Benefit dinner held for Eagle Scout’s project

WINSTED — A benefit dinner for Boy Scout Joseph Santoro’s Eagle Scout project was held at the Winsted Knights of Columbus banquet hall on Saturday, March 29. Members of Troop 17 acted as waiters and busboys while the meal was prepared by Jim McCarthy and his kitchen crew.Joseph, 16, is working on a project to construct a pavilion outside of the banquet hall.“I was looking for an Eagle Scout project, and my Scoutmaster Joe Brady told me that the Knights were looking to construct a pavilion,” Joseph said. “I thought it would be a good idea. This will give them a structure to cook under and shield them from the elements.” Joseph was able to sell $1,400 in tickets in advance, and he said this this may be enough to construct the pavilion.If not, Joseph said he will do an additional bake sale fundraiser.Joseph said he joined the Tiger Cubs when he was 6 years old. That Scout program is for boys in the first through third grade. “I saw fliers at school that made it look fun, and it has been fun to me,” Joseph said.Eagle Scout is the highest rank in the Scouting program. Joseph explained that one of the final requirements to become an Eagle Scout is completing a project to benefit your community and that he hopes to obtain an Eagle Scout patch for this project.Troop 17 Scoutmaster Joe Brady attended the event but pointed out that he was just a guest. “Joe’s in charge of everything; I’m just here to observe,” Brady said.“I have been a scoutmaster for 34 years, and there are a lot of different things I love about it. Kids can get exposed to a huge amount of stuff. One of the things they get exposed to is leadership, like Joe has to prove here. If a kid goes out for a sports team you might have one or two captains, but in Scouts every kid is required to take a leadership position at some point,” he said. Brady added that aside from showing leadership they also learn teamwork and that it trains children to be really good citizens.Brady said he would love to see more kids get into the Boy Scouts and that anyone interested is welcome to attend an open house which will be held at Knights Hall on Saturday, April 19, at 7 p.m. The open house will include demonstrations and games.