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Mercer Area District Advancement Chair Michael Merritt will lead a Life to Eagle presentation in parallel with the March Mercer Area District Roundtable. This presentation and discussion consist of three sections “What Makes the Eagle Rank Different,” “Steps in the Life to Eagle Process,” and “The Eagle Service Project Process.” It is intended for Scouts (especially Life Scouts), parents, unit leaders, advancement coordinators, committee members, project coaches, and Life to Eagle mentors. It is expected to run roughly 90 minutes, including Q&A. It provides an overview and references to guide Life Scouts (and their mentors) who choose to challenge themselves to undertake this final Scouts BSA rank advancement…a rank, once earned, that they will hold for the rest of their life.
Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Our Lady of Sorrows, 3800 E State St., Hamilton, NJ 08619
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Congratulations to Shaun A. of Troop 91B and Lana K. of Troop 91G for being selected by the Union League of Philadelphia as part of this year's class of Good Citizen Award recipients. See below for a biography of each of Mercer Area District's Good Citizen Award recipients. | |
Shaun Appert is a junior at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville. He has been a member of BSA Troop 91B for seven years and was a member of Cub Scout Pack 79 for five years. Currently, Shaun is a Life Scout and is in the process of planning his Eagle Scout project with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Shaun’s leadership positions have included Chaplain’s Aide, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 91B. Outside of Scouting, Shaun runs cross country and swims for Notre Dame. In addition, he plays the keyboard for the Jazz Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Concert Band for Notre Dame. Just this past summer, Shaun went on a week-long service trip with a team from his parish to West Virginia to construct decks, ramps, and roofs for lower-income homeowners. Shaun is honored to be selected to represent Washington Crossing Council at Good Citizen’s Day at the Philadelphia Union League, and to be a recipient of the Good Citizen Award! | |  |
Hello! I’m Lana Kerwin, and I’ve been a part of, and a founder of Troop 91G in Hamilton, NJ for 7 years. I’m currently a Life Scout, and soon to be Eagle! Throughout my time in the troop I’ve held the positions of Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Patrol Leader, and am also an Order of the Arrow member. I’ve had the opportunity to go on a multitude of campouts, and attend various summer camps as well, my favorite being Goose Pond. I’ve also had the privilege of speaking on behalf of Washington Crossing Council at New Jersey’s State Capital to deliver the annual Scouting report, which was an incredible experience. At school, I’m a writer for the newspaper, a member of Student Government, and participate in charity work through the Spanish Club. Additionally, I’m in the National Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. This summer, I’m ecstatic to go on my first high adventure trip to SeaBase in the Florida Keys. It’s an honor to be selected for the Good Citizen Award, and I’m excited for what is to come in the future. | | |
Save the Date! District Awards Dinner: April 30, 2025 | |
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A district that works hard should celebrate too! Please join us on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at Villa Mannino in Bordentown for the annual Mercer Area District Awards Dinner. The festivities will begin at 6:30PM.
Mark your calendars now! Registration information to follow.
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New Jersey Scouting Report to the State | |
Reagan Balog (Pack 91), Jackson Balog (Troop 870), and Cooper Balog (Troop 870), close out the Scouting Report to the State with the Sout Oath & Law | |
Cooper Balog (Troop 870) and Natalia Arpino meet with Senator Linda Greenstein before the Scouting Report to the State. | |
The youth contingent representing Scouts from all programs throughout the Garden State | |
On Thursday, February 13, 2025, Scouts and Scouters representing each council with a presence in New Jersey gathered at the State House in Trenton to present the annual Scouting Report to the State. In addition to a full report on the achievements of the past year, Scouts met with legislators and set up a display in the State House Annex. Afterward, attendees received an in-depth tour that included Assembly, Senate, and Governor's office. | |
New Jersey Good Scout Reception | |
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Join us on Thursday, March 6th, at Trenton Country Club for the annual New Jersey Good Scout Reception. This year's honoree is Mercer County Executive Dan Benson.
Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Trenton Country Club, 201 Sullivan Way, Ewing, NJ 08628
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2025 District Award of Merit - Nominations Now Open! | |
2024 Mercer Area District
District Award of Merit Nomination
The District Award of Merit is the highest award that a District can bestow upon an adult Scouter. The Mercer Area District will be presenting these awards at our District Dinner on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
We are now seeking nominations for this year’s awards. A nominee must meet the following criteria:
· The nominee must be a registered Scouter who has provided noteworthy service above and beyond that of their volunteer position to youth in Scouting, outside Scouting, or both.
· The nominee’s attitude towards and cooperation with the district and/or council is to be taken into consideration when making a nomination.
· The nominee must not have previously received the District Award of Merit.
· Further details on the criteria for nomination can be found on the nomination form.
If you would like to nominate a Scouter who has performed exemplary service – above and beyond the call of duty – on behalf of youth within the Mercer Area District, please use the official nomination form that can be found here
Please forward the completed nomination form(s) to the Awards Committee by
Monday, March 31st for consideration to:
Kevin Ott
District Executive
kevin.ott@scouting.org
Yours in Scouting,
Michael Merritt
MAD Advancement Chair
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New Jersey State Camporee: Time Is Running Out to Register! | |
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A team effort…
This year, Washington Crossing Council has done a great job recruiting and Mercer Area District played a large role in recruiting new scouts, ergo a success story is the result of extensive collaboration between the districts and units working.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the dedicated efforts of our volunteers, enthusiastic parents … and all of the Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA members, Explorers, Sea Scouts and Venturers who invited their friends to join them on their Scouting adventures.
We encouraged our Cub Scout leaders to recruit new members in the spring, and they did. By fall, we could tell it was working. Cub Scout youth membership grew over the course of the year.
We asked you to think about how you recruit older youth to the BSA, and you did that, too. Where do we go from here?
One of the great things about Scouting’s programs is that, in lots of ways, they can recruit themselves during non-traditional recruiting seasons; however, we cannot expect that the program will bring in new scouts.
Our volunteers are key to ensuring that the program succeeds, and it is not just volunteers at the unit level, but rather, at all levels.
Just like the Scout Motto “Be Prepared”, we, as volunteers ought to hold to that to ensure that we have a successful program for our youth.
Thank you for what you do and if you think you would like to do more, there are other ways that you can help.
Think about this: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams
Yours in Scouting,
Victor Vergara
Mercer Area District Chair
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Upcoming Events! Mark Your Calendar | |
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Plan Ahead:
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Diocese of Trenton Eucharist Revival Workshop: March 1st @ Church of the Epiphany, Brick
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March Roundtable: March 12th @ 7:30PM; Our Lady of Sorrows, Hamilton
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NYLT: March 14th-16th; Ockanickon Scout Reservation
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Campbuilder Day: March 15th @ 9AM; Ockanickon Scout Reservation
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District Committee: March 19th @ 7PM: St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Hamilton
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District Awards Dinner: April 30th @ 6:30PM: Villa Mannino, Bordentown
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