Big Milestone Celebrated By Boy Scout Troop In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — For more than 50 years, Boy Scout Troop 615 in Howard County has been tending to the environment and helping others. The troop celebrated its 50th anniversary Dec. 15 after being founded in 1971 in Ellicott City.

The most recent scoutmasters of Troop 615 are Barry Matto, Bruce Anderson, Steve Luther, Tommy DeWeese, Rabell Adams and Hank Heine.

According to Webelos Transition Coordinator Kevin Sanchez, Troop 615 has participated in a number of community-related construction and service projects throughout the years that have benefitted Ellicott City and Howard County, he told Patch, including the following:

• Redesign, reassembly and landscaping of the Church of the Resurrection's Stations of the Cross
• Constructing a garden and path for the St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Catholic Church
• Building flower boxes at Patapsco Valley State Park
• Stenciling storm drains in Columbia
• Installing drain pipes around the playground at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City
• Blood drive for the American Red Cross
• Construction of six raised flower beds for the Community Ecology Institute at Freetown Farm in Columbia
• Easter Vigil Bonfire: The troop provides a small bonfire used at the beginning of the Easter Vigil service held at the Church of the Resurrection
• Church of the Resurrection Annual Book Sale: The troop helps with the set up for the church’s book sale
• Project Clean Stream: The troop collects and removes trash from streams within Patapsco Valley State Park
• We Remember: The troop honors deceased military members by placing U.S. flags in front of their headstones at the Baltimore National Cemetery on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend
• Scouting For Food: Scouts collect cans and dry food to help replenish food banks and church kitchens
• Scout Sunday: The troop attends a Sunday service at the Church of the Resurrection each February to encourage religious activities and support the Church as our chartered organization

Scouts in the troop also have organized a number of service projects to support local non-profit organizations. These have included blood drives, building walking paths and a firepit area at the Howard County Conservancy, as well as other projects for local parks, the Community Ecology Institute and the Church of the Resurrection.