He’s ready to soar like an eagle... scout’s honor

What started as a brief two week stint at a Massachusetts summer camp seven years ago, has turned into a commitment for Andrew Mermelstein, 17, of Woodmere. Just a week shy of his 18th birthday, Mermelstein, a senior at DRS yeshiva, has the unique distinction of being the first Eagle Scout of Troop 613 to have been recognized with a Court of Honor ceremony.

On March 4, 2012, Young Israel of Woodmere will host the ceremony followed by a breakfast to mark the auspicious occasion of receiving the coveted Eagle Scout award. Officials from the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts of America, along with prominent elected officials, shul and community members will be in attendance to honor Andrew for his achievement.

Fewer than 4 percent of all Scouts in the United States ever earn the prestigious Eagle Scout Award which is a testament to its high standards. All the skills mastered, wisdom gained, and experiences enjoyed, on the trail to Eagle last a lifetime. They also strongly support —and enhance the achievement of— the goals of the home, the school, and the synagogue.

Andrew’s cousin, Dr. Howard Spielman, who initially got Andrew involved in Boy Scouts is not only the Scoutmaster to an orthodox troop in Sharon, Massachusetts, he is also an enthusiastic mentor for frum scouts. At age 11, Andrew started his summer off by attending the two week Orthodox Scout camp in Massachusetts.

There, Andrew got to experience life with the bare essentials, a far cry from life at home in The Five Towns. He slept in a lean-to in a sleeping bag on a cot without a mattress, he was covered with mosquito bites, used a latrine, showered in primitive stalls, took turns serving and cleaning up after meals and loved it.

He returned to the camp year after year, in addition to attending a mainstream Jewish camp for the second session of the summer. Andrew loved the Scouting experience from day one and officially entered Scouting that same first year by joining a troop in Massachusetts. Participation in scouting activities was obviously difficult for a boy living in Woodmere, New York but Andrew was intent in his commitment to the troop. He completed task after task to go up the ranks.

After two years of being a long distance scout, Andrew’s father, Dr. Steve Mermelstein, decided to become involved. With the approval of Rabbi Billet of the Young Israel of Woodmere, troop 613 was born four years ago. The creation of Troop 613 was an accommodation for frum boys who wanted to participate in the activities that scouting offers while adhering to their religious principles. “It eliminates all barriers to entry, while allowing full access to the spectacular Scouting program”, as noted in Troop 613’s membership literature.

Included in the reading material is a tweaked version of the 12th point of the Scout law, A Scout is Reverant. Troop 613’s version includes observance of the four requirements: kashruth, Shabbat, tefilah, and limudei kodesh, as noted in Troop 613’s membership literature.

Through scouting, which was the catalyst for Andrew’s participation in a plethora of activities such as fishing, hiking, first aid, computer skills, health class, Andrew gained valuable leadership experience. Driven by a merit-oriented framework, scouts choose from a smorgasboard of activities, leading to their mastery and ultimate badge reward. Of the 130 badges that can be attained, Andrew earned 28, beyond the minimum of 21 required to become an Eagle Scout. Scouts can pitch a tent, build a fire, cook a meal together and be part of a minyan. This is in addition to all the recreational activities such as fishing, hiking, boating, swimming, riflery, repelling that Andrew and his fellow scouts engage in. Each activity is supervised by pros and taught with safety-first as a rule.

Andrew’s exposure to different disciplines has made him a very well rounded high school student. He has explored electronics with a professor from MIT, discussed a robotics project with a professor from Columbia and learned first aid with his doctor dad who is also a volunteer.

Andrew speaks with enthusiasm about using skills derived in scouting year next year in Israel and hopefully beyond that in Yeshiva University, where is leaning towards a major in engineering. He’s also especially proud of how Troop 613 acclimates well in the larger Boy Scout organization.

Over the years he has fielded many questions from members of secular troops in regard to Judaism and his observance. “ I feel proud to represent Orthodox Jews in secular circles.”

Tantamount to the principles of Scouting is the importance of engaging in community service. As a yeshiva student, his commitment to chesed makes him a natural fit in this regard. Andrew not only met the requirements but exceeded them.

Andrew put in hundreds of hours to complete his Eagle project; the redoing and organization of the Young Israel of Woodmere library. He facilitated the entire project for the shul and engaged support from members who were anxious to get involved.