About 79

Skiing on the slopes of Mt. Shawnee or other ski slopes every March.

Memorial and Veterans Day services at the Calverton National Cemetary

Summer Camp 2/3 of the time at our Suffolk County Council's Camp Baiting Hollow and the other times at camps in New England, along the Delaware River or in the Poconos. The boys always earn a lot of meritbadges and often obtain honor troop.

An annual Canoe trip on the Peconic River .

Scout day at the West Point Military Academy Which includes an Army football game, a tour of the military academy and the museum. We also get to bivack in the barracks of nearby Camp Smith, a NY National Guard Base.

Backpacking trips on local patriotic and scenic trails such as the Nathan Hale and North Lake Trails. We hike mainly on Long Island and in the immediate area. Trails such as the Pine Barrens and Benjamin Tallmadge Trails offer local and easily reachable fun.

High Adventure multi-day hiking and canoeing trips to the back country of Maine or the Adirondacks. These trips are designed by the older boys to provide themselves with the ultimate challange.

Overnight outings at different camps and parks on Long Island and the tri-state area. These include cabins, lean-to and tent camping. We use these outings to practice orienteering, wood lore and other scout skills.

Camporee championships! We attend at least two camporees a year at which our boys measure their skills against other troops and attempt to complete advancement requirements. 79 is often the champion of camporee events and may be Benjamin Tallmadeges best camporee troop. We rarely place lower then third in any one event.

Community Service We believe that the core of scouting and character is service. That is why the troop recently completed over 140 hours of service at the Fire Island National Sea Shore and also why we have adopted a section of Long Island Ave in Yaphank for quarterly clean-up. We also offer our scouts other service opportunities when we become aware of them.

Entertainment and Hobby Night:At the last troop meeting before the December holidays the scouts may race pinewood derby or radio controlled cars on a troop track or display their hobbies to other scouts and parents.

Swim Night: This a troop meeting every year that is held at a pool. The troop practices swimming and lifesaving skills and plays pool games.

Parades. We have a long tradition of marching in the Yaphank Veterans and Memorial day parades and we sometimes march in other parades.

Courts of Honor are held quarterly at which the scouts receive merit badges, their new ranks and other awards and we hold Eagle Courts of Honor to celebrate our newest Eagle scouts about once a year.

Since the schedule is re-set each year by the patrol leaders council there will be changes each year. So please review our currently scheduled activities as posted on the news section of this website.

Thomas J. Arrigo has been scoutmaster of Troop 79 since 1984. He has served twice as long as any else. He has also been a troop assistant scoutmaster and has been the district commisioner and has helped plan the district camporees and other events. He has the silver beaver,and scouters key and scoutmaster training awards. His three Eagle Scout sons are: John Arrigo, Robert Arrigo and Christopher Arrigo. Tom's wife Karen is the troop Treasurer.

• His Eagle Scout son Chris. Who has a knack for understanding the needs of the boys and who has excellent scout skills.
• Carol Collins. Carol,in addition to her duties with the troop is also serving as the Cubmaster of Pack 79 of Yaphank which at present has over 90 boys.
• Irene McCarthy. Irene is a former lifeguard and an expert camper.
• Calvin Smith. Calvin has been Tom's Assistant for almost the entire duration of Tom's Scoutmastership. Before he became Tom's assistant he was a Unit Commisioner and Attended Commissioners College. He has both the scoutmasters key and scoutmaster training awards. He is also a merit badge counselor for many merit badges. He Has 2 Eagle Scout sons: Sandy and Steven and a daughter Sharon who earned Gold Scout the Girl Scouts highest award.
• Sandy Smith. Sandy has been Tom's assistant since 1992 since shortly after he made his Eagle with the troop. He has completed his Scoutmaster training and has some college training in counseling.