Michael Kushner was sworn in earlier this month.
Washington Township’s Boy Scout Troop 57 welcomed new Scoutmaster Michael Kushner at their Scoutmaster Transition Ceremony. Kushner was a Cub Scout den leader for five years in Williamstown prior to joining Troop 57 last year.
According to Kushner, unlike Cub Scouts, which is led by an adult, Boy Scouts is lead by the scouts under the guidance of a scoutmaster.
“The scoutmaster trains boy leaders to run the troop using the EDGE method of training: educate, demonstrate, guide, enable,” Kushner said.
Kushner is the fourth scoutmaster in 35 years for Troop 57. Former Scoutmaster Christopher McGuigan stepped down to assistant scoutmaster and offered the position to Kushner as his replacement.
“I have only been a scoutmaster for two weeks, but I would say the most rewarding part is watching young boys learn valuable skills that they can’t learn from playing video games,” Kushner said. “We have meetings every Monday and camp on a monthly basis. Seven of the Boy Scouts in the troop crossed over from Cub Scouts with me last year, so I will have the chance of seeing these boys go from Tiger Cub to Eagle Scout. I have also been the leader for two sets of identical twins, including my own set, since 2011.”
On Feb. 6, Troop 57 will be holding an open house event at The Church of the Holy Family.
“This gives other Cub Scout packs in the area who have boys ready to cross over an opportunity to visit our troop and see what we can deliver. Choosing a troop is a big decision for each family, and it is important that the scouts visit more than one troop so they can compare what each has to offer,” Kushner said.
Kushner, a United States Air Force veteran, works as a retirement plan consultant. When he’s not taking his boys to ice hockey or his daughter to dance, he said, he is a volunteer private pilot with Angel Flight East, a non-profit organization “dedicated to serving the community by providing free air transportation to medical patients who cannot afford commercial travel.” Kushner is also an aviation merit badge counselor with Boys Scouts of America.
