Lynnfield’s BSA Boy Scout Troop 48 held a “Crossing Over” ceremony on April 3rd. The ceremony celebrates the Arrow of Light Scouts’ transition from the Cub Scout Pack to the Scouts BSA troop.
A total of eight Arrow of Light scouts, all of whom are finishing 5th Grade at Lynnfield Middle School, crossed over into the troop. In addition, Arrow of Light Den Leader Brian Charville also “crossed over” and formally became an assistant scoutmaster in Troop 48.
The “crossing over” is both figurative and literal in that each scout has to walk across the troop’s wooden “da Vinci bridge,” which the older scouts carefully assembled at the start of the ceremony.
Leonardo da Vinci designed the bridge in 1502. This unique, self-supporting structure is held together without nails or ropes. Each part plays a vital role in holding the bridge together. It is only when all of the parts work together that the bridge can accomplish its task. It is the same with a scout troop. Each scout has a role to play in making a troop run well.
Senior Patrol Leader Alan Curley and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Evan Carty, both in the 9th grade, welcomed each new scout by exchanging the Scout’s Arrow of Light neckerchief and shoulder epaulets with the Troop 48 neckerchief and epaulets.
The night following the ceremony, 13 scouts from Troop 48 attended its annual overnight at Metro Rock climbing gym in Everett. The Scouts enjoyed the high ropes obstacle course as well as dozens of challenging climbing routes as high as 50 feet tall, then slept over on the climbing gym mats.
In May, the Scouts have a two-night campout adventure on Cape Cod to enjoy bicycling the Cape Cod Rail Trail.
Scouting offers Lynnfield’s youth an opportunity to take a break from their digital lives (mobile phones, computer gaming, etc.) and experience real-life adventures, make friends, and develop leadership and life skills.
The Cub Scout Pack includes scouts from Kindergarten to 5th grade, while the BSA Troop Scouts range in age from 12 to 17. New scouts may join in any grade. Over time, BSA scouts can work their way along the path to “Eagle Scout”, which is a rank achieved by fewer than 5% of Scouts.
If you are interested in learning more about scouting for your child, please contact Troop 48 Scoutmaster Jim Squadrito at jsquadrito@gmail.com.
The ceremony was held at Centre Congregational Church, Lynnfield, which is Troop’s chartered organization. A chartered organization is a community-based group whose objectives, mission and methodologies are compatible with those of the BSA. Chartered organizations agree to use the scouting program to further their mission to serve young people.
“The Centre Congregational Church has been tremendously supportive of our troop,” Assistant Scoutmaster Patrick Curley said.
Charles “Chuck” Cotting, chair of the finance and operations ministry team at the church, is the troop’s chartered organization representative. Troop 48 meetings are on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. and also take place at the church.
