Mineola Troop 45 Celebrates 90 Years

recently celebrated their 90th anniversary on November 26, holding a gala event for over 260 people at Chateau Briand in Carle Place.

The troop’s first charter was issued in June, 1921 and was sponsored by the Civic League of Mineola. That first registration listed 18 boys as scouts and was the beginning of 90 years of continuous service to the boys of Mineola. Joseph Nohowec was the first scoutmaster and Mr. F.L. Jenkins was the Troop Committee Chairman.

Troop 45 Assistant Scoutmasters and Troop 45 Eagle Scouts Don Franz and chaired the anniversary event, which was the result of over 2 years of planning along with the Troop’s Anniversary Committee.

Over 100 members of the Troop’s alumni traveled from New Jersey, Florida, Ohio and as far away as Arizona to be a part of this event along with the current troop family. The troop’s 90 years has seen thousands of scouts move through Troop 45, producing .

Alumni shared memories, stories and renewed friendships renewed with both fellow alumni and the current Scouts of Troop 45. There were also a number of former leaders at the event who had participated over the years as committee members or assistant scoutmasters.

Former scoutmaster Frank Pewarski traveled from Florida to be a part of the occasion. Frank Pewarski, a decorated New York City Police Officer and a former Trustee of the Village of Mineola, was a member of Troop 45 as a boy and adult for over 40 years and served as scoutmaster for 23 years.

A slide show with numerous photos from the past years and many of the alumni had a good laugh at the clothing and hair styles from their past lives.

The current members of Troop 45 were honored that so many former members were a part of the event and to share their pride the troop with past generations.

Senior Patrol Leader Glenn Peters stated how proud he was “to be the scout leader of Nassau County’s best Boy Scout Troop.”

Scoutmaster Steve Grosskopf thanked the scouts and leaders of the past for the legacy of greatness, telling alumni that the present Troop is as great as it has ever been.

“In this case”, Grosskopf said, “you can come home and find that nothings changed!”

Committee Chairman Frank D’Elia said that the 90 year history of Troop 45 is “really about the people that have been a part of the Troop over the years,” saluting many of the attendees and both the past and current leadership of the Troop.

Proclamations from local leaders and friends of Troop 45, including former Mineola mayor and current , North Hempstead Councilman Angelo Ferrara, and Mineola Mayor Strauss were presented to the troop as well as a series of annual awards that the Troop presents each year for achievements of their members:

• Scout Chris Mueller was honored as Troop 45 Scout of the Year
• Pheonix Patrol under Mueller’s leadership was named Honor Patrol of the Leader
• Troop 45 Alumni, Mineola Village Trustee, and current Troop 45 Assistant Scoutmaster George Durham was named this year’s Silver Stallion recipient
• SPL Glen Peters surprised Scoutmaster Grosskopf with a special award of thanks from the Scouts of Troop 45.
• The 30 years of service of Scoutmaster Grosskopf’s wife Marla Franz as treasurer was also recognized as Peters presented her with a dozen roses.