Monthly Archives: March 2024
Scouts Attend Service for Those Affected by the War in Ukraine
On Sunday, March 10, 2024, Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts and Cub Scout members from Pioneer and Fishawack Districts of Patriot’s Path Council and Plast USA Scouts joined parishioners at Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church, Hillside, Union County, NJ to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and pray for those affected by the war and difficulties in Ukraine.
After singing “God Bless America”, the Scouts carried the following flags in procession: American (Brandon Banko), Ukrainian (Isaiah Mutyanda) and Vatican (Brianna Marecki). Attendees sang the American and Ukrainian National Anthems.
Scouts Nicholas Shatynski read the Troparion and Kondakion, Natalia Arpino read the Prokimenon, Logan Shepherd read the Epistle in English and Paul Hadzewycz read the Epistle in Ukrainian. Father Vasyl Vladyka, pastor of Immaculate Conception, gave a very informative and inspiring sermon that reflected on how the Scouts were truly living the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
During the Lenten Sorokousty Memorial Service, Father Vasyl Vladyka mentioned, name by name, deceased Scouts’ family members, names of the dearly departed that parishioners submitted, those that sacrificed their lives in the current war in Ukraine, as well as deceased long time Hillside resident and NY Yankees shortstop and announcer Phil Rizzuto, Oskar Schindler and the individual names of Hillside, NJ resident family members who were murdered in the Holocaust / Shoah.
Afterwards, in the church hall, Orest Hrycak gave a very informative and captivating presentation entitled “Russo Ukrainian War 2014 – Present” supported by videos, photos and a several maps of Ukraine. Orest recently returned from a 6 month deployment in Europe assisting in the relief effort for Ukraine. The attendees thanked Orest for his dedication and sang “Mnohaya Lita” (i.e. “Many Happy Years”) and dedicated the luncheon to Orest.
Special thank you to Jim Agar (Troop 73 Religious Emblems Coordinator and member of the Newark Latin Archdiocese’s Catholic Committee on Scouting), Orest Hrycak (Troop 75 Scoutmaster) and Joe Shatynski (Troop 173 Committee Member) for organizing this spiritually uplifting and special event.
Looking for Religious Contacts for the Jersey 360 Jamboree
In preparation for the Jersey 360 Jamboree, we are looking for connections to help us deliver religious services during the Jamboree.
We are hoping to host services for members of the Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Islam, Sikh, Hindi and Scouts Own faiths.
If you are interested in helping and/or have religious leader contacts, please e-mail Douglas Gabel @ [email protected]. Thank you.
Join Us At the 2024 Patriots’ Path Council Awards Celebration
We will be presenting the 2024 SILVER BEAVER AWARDS at the PPC Awards Celebration on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Winnebago Scout Reservation. We will also be presenting the TRAILBLAZER AWARDS, YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS, VENTURING LEADERSHIP AWARDS, SEA SCOUT LEADERSHIP AWARD, COUNCIL ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR AWARD, and COUNCIL DUTY TO GOD AWARD.
The celebration will be held in the dining hall, with a gathering at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon and awards ceremony will be at 12:30 p.m. Register on-line HERE. by April 22, 2024.
If you can’t attend the event in person, consider placing an ad or congratulatory message in the journal. Details about all these options are available HERE.
For more information or questions, please contact Vicki Kallok at 973-765-9322 x246 or [email protected]
Congradulations to our 2024 Recipients:
SILVER BEAVER AWARD: Linda Cummings, Jack Flood, Keith Hawkins, Sr., Linda Hogan, John “Ted” Marquardt, Ernesto Soler
TRAILBLAZER AWARD: Michael Conlon, Marco A. Gonzalez, Jr., Charles L. Hoeckele, Paul Minenna
YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD: Matthew Blanchard, Brianna Brady, John Frederick Gomes, Peter Lefkowitz, Michael McNamara, Brian Patoir
VENTURING LEADERSHIP AWARD: Enrique Adams, Benjamin Smith, Jennifer Quinn, Jeanne Doherty, Elizabeth “Beth” Draper, Jeff Lefkowitz
SEA SCOUT LEADERSHIP AWARD: Lora Panepinto
PPC ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR AWARD: Robert Germinder
PPC DUTY TO GOD AWARD: Douglas Gabel
Operation WRIP (Watchung Reservation Invasive Plants) – Saturday, April 6, 2024
Operation WRIP (Watchung Reservation Invasive Plants) will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Registration is required to participate. Camping and participation is FREE.
The link to register is here- Patriots’ Path Council – Operation WRIP (scoutingevent.com)
The goal of the event will be to remove as many invasive plants from the Watchung Reservation forest ecosystem as possible in one morning.
On that date, it is expected that Japanese barberry and multiflora rosa bushes will be the only plants in the forest with green leaves, making it easy to identify them. The plants will be removed by pulling, digging up the root balls, or cutting.
Scouting volunteers can sign up as a unit or as an individual.
Participants must arrive and check-in between 8:30 am and 9:00 am. Participants will park at the Trailside Nature & Science Center parking lot, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, and will gather at the amphitheater located between there and the Scout Camping Area. Union County Parks staff will provide instructions on how to remove plants and then make assignments. All participants will return to the amphitheater at noon to check-out.
Scout BSA and Venture Crew participants will be assigned to specific areas throughout the 2,143-acre park. Units will need to transport their members to those locations. All Cub Scout participants and any individual Scout BSA participants will be assigned to areas close to the Trailside Nature & Science Center.
County staff and Watchung Reservation Trail Stewards will be on site to provide logistical support and technical guidance, as well as supervision of individual Scouts. Some work gloves and tools will be available for use by event participants.
Service hours can be credited toward rank advancements, or as conservation hours for Camping Merit Badge. Operation WRIP will be a rain or shine event.
The Scout Camping Area will be available at no charge to Scouts BSA troops or Venture Crews that wish to camp overnight Friday and/or Saturday, on a first come- first served basis.
This event will be co-sponsored by the Union County Board of County Commissioners. All participants are asked to register by April 3, 2024. Complete details will be emailed to participants after they register.
