Brooklyn Troop 20, Country's Oldest, to Observe Scout Sunday in Bensonhurst

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NEW UTRECHT REFORMED CHURCH

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Brooklyn Troop 20, Country's Oldest, to Observe Scout Sunday in Bensonhurst

Robert M. Gates, Robert Buonvino (to his left) and Eagle Scouts from Brooklyn at a ceremony in Manhattan.

BROOKLYN - The Brooklyn-based Boy Scout Troop 20, the oldest BSA troop in the country, will observe its 97th birthday Feb. 11 at the New Utrecht Reformed Church in Bensonhurst. The church, within the Reformed Church in America (RCA), has a long history of its own, dating back to 1677.

"Troop 20 is the oldest continuously chartered and sponsored Boy Scout unit in the country," according to Robert Buonvino, the scouting coordinator for the church, and president of the Friends of Historic New Utrecht. The troop was formed on Jan. 10, 1910, and received its charter from the national Boy Scouts organization in March of that year, Mr. Buonvino says. Fifteen boys were registered at that time, he adds, and the troop's first scoutmaster was James R. Adsit.

Robert Buonvino presents Robert M. Gates with Brooklyn chapter of National Eagle Scout Association pin during a ceremony attended by Eagle Scouts, all from Brooklyn, in Manhattan.

When the troop was begun at the church, Mr. Buonvino says, the New Utrecht pastor was the Rev. O.E. Fisher. Currently, the New Utrecht minister is the Rev. Terry Troia, who also is executive director of Project Hospitality, an organization based on Staten Island that assists the needy. Rev. Troia will conduct the Feb. 11 Sunday service beginning at 11 a.m.

"This is a time we remember those who have made contributions to the community and now have passed on," Mr. Buonvino said. "Troop 20 has always served the community." Since its founding the troop has had 25 scoutmasters, he said.

The historian also notes that the Scouts served the nation during World Wars I and II, selling war bonds, preparing food baskets and engaging in coastal patrols. Many scouts joined the military over the years. "We lost our scoutmaster who was killed in World War II in Germany, and the assistant scoutmaster also was shot down in Europe," he said.

"Based on records we have found, Troop 20 has had more than 25 Eagle Scouts," Mr. Buonvino continued. He told of establishing the Brooklyn chapter of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA). On Nov. 16, he presented the Brooklyn NESA pin to Robert M. Gates at a ceremony in Manhattan just before Dr. Gates was confirmed to be Secretary of Defense. He also was inducted into the Greater New York Council Eagle Scout Hall of Fame.

Among others who have received the Brooklyn pin, showing an eagle and the Brooklyn Bridge, are Ross Perot and Michael R. Bloomberg, before he became mayor of New York City.

Refreshments will be served after the Sunday service as Troop 20 alumni visit the troop's scout room, with its many photos and memorabilia, in the basement of the New Utrecht Parish House. The service will be held in the Parish House while the nearby sanctuary, in use since 1828, undergoes a $2 million repair and renovation.

More information on the history of New Utrecht, Brooklyn's earliest years, is available at www.historicnewutrecht.org and by calling (718) 256-7173.

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PR services donated by bhprEspeciallyforChurches January 2007