Kudos to Scouts at Village Hall

Adelia Bandsma, Charlotte Blotner and Kyra MontgomeryThough scouts missed their opportunity to march in the Memorial Day Parade this year due to stormy weather, they had their night in the limelight at Village Hall on Tuesday May 28, 2024. Two boy scouts who received their Eagle Awards and three girl scouts who received Gold Awards were recognized by the Village Board for achieving the highest scout awards.

Scarsdale Edgemont Girl Scout Volunteer Service Unit Manager Donna Caro announced the three girl scout awards explaining, “The Gold Award is the highest national leadership award a high school Girl Scout can earn. She must identify an issue that matters to her and then develop and execute an innovative and sustainable solution with measurable impact. She must log at least 80 hours with a minimum of 16 hours directly leading others. Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts nationwide earn this prestigious award.”

30 banners honoring hometown heroes have been posted around the Village.Charlotte Blotner and Kyra Montgomery have both completed their projects. Adelia Bandsma still needs to submit her paperwork and have an interview.

Charlotte Blotner’s project, "Accessible Art" aimed to address the negative effects of continued cuts to programming in the arts in schools. She taught children about art and art history, donated art supplies and created a printable journal to help children and adults find their own creative outlets.

Kyra Montgomery’s 'project, "Your Vote is Your Voice" aimed to increase civic engagement and voting among young people. She created a voter registration club at her school which runs regular voter registration drives throughout the school year and also ran voting workshops for younger girl scout troops to educate them about the women's suffrage movement and the election process in the U.S.

Adelia Bandsma has worked with numerous officials in the Scarsdale Village Government to bring the Hometown Heros flag project to Scarsdale Village. There are now 30 military tribute banners honoring veterans with a connection to Scarsdale hanging in the Village due to Adelia's work. Discussing her project, Bandsma said, "I was inspired by the Hometown Hero banners in Eastchester. They are such a heartwarming sight to drive by and I thought Scarsdale needed that too. I decided to do it as my Girl Scout Gold award project so I met with Mayor Arest and he said it was a nice thing to do. We decided to put the banners up in the village along the Memorial Day parade route. The Scarsdale Historical Society sponsored three banners for Scarsdale Historical veterans. Colonel Alexander Baxter Crane, Major William Popham and Captain Caleb Tompkins. Colonel Crane is on Crane road and Major Popham is on Popham road. I hope this project makes Scarsdalians who serve our country feel valued and cherished."

Eagle Scout Awards for Zachary Finkel and Noah MillardZachary Finkel and Noah Millard

Zachary Finkel, along with members of Troop 4 Scarsdale constructed twelve Mobile Boot Brush Stations. The Boot Brush Stations will help prevent the transfer of invasive plant and insect species. The stations are transportable and will be rotated around different locations seasonally and for special events. Finkel learned basic woodworking and workshop safety skills in a professional studio in Manhattan. He designed and custom built twelve sturdy wooden bases, including measuring, cutting, drilling, sanding and sealing the platforms. Finkel, who serves as a Patrol Leader with his Troop, is a Senior at Eastchester High School. He is on the High Honor Roll and will be graduating in June. He is interested in studying Political Science or Medicine.

Noah Millard's project involved the painting of the side of a flight simulator at the White Plains Youth Bureau and the construction of a wind tunnel. The side of the flight simulator was painted white then had decals added to resemble a plane. The wind tunnel is about the size of a folding table and is made up of a box fan, a funnel, an air straightener made with PVC pipe, and a test chamber that has a wood frame and clear acrylic. Inside of the wind tunnel is an air foil that is used to demonstrate lift. The wind tunnel can show the properties of lift and will help the Aviation Academy at the White Plains Youth Bureau.