Scarsdale Scout Troop 4 Earns 158 Merit Badges and Welcomes New Scoutmaster

Forty-one Scouts from Scarsdale Troop 4 earned 158 merit badges and 35 rank advancements at a Court of Honor held on November 9, 2025. Merit badges enable scouts to learn about the arts, business, civics, crafts, the outdoors, science, sports, trades, and future careers. At this Court of Honor, Scouts in Troop 4 earned the following merit badges: archery, architecture, art, astronomy, automotive maintenance basketry, camping, canoeing, chemistry, citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation, citizenship in society, citizenship in the world, communication, cooking, electronics, emergency preparedness, entrepreneurship, environmental science, family life, fish and wildlife management, fingerprinting, first aid, forestry, game design, home repairs, law, lifesaving, kayaking, leatherwork, mammal study, movie making, nature, personal fitness, personal management, photography, pioneering, plumbing, pottery, programming, public speaking, radio, rifle shooting, robotics, rowing, scholarship, scuba diving, search and rescue, small boat sailing, sustainability, swimming, wood carving, and woodwork.

Awards

Christian Kirkendall-Rodríguez and Delfina Christian Kirkendall-Rodríguez earned the National Outdoor Award in Camping. The National Outdoor Award recognizes scouts who excel in outdoor participation; The camping award requires that scouts spend at least 25 nights in a tent sent up by the scout. In addition, scouts must earn the Camping Merit Badge, as well as two of the Cooking, First Aid and Pioneering Merit Badges. Christian earned the Gold designation, which is awarded to scouts who have spent at least 50 nights camping.

Delfina also earned the Mendel’s Minion Nova Award, a science award earned for exploring how genetic information affects your life every day. Anish Barnwal, Sienna Cioffi, Leah Emerson, Jayden Li, Sean Ma, Maximilian McMahon, Lucas Molosiu, Ellie Paek, Joshua Park, Tomi Rodríguez and Yihong Wu earned the Totin’ Chip. This certification grants a Scout the right to carry and use wood tools; scouts are required to demonstrate proper handling, care, and use of the pocketknife, ax, and saw.

New Scoutmaster

Troop 4 also welcomed new Scoutmaster Heather Kolb. Ms. Kolb has been an Assistant Scoutmaster at Troop 4 for three years and the Advancement Chair for eight years before that. Additionally, she is a merit badge counselor for citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation, communication, cooking, family life, law, pets, and scuba diving. Previously, she was Cubmaster and had several other leadership roles in Scarsdale Cub Scout Pack 440.

Troop 4 is enormously grateful to former Scoutmaster Ted Mazza who led the troop for five years. Under his leadership, not only did the troop survive the challenges posed by Covid, but it has also since thrived. He was also instrumental in establishing a girls’ troop within Troop 4 when Scout BSA opened to girls. Mr. Mazza is now Troop 4’s Committee Chair focusing on adult and youth leadership and special activities for the more advanced Scouts. He will continue to be a merit badge counselor for camping, cooking, digital technology, family life, hiking, personal fitness, programming, and reading.

Joining Troop 4

Any 6th – 11th grade student is invited to join Troop 4. You may contact Scoutmaster Heather Kolb.