Local Boy Scouts help FIDELCO to celebrate anniversary

Written by Jesse Shayne
Sunday, 21 March 2010 18:01

Throughout the years, the Boy Scouts of America have helped shape the lives of many young men across the country. From the days when young men joined for the thrill of the pioneer experience, to today, where young men join them to learn about the outdoors and develop leadership skills, the scouts have long been influential in our society.

As they’ve recently reached a record high in enrollment, it just so happens that 2010 marks their 100th anniversary. Considering Redding’s important role in the founding of the Boy Scouts, Redding’s Troop 15 has put extra consideration into the landmark year.

“The troop is planning on executing two centennial service projects as part of the 100-year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America,” said Scoutmaster Jim Funnell.

As part of the momentous occasion, the Connecticut Yankee Council, the mother organization of the Boy Scouts of Southern Connecticut, issued a challenge to the troops in the state to each come up with a service project and to execute it to commemorate the anniversary. Troop 15 carried out its first project on March 5 and 6.

Jimmy Funnell, Jim Funnell’s son and the troop’s senior patrol leader, discovered last year that FIDELCO, a group that breeds, raises, trains, and places seeing eye dogs, needed help. The group needed new whelping boxes for its breeding program. Whelping boxes are a safe place for dogs (German shepherds in this case) to give birth to their puppies and take care of them during their first few months of life.

Troop 15 packed up their carpentry equipment and overnight gear, and headed to Bloomfield on March 5 to spend the night building new whelping boxes for the organization. The group ultimately contributed more than 200 hours of service to FIDELCO.

“The neatest thing about the event is that it was the first time in recent history that we planned a service project outside the town of Redding itself. We provided a service to a much larger community than Redding,” said Mr. Funnell.

FIDELCO is internationally recognized as a leader in guide dog services. It just so happens that it is also celebrating an important anniversary this year, its 50th.

The second event Troop 15, which has been around for more than 50 years, is planning is more of a social gathering — a picnic for all of the Eagle Scouts in the area later in the year.

“It turns out there are hundreds of Eagle Scouts in and around Redding. The idea is to have all of the people of any age who have completed the rank of Eagle to gather,” said Mr. Funnell.

This event would be designed more to celebrate scouting’s anniversary than the service project.

“I’m proud of the Boy Scouts, what they’ve done and what they mean,” said Fred Baker, assistant scoutmaster (and former scoutmaster for more than a decade). “The fact that they’ve been around for 100 years says something. What they teach young men — outdoor skills, personal responsibility, leadership — is quite a package that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s a great thing for the boys.”

Jesse Shayne is a Redding Pilot intern and a senior at Joel Barlow High School.

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