Troop 45 of Van Cortlandtville to Present Adventures and Achievements in Boy Scouting

Submitted by Bob Foley, Program Director, Van Cortlandtville Historical Society Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 45 of Van Cortlandtville will present a history program of their adventures and achievements after a flag-raising dedication ceremony on Saturday, April 16th, at 2 p.m. at The Little Red Schoolhouse, 297 Locust Avenue, Cortlandt Manor, New York. Sponsored by the Van Cortlandtville Historical Society, the event is open free to the public. According to Raymond Calore, Committee Chairman of Troop 45, about 20 scouts, accompanied by five adult leaders, will first conduct an outdoor flag ceremony in front of the Schoolhouse. Then, after an initial brief business meeting of the Society inside the Schoolhouse, members of the troop will present a PowerPoint picture program on the history of the troop with a focus on their Eagle Scouts program. Chartered in the 1940s, Troop 45 earned the most recent BSA 2015 Journey to Excellence Gold Award which recognizes Boy Scout troops based on criteria such as retention, recruitment, individual scout involvement, troop strength and outdoor adventures. The troop has a membership of boys ages 11 through 17. They meet every Wednesday evening at various venues throughout the community, such as the CUE room at the Cortlandt Town Center, and also at the Cortlandt Youth and Recreation Center in Montrose. Scoutmaster John Bieder organized Saturday's presentation for the Historical Society, and Senior Patrol Leader Cary Abramson will lead the program with other scouts participating. For more information about Troop 45, visit: www.45bsa.com; or, for details on joining, email recruitment@45bsa.com. The Little Red Schoolhouse (the venue for the April 16th program) is located at the north end of Locust Avenue next to Old Saint Peter's Church and cemetery on the hill just south of Oregon Road in the Town of Cortlandt. For more information about the Van Cortlandtville Historical Society, visit: www.vancort.net; or, call (914) 736-7868. Photo #1: Little Red Schoolhouse on Locust Avenue, Cortlandt Manor; Photo #2: Troop 45 Van Cortlandtville Boy Scouts (left to right) Nick Merando, Brent Grafer, Assistant Scout Master Brian Grafer, Denis Burov and Jonathan Merando,