By Jonathan Kay
The Green brothers have scouting in their blood. Like their father and uncle before them, Andrew, Michael, Matthew and Daniel Green were awarded the title of Eagle Scout, the highest rank for a Boy Scout, in a ceremony at St. Helen’s School in Howard Beach Friday.
The Howard Beach brothers said their father Andrew and uncle, Gary, have been role models throughout their lives because the two have gone on to successful careers in public service after becoming Eagle Scouts in their youth.
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) presented the newest generation of Eagle Scouts in the Green family with certificates at the event sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 139 at the St. Helen’s school cafeteria in Howard Beach.
“I wanted to follow in their footsteps,” said Daniel, 14, who recently completed his freshman year at Bayside High School. “They work really hard and do all they can.”
The brothers entered the Cub Scouts at the ages of 5 and 6, and all four said they stayed with it because of the organization’s commitment to public service and its emphasis on community values in everyday living.
“I think it’s something you should stay with for life,” said Michael, 17, who will enter his senior year at Bayside High School in the fall. “It doesn’t take a lot to be there helping kids out, keeping them off the streets. It’s something everyone should be involved in.”
After achieving the Arrow of Light award in Cub Scouts, each brother was able to enter Howard Beach’s Boy Scout Troop 139 about a year earlier than scheduled, Michael said. Then, after quickly ascending the ranks of the Boy Scouts to First Class Scout, each brother has taken on different leadership roles in the troop from patrol leader, which each brother has held, to Andrew’s current role as assistant scout master.
Besides the leadership qualities the brothers showed in Troop 139, the four of them had to demonstrate exceptional outdoor skills and organize their own community service project in order to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.
For their Eagle Scout projects, Andrew and Michael ran programs which targeted senior citizens, they said. Andrew organized a group of Boy Scouts from several troops to serve lunch to members of a Howard Beach senior center for eight weeks last summer and Michael ran a health fair in the St. Helen’s gymnasium.
“A lot of the older people in the neighborhood see teenage boys and turn the other way,” said Andrew, 18, who maintained his involvement in Troop 139 this year despite juggling a full course load as a freshman at St. John’s University and a part-time job. “This showed them that the Boy Scouts are upstanding young gentlemen who want to help the community.”
Daniel and Matthew each dedicated their time to solving problems caused by the Sept. 11 attacks.
Daniel organized a “Community Safety and Security Fair” that dealt with community concerns in the wake of the attacks, from crime prevention to First Aid training. Matthew organized a drive that sent food and supplies to Ground Zero, and another that supplied food to families that lost their homes or loved ones in the attack, he said.
Although the brothers can never top their recent achievements in the Boy Scouts, none of them plans to leave the organization.
“I’m going to continue my job of teaching the troop as senior patrol leader and leading them on camping trips as long as I can,” said Matthew, 16, who just finished his sophomore year at Bayside High School. “Hopefully, when I get married and have kids I can bring them into scouting also.”
Andrew, who has aspirations to enter both the law and politics, said his experience in the Boy Scouts and his Eagle Scout rank will help him the rest of life.
“When people see that you’re an Eagle Scout, they know you’re going to be trustworthy and that they can count on you,” he said. “Scout law is not so confined to the Boy Scouts. It has common values everyone should live by.”
