GUILDERLAND — On Saturday, May 16, Guilderland Boy Scout Troop 50 worked to improve the Fort Hunter town park.  The project was coordinated and directed by Matt Cortelyou as his Eagle Project.

Fort Hunter Park is situated in a quiet residential area off Carman Road (Route 146).  The park is approximately four acres with a playground, basketball court, softball field, and sledding hill for youngsters.

Matt reached out to the Guilderland Parks Maintenance Supervisor Colin Gallup to see what projects were needed.  After much planning, the date was set and a group of 31 adults and Scouts participated in the cleanup, which included clearing ground brush, trimming pine trees, raking, removing undergrowth from designated areas, and painting the pump-station building.

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement rank in Boy Scouting.  The Eagle Scout Service Project is an opportunity for a Boy Scout to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project to benefit his community. This is the culmination of the Eagle Scout candidate's leadership training, and it requires a significant effort on his part.  The project must benefit an organization other than the Boy Scouts of America, but it cannot be performed for an individual or a business or be commercial in nature. 

Troop 50 serves youths from 11 years of age to 17. The troop meets Wednesdays from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the St. Madeleine Sophie Parish Center on Carman Road in Guilderland. For more information, call Scoutmaster Sam Dikeman at 577-0434 or myself at 461-1404.

Editor’s note: Dan Cortelyou is Troop 50’s assistant scoutmaster.