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Woodmere’s Andrew Mermelstein attains Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts
When Andrew Mermelstein was 12 his mother’s cousin in Massachusetts introduced him to the Boy Scouts, but when he went looking for Orthodox troops to join, there were none to be found in the
Five Towns.
After two years of being a long distance member to a troop in Massachusetts, Mermelstein’s father, Steve, decided to become Andrew’s troop master. “I didn’t know much about it but the Boy Scouts of America is very supportive,” Steve said.
Mermelstein, now 18, said it’s amazing to have his father as his troop master. “It really shows me how much my dad cares about me,” he said. “A lot of people take that for granted but I don’t. It’s also very convenient because if there’s something I need him to do that’s scout related, he’s just up the stairs.”
Troop 613, based out of Young Israel of Woodmere, formed four years ago and is the only Orthodox Boy Scout troop on Long Island, according to Steve. “A couple times a year we go on overnight trips but one issue with us is that we can’t do anything on Saturday (due to the observance of Shabbat) and many members have school on Sundays so we’re very limited on our overnight trips,” he said. Due in part to his father’s efforts and his own perseverance, Mermelstein, a senior at Davis Renoir Stahler Yeshiva High School for Boys in Woodmere, will be become an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor on March 4 at the Woodmere shul.
Annually, only 5 percent of Boy Scouts attain this highest rank, according to Renée Fairrer, a spokeswoman for the Boy Scouts of America. At the end of 2011, there were 3,817 Jewish boys at 160 Jewish synagogues and centers in all major sects of Judaism across the country, Fairrer said.
“It didn’t happen overnight,” Mermelstein said. “It was very gradual and as you go along it takes a while (to move higher into the rankings) so I didn’t have this awakening but I do feel very
accomplished.”
Arlene, Mermelstein’s mother, said she’s proud of her son because he stuck with Boy Scouts and seamlessly went through the rankings. “I give him so much credit,” she said. “I think it’s really a testament to his character.”
