Boy Scout Troop 50 is here to stay

NAHANT – Boy Scout Troop 50 is the longest consecutively chartered group in its district, but that 80-year history almost came to an end until Peter Fitzpatrick took a leap of faith.During her address during Wednesday’s Court of Honor Ceremony for Troop 50, Joyce Maroney joked that Fitzpatrick only took the job, “after bowing to really excessive peer pressure.”The announcement was followed by cheering and a standing ovation from the scouts and their parents.Fitzpatrick admitted he was a little overwhelmed by the response the announcement received.”The scouts were really excited about it,” he said. “They didn’t want their program to end.”Fitzpatrick, who is in sales and has a degree in electrical engineering, has two sons – 8-year-old Matthew and 11-year-old Brian. He said he has served as a Weeblo Den Leader for two years.”It’s a normal progression to go from Weeblo into Boy Scouts,” he said. “My son will be in his first year of Boy Scouts this year and I was a scout when I was younger.”John Roy had been Scout Master for 14 years but he told his troop and the powers that be at Boy Scouts of America that when his youngest son turned 18, he would be stepping down. The timing was both fortuitous, since it came the day after what would be Roy’s last Court of Honor, and frightening since they had no prospects to take his place.”I drew the hard line,” Roy admitted.He said it would have been easy to stay until they found a new scoutmaster, but he knew if he did that no one would come forward.He admits he was relieved when Fitzpatrick stepped forward.”He’s pretty hesitant,” Roy said. “He feels he doesn’t have the background.”But Roy said he isn’t going anywhere and he isn’t walking away from the troop completely. He assured Fitzpatrick and everyone involved that he was only a phone call away.”The troop can benefit from new blood, new ideas,” he said. “I’m tired, I’m in a rut – they need a new spark.”Fitzpatrick said one reason he agreed to step up and serve as scoutmaster is because the Roys set up such a successful program.”John and Alice (Roy) set up such a wonderful troop,” he said. “All I’m doing is picking up where they left off. They both said they would help out if I needed assistance. Other parents have also offered to help out and I’m going to take them up on that.”