BSA Troop 95

05/24/2026

Yesterday, Scouts and leaders from Troop 95 joined our charter organization, the Sparta VFW Post #7248, in placing American flags on the graves of veterans at our local cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day.

It is always a meaningful experience for our Scouts to take part in honoring the men and women who served our country and made the sacrifices that allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.

Tomorrow, Troop 95 will proudly continue that tradition by marching in the VFW's Memorial Day Parade.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support and partnership of the VFW as our charter organization and appreciate all they do for both our troop and our community.

05/17/2026

This weekend was Troop 95's annual Intro to Backpacking trip. Usually held in November, the PLC wanted to move it to warmer weather and Mother Nature delivered.

We hiked up the Appalachian Trail alongside Dunnfield Creek and camped at a thru-hiker campsite.

Scouts learned how to pack for an overnight trip, including carrying 4 liters of water in addition to all their personal gear and tent.

We learned how to find a potable water source on the trail and treat it for cooking and drinking.

We learned how delicious freeze-dried meals can be after you've hiked 7 miles, half of that with 25+ lbs on your back.

We hiked 10 miles total; 7 carrying gear. The other 3 was a fun hike we took to and around Sunfish Pond.

First-timers did awesome and the more seasoned Scouts were great at guiding, helping and setting a solid example of youth leadership.

05/09/2026

Congratulations to Troop 95’s newest Eagle Scout, Matthew Gazzillo, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout on May 7, 2026.

Matt’s Scouting journey has been filled with adventure, leadership, and service — from hiking 50 miles over five days at Philmont to sailing at Sea Base in the Florida Keys. Along the way, he served Troop 95 in leadership roles including Patrol Leader, Instructor, and Quartermaster, where he even helped improve the troop’s gear organization system to make post-trip unloading smoother and more efficient.

For his Eagle Scout Service Project, Matt led the construction and installation of Stations of the Cross at Our Lady of the Lake Church. The project required extensive planning, coordination, and attention to detail, and Matt reflected on how important leadership and communication were to keeping everything running smoothly.

Matt credits Scouting with helping him develop leadership, independence, and problem-solving skills — interests that helped inspire his future path studying Mechanical Engineering at Drexel University this fall.

We are incredibly proud of Matt and all he has contributed to Troop 95 over the years. Please join us in congratulating Troop 95’s newest Eagle Scout!

Congratulations, Matt!

05/09/2026

Please join us in congratulating one of Troop 95’s newest Eagle Scouts, Dylan Simonelli, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout on April 2, 2026.

For his Eagle Scout Service Project, Dylan led the complete renovation of a dilapidated community baseball field, coordinating volunteers, materials, and logistics to transform it into a space that was immediately put back into use by the community. Completing a project of that scale — including working through extreme summer heat and the many challenges that come with a physically demanding project — demonstrated perseverance, leadership, and commitment to service.

During his time in Troop 95, Dylan served in leadership roles including Patrol Leader and Troop Guide, where he enjoyed helping guide younger scouts along their Scouting journey.

Earning the rank of Eagle Scout is an achievement reached by only a small percentage of Scouts, and we are proud to welcome Dylan into that distinguished group.

Congratulations, Dylan!

05/07/2026

Today at the Patriots' Path Council 31st Sussex County Annual Tribute to Women Awards Luncheon, Mrs. Sara Adkins was recognized for her incredible contributions to numerous community organizations — including her integral role in Troop 95’s annual fundraising efforts.

Several of our Troop 95 leaders and parents were proud to be there to celebrate alongside her and recognize this well-deserved honor.

We are grateful to have Sara as part of our troop family and thankful for everything she does to support our scouts and community. Congratulations, Sara!

04/25/2026

Congratulations to Mr. Fowler on receiving the Silver Beaver Award — a well-deserved honor for someone who has given so much to Scouting and to so many young people over the years. In Troop 95, everyone knows that if there’s a scouting event happening, there’s a 95% chance Mr. Fowler will be there helping! We’re privileged to have him among our adult leaders.

We are continuing to honor our 2026 Silver Beavers who will be presented with their award this Saturday at the PPC Awards Celebration. Our next featured recipient is Donald Fowler.

In his youth, Don he was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout who eagerly rejoined the Scouting movement when his oldest son became a Tiger Cub. After 10 years as Scoutmaster of Troop 95 in Sparta, he transitioned to assistant Scoutmaster and started a new adventure as Mate of Ship 1510 in Byram.

Don is a member of the Skylands District Committee, a 7-year veteran of NYLT adult staff, attended the first National Wood Badge course in 2020 at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, and staffed the 2025 National Wood Badge as a Scribe. He currently serves as Council Commodore and is coordinating a Patriots’ Path Bahamas SCUBA Adventure for the summer of 2027.

An engineer with almost 40 years of experience, Don has worked as a Project Manager for CBS at the New York Broadcast Center for the past 30 years. He and his wife, Anne, have three sons: William, a Life Scout; Douglas, an Eagle Scout; and Michael, an Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow Section Chief, and NYLT Youth Staff.

Congratulations Don and thank you for your dedication to Scouting.

04/19/2026

24 scouts from Troop 95 enjoyed a nice weekend at Camp Winnebago, doing service work, advancement, cooking and rifle shooting.

We were planning to spend the weekend doing service work at Camp Somers, where will we return this July for summer camp. But the camp was fully booked for another event. We decided to keep our mission of service and help another local camp. Scouts cleaned up brush, leaves and other debris from around the site. An axe yard was set up and large brush cut up for firewood.

When not cleaning up the site or shooting rifles, scouts worked on advancement, with several new scouts earning their Totin' Chip and Firem'n Chit.

04/16/2026

Tonight, Scouts from Troops 95 and 90 started working towards Cycling Merit Badge at Sussex Bike & Sport Shop where Jason Ziegler opened up his shop and shared real-world knowledge on bike safety, maintenance, and repair.

Next stop: the trails… working up to a 22-mile trail ride!

Huge thank you to Jason for giving his time and setting these Scouts up the right way.

03/01/2026

Last night we welcomed ten new scouts to Troop 95 at Cub Scout Pack 295's Blue & Gold ceremony. These ten scouts earned their Arrow of Light Award, signaling their completion of the Cub Scout program and their move to the Scouts BSA program.

Thank you to the nine Troop 95 scouts that were on-hand to welcome their new troop mates.

We look forward to years of adventures and learning with these new scouts!

02/04/2026

Congratulations to Mr. Fowler on earning the Silver Beaver Award, the highest council-level honor in Scouting!

Thank you, Mr. Fowler, for everything you do for Troop 95 and scouts everywhere!

The Patriots’ Path Council is pleased to announce our 2026 Silver Beaver Award Recipients. The Silver Beaver Award is given for noteworthy service of exceptional character to youth by registered Scouters. It is the highest award a council can bestow upon an adult volunteer. Congratulations to our 2026 Silver Beaver recipients:

Michelle Blanchfield, Whippany
James M. Cutler, Hampton Township
Donald Fowler, Sparta
Don Smith, Randolph
Chandrashekhar Vyas, Edison
Hattie Warren, Toms River

Our six recipients will be honored and presented with their award on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the PPC Awards Celebration which will be held at Winnebago Scout Reservation.

Congratulations again to these outstanding volunteers!