John and his proud mother. On the evening of June 19th, 2009, Troop 243 held an Eagle Court of Honor for scouts Michael E. Gamber and John J. Cassano. The ceremony was held in the auditorium of St. Joseph's R.C. School was attended by a large audience of friends, family, and dignitaries. During the evening, the new Eagles added their names to a plaque that lists the Scouts from the troop who have attained the rank of Eagle; St. Joseph's Parish has sponsored Troop 243 for more than 60 years.

Both scouts exceeded the minimum number of merit badges (21) required to attain scouting's highest rank: Michael obtained 36 badges and John secured 35 on their respective journeys to the Eagle rank. Both of these young men served the troop in various leadership positions, including stints as Senior Patrol Leader, and actively participated in summer camping and other troop activities.

As part of the Eagle Scout requirement, each of the honored scouts completed approved service projects that included planning, organizing, supervising and executing a detailed and specific undertaking for the benefit of the community.

The Cassano Family John's project assisted the Garden City Bird Sanctuary in scientifically addressing the invasion of Japanese Knotweed, a non-native plant that aggressively spreads and is difficult to eradicate. John devised and implemented a controlled study in an attempt to identify the most eco-friendly and effective method of ridding the sanctuary of this noisome invader. His project required the assistance of many volunteers and considerable effort as one method of eradication involved the manual extirpation of this bamboo-like plant that has an extensive root system. Ultimately, the project established that a non-chemical (and thus safer and more ecological friendly) method was as effective as a chemical solution. John is currently a junior at Garden City High School, and the troop looks forward to his continued leadership next year.

Michael planned and coordinated the restoration of a 150' section of a wrought-iron fence at the St. Martin de Porres Marianist School in Uniondale. After securing donated supplies from local businesses he coordinated the efforts of volunteers-including scouts from other troops-in the painstaking and tedious work of stripping and prepping the fence prior to applying the final coat to insure that it remains in great condition for years to come. Michael is graduating from Chaminade High School and will be attending Fordham University in the fall.

The Gamber Family Troop 243 is proud of the newest Eagle Scouts and congratulates them both on jobs well done.

Michael and his proud mother Troop 243 after the ceremony.