Scouts get cleaning in Wheatfield

Article & Photo by Benjamin Joe

For the 30^th year, Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, gathered at the Frontier Volunteer Fire Co. to take part in the clean up of Liberty Drive on Saturday, April 26.

Cub Scout packs 833 and 824 were scheduled to sleep over at the firehall on Friday but, due to inclement weather forecasts, the packs delayed the event until Saturday morning.

At 9 a.m. they hit the road. As the Scouts marched east and west, Wheatfield Councilman Larry Helwig could be seen passing out gloves to the approximately 50 children and adults as they walked down the road picking up trash and disposing it into large garbage bags.

Helwig talked about the tradition as he set up food and drink, bought by local businesses such as Precious Plate, back at the firehall.

“This is the third year that the businesses have stepped up,” he said, noting he’s been involved for the entirety when he started as councilman at the age of 40.

“For years I’ve tried to get them to subsidize some of this, because basically the councilmen were all contributing. Now they are and it saves me a little money,” he joked.

Arleta Sharples said she’s been doing this for years, naming off her children and grandchildren who have participated and now participate in Scouting, as she walked with her granddaughter, Lilyana, age 5. She said Scouting has been a cornerstone for her family.

“This is her first time, (and) I am her den leader,” Sharples said of Lilyana. “Her brother (Noah) is in Wolves. … I have two boys; my oldest son, their father, made it to Eagle. Their uncle made it to Life. I started with my oldest son in between Wolf and Bear and went all the way to Boy Scouts with him while he was in Boy Scouts. Then I went back to Cub Scouts, because my boys were six years apart, and started it all over again with Tigers.”

Pack 833 Cubmaster Joel Greinert had a similar story. He started off in Cub Scouts in 1991 and “hasn’t really stopped.” At age 18, he became an adult Scout leader and, at 21, worked for the Scout summer camp. When his own sons decided they wanted to try out Scouting, he volunteered, as well, bringing his own family and his old Cub Scout pack together.

“The most important lesson that we try to teach these kids is how to be a good citizen. That’s taking care of the community around you and getting involved,” he said.

Back at the firehall – the Scouts having cleaned up the surrounding area – Manager Gary Hunt was hesitant to talk about the trash along Liberty Drive, because he didn’t want to encourage any future dumping. Hunt did, however, tell a story about what Scouts had found in the past.

“We had a break-in and they stole the cash register,” he said. “Then a week or two weeks later, we order another one, and all of a sudden, the Scouts come over (to clean up) and say, ‘Hey we found your register!’ And it was still good! So, we ended up with two.”

The Scouts, too, had stories. One, Emyrs Chiodo, age 12, talked about the cleanup.

“I’ve been doing this since Cub Scouts since I was 5,” he said. “I’m a Boy Scout. It’s a little bit of stress having to wake up so early, but it’s fun to see your friends.”

Another Cub Scout, Cooper Armstrong, 8, has been in Scouts for two years and has been helpful in assisting the younger Scouts, “get out of their shell,” according to Sharples. He said Scouting has helped him appreciate the environment and his place in it.

“It helps you understand what the earth is about and how to survive on your own,” Cooper said.