Hampton Bays Boy Scout Troop Honors Five Eagle Scouts

On Saturday, June 12, Boy Scout Troop 483 in Hampton Bays gathered in Good Ground Park to honor five Scouts who earned the highest Scout rank of Eagle Scout.

After the event opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scout Oath, each Scout spoke about his Eagle Scout service project, a community service project completed on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scout Charlie Schneider opened the event by presenting the obligations of being an Eagle Scout and introducing the new Eagle Scouts. “Becoming an Eagle Scout is a great accomplishment,” Mr. Schneider said. “Being an Eagle Scout is a great responsibility.”

Aidan Martin, a student at the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University, started his Scouting journey in first grade, and first joined Boy Scout Troop 483 when he was 10 years old. At 13 years old, he became a senior patrol leader and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s honor society.

“Being a Scout has taught me leadership and appreciation,” Mr. Martin said. “It also taught me how to be a part of a team, and do equal work as other team members.”

For his Eagle Scout project, Mr. Martin completely restored an outdoor structure in Squiretown Park that is often used by the Boy Scouts when camping. The structure provides a space for the Scouts and other parkgoers to enjoy being surrounded by nature. The restoration included replacing the roof, power washing the structure, removing an inside structure, and a new paint job.

Corey Hoffmann has been an active Scout and member of Troop 483 for 11 years, and is described by fellow Scouts as a “quiet leader who leads by example.” During his time in Troop 483, he served as troop librarian and helped the troop maintain an impressive library with current and historical merit badge books.

“Being a Scout has given me qualities that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Mr. Hoffman said.

In 2020, Mr. Hoffmann began his Eagle Scout project by building vegetable beds for the Ecological Culture Initiative at the community garden at the St. Joseph’s Convent property in Hampton Bays. Along with the construction of the vegetable beds, Mr. Hoffmann also installed an automatic drip irrigation system to help conserve water.

Bryan Ambrose, a senior at Southampton High School, first became a Scout in Southampton’s Cub Scout Pack 14, and later joined Troop 483 in 2013. With dreams of becoming a military pilot, Mr. Ambrose plans on attending Embry Aeronautical University in Daytona, Florida.

In Troop 483, Mr. Ambrose has held leadership roles of quartermaster, patrol leader, senior patrol leader, and junior assistant Scoutmaster. For his Eagle Scout project, Mr. Ambrose renovated a gazebo in Squiretown Park by replacing the roof, fixing the chimney, designing new cabinetry, and repainting the structure.

Maximus Haynia, a sophomore at Westhampton Beach High School, has earned 41 badges during his time in Troop 483. He has held leadership roles of scribe, instructor, assistant senior patrol leader, and senior patrol leader. Mr. Haynia is a member of his high school cross country and track team, and applied his love for cross country to his Eagle Scout project — a reconditioning of the cross country trails in Red Creek Park. His project included clearing, cleaning, and redirectioning the trail and the installation of a map of the area.

Aidan Utz, a senior at Westhampton Beach High School, has earned 36 merit badges during his Scouting career, and has held leadership roles in Troop 483 of senior patrol leader, patrol leader, and junior assistant Scoutmaster. Mr. Utz was also inducted into the Order of the Arrow. For his Eagle Scout project, Mr. Utz repaired the garden walkway at his old elementary school, the East Quogue Elementary School. The project included a restructuring and remounting of the walkway so that students and faculty could enjoy walking to the garden.