On June 13, the Pequott District of the Theodore Roosevelt Council, BSA awarded Donald Josling the Pequott District Award of Merit. For 31 years, Don Josling, known as "Mr. J" by his Scouts, has been a Scoutmaster since 1998 at Troop 660, meeting at Unqua School in Massapequa and before that for 20 years in Troop 224.

Usually Scoutmasters serve three to five years and 10 years is truly Herculean. In his time as Scoutmaster Josling has attended two weeks of summer camp each year and he has gone on camping trips up and down the East Coast from Boston to Washington, D.C. and has devoted thousands of hours to service projects of all kinds. His two sons, Paul and Mark, are Eagle Scouts and for over 14 years, Don has had no children in the troop.

The Theodore Roosevelt Council has five districts, one being Pequott which generally covers the Wantagh, Seaford and Massapequa area. Each year Pequott District awards this honor to several highly deserving people. Don Josling is also a merit badge counselor, helps raise money for the Scouting program in the Friends of Scouting program, is a veteran and is active in his church.

Since 1999, Don has helped grow Troop 660 from five boys to over 50 registered Scouts. In the past five years alone 10 Scouts in Don's troop have been awarded Eagle. (Troop 660, founded in 1958, now has 72 Eagle Scouts).

Don's favorite saying in Scouting is, "We do this for the boys" and he has been personally involved in more than 50 boys becoming Eagle Scouts. Such devotion to a community organization is without equal.

If you have any questions, email Jboland@VDM-Law.com or call John Boland at 922-9100.