Troop 128 — Easter Flower Sale

CHAMBERSBURG — Drivers on the East and West ends of Chambersburg over the weekend probably saw — and possibly stopped at — Boy Scout Troop and Cub Pack 128’s annual Easter flower sale. The three-day fundraiser was held from March 24-26, and taught the boys valuable life-lessons and business skills while raising money for their spring camping trip.

The Boy Scouts, led by Scoutmaster Ryan Peshkin, set up shop in the lot next to Bill’s Kwik Chek Market on Lincoln Way West, while the Cub Scouts, who were led by Cubmaster Erik McDonald, sold flowers from a stand at the intersection of Lincoln Way East and Ragged Edge Road.

“The sale was extremely successful,” said Peshkin. “The boys’ hard work paid off through their dedication to Scouting’s ideals.”

“This is our number one fundraiser,” added McDonald. “This is how we get the boys to go to camp and how we get their supplies to go camping.”

Every spring camping trip is a new adventure. This year, they will be going to the Pocono Mountains to see the Pocono Raceway and Camel Back Mountain Resort. Last year they went to Washington D.C. and toured the museums and memorials.

While the Scouts are known for their outdoor adventures, Peshkin and McDonald hope to teach their boys lessons of good citizenship as well as business and money management. Working with the public also boosts their confidence.

“Opportunities like this get them to be more rounded out and learn skills that they’ll need in life,” Peshkin said. “For example, they need to tally up the prices of flowers and they need to be quick about it.”

A Boy Scout helps a customer choose the right flower.

From these high-visibility vantage points, the scouts hoped to catch the attention of anybody who was in need of Easter flowers or hoping to get an early start on their spring gardening.

“I just drove by it this morning,” said Debbie Genetti of New Jersey. “We needed some flowers so we stopped in, and we can support the Boy Scouts at the same time.”

The majority of the flowers were bought to be given as gifts or to be left at gravesites of loved ones.

“We always put flowers on their graves at Easter time,” said Sandy McCleary of Chambersburg as one Boy Scout helped load flowers into her vehicle while another counted out her change. “The majority are for that, but I also buy them for my daughter and daughter-in-law.”

“They had a lot of different flowers here,” McCleary added.

The flowers were sourced from Musselman Greenhouses in Orrtanna, and they were priced at $5 and up. The inventory included a general variety of Easter flowers including lilies, tulips, mums, hydrangeas, azaleas, geraniums and miniature roses.

The flower stands — located on the East and West ends of town — were very busy.

“Musselman’s has helped us out for several years,” said Cubmaster Erik McDonald. “It’s an awesome place to buy from year ‘round.”

Troop 128, which will celebrate its 100th year in 2019, meets at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church on Washington Street. The 18 Boy Scouts and 17 Cub Scouts maintain several ongoing community service projects including flag retirement and newspaper recycling.

“We give the flags a proper burial within the guidelines that the government has set down on how to dispose of retired flags,” explained Peshkin.

The newspapers are collected and delivered Slate Ridge Dairy Farm in St. Thomas where they are shredded and used as cattle bedding.

Peshkin came up through Troop 128, and earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting, under Scoutmaster Paul Holbrook. For his community project, he cleaned up the Rocky Knob Trail in Michaux State Forest.

While the Scouts seemed to enjoy learning the practical lessons of the flower business, they were more excited about the camping trip.

“I like camping a lot,” said Colby Hornbaker, who has earned the rank of Star, the third-highest rank in Scouting, which requires at least 6 hours of community service and 6 merit badges. “It’s fun learning how to survive outside. It’s good experience.”

Fellow Scout Morgan Corwell, who has earned the rank of Life, the second-highest rank, added: “I like the friendship and comradery that comes with Scouting.”

Two Cub Scouts ring a customer up for an order.

In addition to flowers, the Scouts offered 16 flavors of Country Meat Sticks and Camp Cards. The cards cost $5, and cardholders receive discounts at various participating local businesses including sweetFrog, TrueValue, Jiffy Lube, McDonald’s and tickets to Senators’ games.

This year they are they are planning to do a similar flower sale for Mother’s Day weekend. If it is successful, it will become a new Troop 128 tradition.