November 2023
Cub Scout Pack 30 in Troy, PA literally made trash into treasure in the fall of 2023, and helped their chartered organization remember a beloved member at the same time.
Darrell Chumard, a long-time member of the Olde Covert Church in Troy, PA and the Four-Corners Hunting Camp, passed away in September. To honor his memory, friends and family decided to collect $4,800 to send to Water for Life at Life Outreach International, which would fund a new well for a needy community. Pack 30, who meets at the Austinville church that shares a pastor with Olde Covert, decided to collect soda cans to help donate.
By the time the project was complete, over $15,000 was raised, which is enough to drill three separate wells that will serve 3,000 people! Of that amount, over $200 was raised by Pack 30.
Reverend Kenneth Marple, of Olde Covert Church and Austinville Union Church, was very impressed by the Cub Scout’s contribution to the project. “Scout Pack 30 collected 4,177 cans, to raise $208.85, enough to provide water for 44 people. In addition, that is 4,177 cans that are not on the side of our roads – and 4,177 cans that are not in our landfill!,” he said.
This project shows how Cub Scouts Pack 30 instills values of community service, charity, cleanliness, and stewardship. If your family wants to experience that for yourself, contact Pack 30 leader Zachary Gates at zgates@gateslawofficepllc.com. Boys and girls Kindergarten through 5th grade can join at any time. Or find a Cub Scout Pack in your area here.
October 2023
Brent Sharkey is a proud Eagle Scout, and it shows. Walk into his office at Hardinge, Inc. in Elmira, NY and his Eagle Scout certificate is right there on the wall. “I have my uniform in a shadowbox, it’s on my resume, my LinkedIn profile, everything,” he says.
Brent is a successful entrepreneur and marketing executive who lives and works in the Twin Tiers after growing up in the Carolinas. He credits his Scouting experience with building strong leadership capabilities and providing positive memories of family and friends that still reverberate. “We got involved in Scouting when I was about 11 years old. It provided structure in our lives after a family tragedy and was really fun. I still keep in touch with some of my original troop members in South Carolina,” he says.
Brent was drawn to the wide range of activities Scouting offered, especially camping and other outdoor fun. It was with Troop 164 in Charlotte, North Carolina that Brent developed his leadership skills. “I went from scribe to assistant patrol leader to senior patrol leader to troop leader. I learned how to deploy the right people to get the job done, to be able to talk to people at different skill levels and ages, being positive and upbeat, and situational awareness. It was great to see people try new things and learn what they were good at, then push them to excel in those directions,” he says. Brent uses all those skills on a regular basis in his professional life as Marketing Manager Americas at Hardinge, whether it’s for individual work, managing others, or leading teams.
He encourages families to give Scouting a try, and that there is something for everyone. “We had all kinds of kids in my troop. Some were outdoors people like me, others were more into academics, but we all pitched in and made it fun,” he says.
“The kids make friends and learn, but the adults make friends and learn as well. I hope everyone can have the awesome experiences I had as a Scout.”