Hempstead Town honors Scouts

Hempstead Town officials honored 108 Boy Scouts and 65 Girl Scouts who earned the highest awards in their organizations -- the rank of Eagle Scout and the Gold Award, respectively.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and other town officials recognized the Scouts Saturday morning at a campfire ceremony at Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve in Merrick. Each honoree was presented with a Hempstead Town citation and a patch to commemorate the celebration.

“Scouting build character and molds young men and women into society’s key contributors and leaders,” Murray said in a statement. “In the words of scouting icon Theodore Roosevelt, ‘Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.’”

Guests of honor included representatives from the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, chief executive Donna Ceravolo and president and chief volunteer officer Diane McFarlane, and Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boys Scouts of America executive director David Richardson.

Eagle Scout James Egan, a senior at East Meadow High School, spoke during the ceremony about his experiences as a Boy Scout and his path to achieving the highest rank a Boy Scout can attain. James' project focused on educating children on how to be environmentally aware.