Goshen, N.Y. – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus has recognized Boy Scout Troop 440 of Monroe as his Citizen of the Month Award recipient for the month of September.
Troop 440 was honored for the completion of several community service projects that have benefited the Town of Monroe and surrounding communities. Troop 440 will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.
“This recognition is not only a testament to Troop 440’s hard work, but also to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts throughout Orange County who take great pride in contributing in positive ways to the community,” Neuhaus said. “Scouting prepares young men and women to be good citizens and leaders, promoting values such as service to others, loyalty, honesty and patriotism. Troop 440 is an important part of the community and participating has allowed its members to help the community while learning skills that will help them through life.”
Troop 440’s most recent projects include improvements to the hiking path by the ponds in Monroe and the construction of 10 new picnic tables for the Town of Monroe at Mombasha Park. The Scouts have also built 10 standard and handicapped-accessible picnic tables for O&R Park in Monroe, have installed three flag poles with a stone wall and new plantings at Monroe Town Hall and a new retaining wall around the existing flagpoles and landscapes improvements at the Town of Monroe Ambulance Corp. building.
Troop 440 has also completed a new fenced-in playground for preschoolers at Sacred Heart School, refurbished signage and new stone wall with plantings for St. Anastasia Church, a sensory garden for the Monroe-Woodbury Middle School, and a Peace Pole reflection area with new bench seating and stone walkway at the Pine Tree Elementary School. According to Steve Thau, Troop 440’s Committee Chairman, the Scouts have a busy year ahead of them as they prepare to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Troop 440 has a number of future projects planned, including a new patio at the Town of Monroe Ambulance Corp., a new stone wall with plantings around the new digital sign, improved lighting and landscaping at Monroe Town Hall, the building of a dock at the Hudson Highlands Museum in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, and the renovation and addition of a new patio and walkway at St. Patrick’s Church in Highland Mills.
These initiatives are Eagle Scout Community Services Projects, which are necessary for a to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Troop 440 has also placed flags on the graves of veterans on Memorial Day, participated in the County Wreaths Across America ceremony, and supports American Legion Post 488 in Monroe, Troop 440’s chartering organization.
“Our community is grateful for Troop 440’s dedication to completing Eagle Scout projects, which will have a lasting impact on our community,” Town of Monroe Supervisor Tony Cardone said. “Every Scout has exhibited hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to go above and beyond for our residents. Choosing the route to become an Eagle Scout is an admirable and selfless choice, and we are grateful that County Executive Neuhaus has recognized Troop 440 and its contributions.”
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is composed of approximately 2.2 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 800,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. Since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million youth have participated in the BSA’s programs.
Neuhaus introduced his Citizen of the Month Award, which acknowledges outstanding Orange County residents, in January of 2017. To nominate someone for the Citizen of the Month Award, please email ceoffice@orangecountygov.com or mail a letter to “Citizen of the Month” at 255-275 Main Street Goshen, N.Y. 10924. Be sure to include the nominee’s name, hometown, a list of their accomplishments, why you are nominating them, and any other pertinent information. Nominees must be from Orange County.
For more information, contact Justin Rodriguez, Assistant to the County Executive for Communications and Media Relations at 845.291.3255 or jrodriguez@orangecountygov.com.
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