Boy Scout Troop 82 Celebrates 51 Years of Scouting

Boy Scout Troop 82 celebrated 51 years of adventures and service in scouting at the annual anniversary dinner February 25th at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. The memorable evening culminated with Troop 82's Scoutmaster, Francis "Sam" Obert, presenting the annual scouting awards, recognizing those who have contributed greatly to Troop 82.

And, the award goes to....

The Paul "Trey" Houtchens Camper Award: Trey was a scout in Troop 82, who really loved the camping part of the program. He died tragically of Eastern Equine Encephalitis before earning the rank of Eagle Scout. This award recognizes the scout who has camped out the most days in a year. This year's recipient for the 3rd year in a row is Eagle Scout Bobby Zeller Jr.

The Edward R. Judge Scoutmaster Award: Ed Judge was the first scoutmaster of Troop 82 and served a total of 20 years. This award recognizes the scout that demonstrates the most all-around scout spirit and looks at many factors including positive attitude, skills and leadership. This year's recipient is First Class Scout Jeffrey Cares Jr.

Cpl. Thomas A Julian Leadership Award: Cpl. Julian was a scout in Troop 82, who joined the Marines. He was stationed in Lebanon where he was killed during the attack on the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983. This award recognizes the scout the shows strong leadership. This year's recipient is Eagle Scout Peter Fiaschetti.

Rev. Gordon J. Stenning Scouter Award: Rev. Stenning was the rector at St. Mary's, who encouraged Ed Judge to form our Troop in 1966. The award recognizes the adult that has provided significant support to the Troop. This year's recipient is Assistant Scoutmaster Chris Francis.

Congratulations to all of the award recipients.