Community Corner

Cub Scouts Learn About Citizenship

These boys experienced the importance of exercising their right to vote.

Perhaps the speediest election cycle occurred on Friday, Nov. 19, at the Cub Scout Pack 544 meeting where the campaigning, voting and election results were all completed in an hour and a half.

There was a pack-wide election to determine which snack the approximately 60 Cub Scouts in attendance would eat as well as the activity that they would take part in. Each of the different Cub Scout groups, including the Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos, split up to decide which snack and activity they wanted to campaign for.The food choices were: Jolly Ranchers, Welch's fruit snacks and pretzel sticks; the activity choices were: basketball shootout, relay race and tug of war.

All of the Cub Scouts would indulge in the game and food that was chosen by the group so that they could understand majority rule. 

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"Unlike most elections, we'll follow through on our promises," joked Stephen Gresalfi, the Cubmaster.

After a representative from each group rallied for their favorites, all the Cub Scouts voted on ballots without their names, to mimic an actual vote, behind two private "voting stations". Jolly Ranchers and the tug of war won; the victory party included lots of cheering.

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Following the election proceedings, Joseph Leonard, one of the Cub Scouts, said he learned that, "it's important to vote for what you really like." And brothers Jack and Andrew Koubek, also Cub Scouts, expressed that voting means a lot no matter whether you win or lose.

The Cub Scout meeting ended with a thanks to the children and parents who contributed toward the 30 boxes of food that were given to the outreach at in New Hyde Park and Our Lady of Lourdes in Queens Village.

"The food that you bought to donate with any luck has already been consumed by a family who otherwise would have had nothing to eat," Gresalfi said.


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