Last Saturday, Bedford Hills residents Bobby Collins and Joe Tinti were officially recognized as Eagle Scouts from Troop 110 at the Bedford Community House. Both blazed trails in the local back woods, as part of their Eagle Scout Projects and the same can be expected in a larger sense, according to an Eagle Scout who got his wings over 65 years ago. “They did their job well and went way beyond it and that’s what I foresee for both of them in the future,” said George Renaldo.
Bobby, who is attending SUNY Cobleskill and wants to pursue a career in TV production and Communications, chose the Guard Hill Park in Bedford to leave his mark. Clearing and cleaning a mile and a half of trail that covered 60 acres, he supervised a volunteer work force that also built bird boxes, marked trails and mapped the cartography.
But this involved more than just a quick trip into the nearby woods. Coming home three hours every weekend to organize and take part in the party, he felt the finished product should not bear any reference to his name. “My main goal is to give back to the community what they gave to me,” he says.
What he did leave and continue is a legacy that is consistent to Troop 110, according to their longtime leader, Joe McGin. “They always seem to wait for the last minute,” he said, but since cheerfulness is one of the 12 tenets of being a scout, the slight was certainly to be taken in that spirit.
The spirit, though, that he really wanted to emphasize was the challenge of living with a lifelong dedication to honor. “It’s not only important to him but more importantly for the example it sets for others,” said McGin.
Unfortunately, at the higher levels of our society, the example is being missed, according to County Legislator, Peter Harckham. “We are a nation in search of leadership because there are too many people making a lot of noise without really affecting any kind of change,” he said.
Trying to do his part in that regard is fellow honoree Joe Tinti. His 18 month project at the Arthur W. Butler Sanctuary will certainly be an enhancement to the experienced preserve user, but his hope is that it will open the sanctuary to the more casual connoisseur of the outdoors. “The major asset offered are easy to spot acrylic sign posts placed at trail intersections to ensure that if hikers enter the woods, they won’t need the national guard to help them get out alive,” said Tinti.
That is well within keeping of the honor that a pair of wings implies for his efforts and also those of his contemporary
Rich Monetti coverage of event at Bedford Community House with George Renaldo, Bobby Collins, Joe McGin, Peter Harckham and Joe Tinti
