From left are village of Fredonia Mayor Doug Essek, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs SUNY Fredonia Dr. David Starrett are joined by University Of Scouting organizers from Allegheny Highlands BSA Council Kendra Gaynor, Tom Przybylak and Paul Starcher.

More than 400 registered youth and adult BSA Scouts participated in this last weekend’s University Of Scouting program (www.scoutinguniversity.org) organized by the Allegheny Highlands BSA Council.

The daylong event on the campus of SUNY Fredonia, featured more than 100 training sessions that provided both male and female Scouts the opportunity to earn merit badges for rank advancement.

Adult sessions focused on organizational skills as well as information pertaining to the latest hiking and camping gear, leadership development and even new outdoor cooking recipes for future troop meetings. Thirty merit badges were offered, mostly taught by SUNY professors, in areas like Oceanography, Robotics, Theater, Conservation, Space Exploration, Geocaching, Plumbing and Geology.

Scouts from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois attended the University of Scouting representing the Abraham Lincoln Council, Allegheny Highlands Council, Chief Cornplanter Council, French Creek Council, Five Rivers Council, Iroquois Trail Council, Seneca Waterways Council, Susquehanna Council, Western New York Scout Council and Westmoreland-Fayette Council.

On hand to kick off the day’s Opening Ceremony was Dr. David Starrett, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs from SUNY Fredonia and village of Fredonia Mayor Doug Essek who both shared stories of their scouting experiences.

The day was sponsored by Allegheny Highlands BSA Council. The Council serves Western New York youth as well as Scouts located in McKean and Potter counties in Pennsylvania. The Scouting programs include Cub Scouts for youth ages 7 to 10. Scouts, BSA for youth ages 11 to 17, and Venturing for youth ages 14 to 20.

It is the mission of Allegheny Highlands BSA Council to deliver the highest-quality, values-based youth program of character development and leadership training, based upon the precepts embodied in the Scout Oath and Law, and to prepare our young people to make ethical decisions in order to reach their full potential and to better serve their family, community and country.

The Council currently serves more than 1,500 scouts as well as 500 adult leaders.