President Obama, Vice President Biden and Supreme Court Justices Scalia and Sotomayor were among the dignitaries offering written congratulations to two Housatonic Council Boy Scout Troop 3 Derby scouts who recently achieved Eagle Scout Rank.
Anthony Bartholomew, 16, son of Rick and Felica Monaco Bartholomew and Colby McLiverty, 16, son of Keith and Beth McLiverty, all of Derby, were recognized as Troop 3’s 294th and 296th Eagle Scouts respectively during a Court of Honor held at the Derby 2nd Congregational Church.
Life Scout Aron Zamfino served as master of ceremonies.
Gary Parker, Troop 3’s 159th Eagle Scout and the current Housatonic Council Vice President of Camping, welcomed the Eagle Scouts and recognized the new Eagle Scout’s many achievements.
The Eagle Scout ceremony followed a very successful Ed Strang Day for Kids, an annual free event on the Derby Green for children to learn about the adventures of scouting.
Anthony
Anthony Joseph Monaco Bartholomew is the younger brother of Vincenza.
He is a lifelong citizen of Derby and a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church.
Anthony is a junior at St. Joseph’s High School in Trumbull where he is an honor student, a member of the Freshman Focus Leadership team, the bowling team, the Italian Club, the Health and Wellness Club and the Audio Visual Club.
Anthony was awarded the St. Joseph’s 2014 President Service Volunteer Award for his community service by the school administration.
He started his scouting experience in Cub Scout Pack 3, which is sponsored by Derby Methodist Church, and upon joining Troop 3 Boy Scouts, he was a member of the Whirling Dervishes and Johnny Rockets Patrols.
His leadership roles consisted of Pack 3 Den Chief, as well as Patrol Leader, Grub Master, Patrol Leader and Troop 3’s Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. Anthony has performed as an Endman in the Troop’s annual Scout Gang Show and he is also a member of Derby-Shelton Rotary Club sponsored Venture Crew 33 Derby.
Anthony has earned 50 merit badges and attended summer camp at Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation as well as the BSA Florida Sea Base. He and his family have hosted exchange scouts from both Ireland and England. In 2014, Anthony represented Troop 3 as one of the first exchange scouts to travel to Derby, England.
For his Eagle Project, Anthony, along with fellow scouts, friends, family, local businesses, and Derby Public Works, constructed the interior of Derby- Ansonia Dog Park.
The project consisted of over 500 volunteer hours, and contributions of more than $2,500, including significant donations from the Derby-Shelton Rotary Club, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, family and friends. The Derby Board of Aldermen and former Mayor Tony Staffieri were very supportive of this project. Anthony is currently the Chairperson of the Dog Park Committee.
Anthony’s future plans are to follow in the footsteps of several of his family members, including his grandfather, and join the Army after graduating from college.
Colby
Colby McLiverty joined Cub Pack 16 Ansonia, completing up to first year Webelos and he then joined Pack 3 Derby, earning the Arrow of Light award, before joining Troop 3.
Colby has served Troop 3 as a Patrol Scribe, Assistant Patrol Leader, and Patrol Leader, all for the Whirling Dervishes patrol, also as Troop Scribe and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.
Colby has performed in the Scout Gang Show, the past two years as an Endman.
He has participated on trips to the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, camping along the Pacific Coast, and sailing in the Florida Keys.
He will participate in the troop’s 2015 trip to Derby, England, where he will reunite with both English and Irish scouts whom he has hosted for three summers.
He has earned 50 merit badges and is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow.
Colby is a Junior at Notre Dame High School in West Haven, where he has maintained High Honors.
He was nominated as one of two representatives from his sophomore class at the HOBY Youth Leadership Conference in May 2014, and also attended the Envision Leadership Conference on Intelligence and National Security in Washington, DC.
He was a member of the football team and is currently a member of the Varsity Outdoor Track and Field team, where he competes in shotput.
He is a member of the Stock Market Club, the Outdoorsman Club, and the Ronald Reagan Political Club.
Colby has twice been awarded the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Award in the City of Derby.
He is a lifelong parishioner at Holy Rosary Church in Ansonia where he enjoys being a lector. Colby has also earned the rank of Brown-Black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Colby’s Eagle project took place at the historic Founder’s Common in East Derby. He raised the funds to purchase trees and benches for dedication and place decorative brick borders around previously installed memorial trees with mulch and flowers and a memorial plaque for each. The funds left over from the project were turned over to the City of Derby for the upkeep of the Common.
Colby plans on attending college and has a desire to serve his country by joining the military and pursuing a career in law enforcement on the federal level.
Congrats
In additional to the congratulatory letters from the nation’s leaders Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto, Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti and former Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri were all on hand to offer personal congratulations and thanks on behalf of their communities for the significant projects achieved by Bartholomew and McLiverty.
The new Eagle Scouts were also charged by Anthony’s uncle, retired Army Colonel Francis Monaco, to serve with integrity and set goals to be successful in life. Fifty years ago, under the direction of then Scoutmaster Edumnd D. Strang, Monaco became the 117th Troop 3 scout to attain Eagle Scout Rank.
“Housatonic Council BSA and Troop 3 Derby are extremely proud of the efforts of Anthony and Colby and we have every confidence Scouting has helped prepare them to be successful in all they endeavor”, stated Troop 3 Scoutmaster Randy Ritter, who coordinated the court of honor program.
Troop 3, founded and continued to be sponsored by the Derby 2nd Congregational Church, where it meets on Wednesdays, is celebrating it’s centennial anniversary with a dinner on October 26th at the Inn at Villa Bianca in Seymour. All are invited to attend, especially Troop 3 alumni and friends. For more information call 203 – 732-0343.
