Teen scouts out how to help others

Anthony Fallacaro builds bridges -- and he isn't even out of high school yet.

A senior at Niskayuna High School, the 17-year-old recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout as a member of Boy Scout Troop 72, sponsored by St. John the Evangelist parish in Schenectady.

He reached the rank by improving a nature trail near his home with safe pedestrian bridges.

Way across

"Building them took a total of 350 man hours to complete," he said. "There were two areas that always flooded. One section had only a piece of board across it for pedestrians. The other section washed out all the time after rain.

"I thought it might be a good project to tackle as the footpath is also used by local track teams at our middle and elementary schools. The safety factors prompted me to look into it."

The Scout drew up plans for bridges with hand railings and worked with the town's engineers to design a drainage area.

Finished product

"I was basically at the site every day for nearly four months," Anthony said, "measuring and planning, and then reporting to the highway department supervisor."

When it came time for the construction, "we got it all done in one day," he said, because 30 people pitched in.

During the process, he learned how to assert himself, ask for help, deal with town officials and businesses, and even raise the grade of a run-off on a hill to prevent erosion.

Helping others

Anthony has participated in several other community service projects, including training three black Labs for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

"Our family really loves doing this," he said. "Two of the three dogs we've trained have been placed with owners. The last dog we trained, Ulex, developed allergies, which isn't good for service dogs. So she's our family pet. She's the best pet ever."

He has also volunteered with the Reach Out and Read Initiative (ROAR) at Howe Elementary School in Schenectady. "This is a one-on-one contact where students help other students with reading skills improvement," he explained. "I helped out with fourth- and fifth-graders."

He also has volunteered with Concern for the Hungry, collecting bags of food from residents, taking them to a central location and bagging them for distribution to the needy for Thanksgiving.

Sports and drums

In his spare time, Anthony plays the drums and is an avid baseball fan. This year, he was the catcher on his school's baseball team.

Anthony is looking forward to studying either physical education or athletic training in college. No matter what he does, he said that the skills he learned as a Boy Scout will stay with him forever.

"I've learned through Scouts, particularly in working for my Eagle rank, that community service is a very good thing," he noted. "It's important for the individual who does it, but so much more important for the community."

(Anthony has earned 35 merit badges and the Ad Altare Dei Religious Medal. He has held various leadership positions in his troop, such as Scribe, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He became a member of the Order of the Arrow when he was 13. It is a coveted membership that one must be invited to join by fellow Scouts.)

(11/10/05) [[In-content Ad]]