary Parker, Scout Executive John Zseller and District Director Roger Stewart. Scouts who were part of the ceremony include James Chopak, Mike Szewczyk, Tyler Tallberg and Naveen Madivala.
Additional participants included Eagle Scouts and Scout leaders William V. McDonnell Jr, John Spinetti, Charles Hemstreet, Sr, Matthew Moran, Ryan Cafaro andRyan Amato. Also participating were Troop 3 Advancement Chair Margie Kish, Ansonia High teachers Rachel Sopko and Amy Donofrio, and Fr. Patrick Burns of Three Saints Orthodox Church.
Letters of recognition we read from President and Mrs. Obama, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Gov. Dannel Malloy and members of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
“Joe’s dedication and commitment to the Scouting program makes him a strong role model for our younger Scouts,” Scoutmaster Randy Ritter said.
“We are very proud of Joe’s accomplishments at school and in Scouts, and his community service has been extraordinary,” Ritter added.
Eagle Scout Szewczyk said, “Scouting has been a life changing program for me that has helped me to come out of my shell and it has given me the self-confidence to speak to an audience and to take on new experiences”.
Szewczyk is Troop 3 Derby’s 303rd Eagle Scout since the Troop was founded in 1914.
Nationally, only about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle.
Troop 3 meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Derby Second Congregational Church and invites all boys from throughout the Valley at least 11 years of age to join in on the Troop’s Scouting adventures.
For more information call 203-732-0343 or visit www.troop3derby.orgor https://www.facebook.com/
This is a press release from Scoutmaster Randy Ritter.
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