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Troop 80 celebrates '100' milestone
(by Kathryn A. Burger - July 22, 2008)
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Photo Courtesy Of Park Ridge Police Department
Five members of Park Ridge Boy Scout Troop earned the rank of Eagle Scout. A Court of Honor was held at the Park Ridge B.P.O. Elks Lodge 2234, the troop’s sponsor. Among the organizations that made special presentations to the honorees was the Park Ridge Police Department. At left is Officer Scott Malloy, the department’s liaison to the borough’s scouting organizations, and at right, Chief Joseph Madden. From left, front row, are Eagle Scouts Brian Desmond and Erik Antokal; back row, from left, are William Griffeth, Evan Friedman and Erik Didrikson.
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The rank of Eagle is the highest honor a Boy Scout can earn. Only two percent of all Boy Scouts attain it. When five scouts from Troop 80 were awarded that rank recently, it brought the total number of Troop 80 members to have achieved this distinguished honor to 101.
To recognize this milestone at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor, the troop decided to try to locate all of Troop 80’s Eagle Scouts and invite them to attend. They were also asked to write a short piece on the topic, “What being an Eagle Scout has meant in my life.” Former leaders of the troop were also asked to attend and to contribute their perspectives. Many of those contacted attended the ceremony and nearly 40 contributed their thoughts, all of which were included in the program.
The newest Eagle Scouts are Erik Antokal, Brian Desmond, Erik Didrikson, Evan Friedman and William Griffeth. Each has an impressive record of scouting activities, honors and awards. All have participated in trips and community service projects as members of the troop, and held leadership positions within the troop.
Erik Antokal, 18, has earned 31 merit badges. His Eagle Project involved collecting donations of food and other items for the Family Assistance Center at the Teaneck Armory that serves families of National Guard personnel who are deployed overseas. Due to his efforts, nearly 1,500 bags of much-needed items were donated to the center.
Brian Desmond, 18, has earned 26 merit badges. As his Eagle Project, he organized a community blood donation drive. In all, 43 pints of whole blood were collected. The drive was especially important because it was held during the holiday season when the blood supply is at critically low levels.
Erik Didriksen, 20, has earned 31 merit badges. For his Eagle Project, he led a group in building lumber carts and creating a storage area for them beneath the stage at a local high school. The lumber, which is used for building sets, had been stored on catwalks and the new, safer storage space and carts all conform to local fire codes and provide a more ergonomic and economic way to move the lumber when needed.
Evan Friedman, 17, has earned 28 merit badges. His Eagle Project was inspired by his work as a volunteer firefighter and as member of the Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps. He promoted fire safety in Park Ridge by distributing literature to every resident on the importance of having working smoke detectors and visible house numbers so that emergency responders can quickly locate the residence. As part of his project, he provided smoke detectors and house numbers, free of charge, to any resident that requested them.
William Griffeth, 18, earned 31 merit badges. For his Eagle project, he enlisted volunteers to restore and re-erect 24 headstones in the local historical cemetery. The headstones, dating back to the 19th century, had been displaced in the 1950s as a result of nearby construction. The project took nearly 100 man-hours and enhanced the historic value of the site and improved the appearance of the cemetery where annual historical tours are conducted.
Among the organizations represented at the ceremony was the Park Ridge Police Department. Chief Joseph Madden and Officer Scott Malloy presented each new Eagle Scout with a plaque and a certificate. Malloy is the department’s liaison to the borough’s scout organizations. Madden said, “We offer all of our educational and [substance abuse] awareness expertise to scouts throughout the year and we attend meetings as requested. The scouts have assisted us with our coat drive every year.” The department also hosts tours of their headquarters for borough scout troops.
Presentations to the scouts were also made by the Park Ridge Fire Department, the Tri-Boro Ambulance Corps, American Legion Post 153, and the Pascack Historical Society, among others.
Troop 80 is a member of the Boys Scouts of America Northern New Jersey Council – Twin Valleys District and is sponsored by the Park Ridge P.B.O. Elks Lodge 2234. The first Eagle Scout from the troop, Robert Randall, earned the award in 1940. The troop is led by Daniel J. Antokal, scoutmaster. Assistant scoutmasters are Joseph Hoffman, Vincent Lemba and Richard Nagel.
Kathryn A. Burger's e-mail address is burger@northjersey.com.
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