Darien Scouts News

January 2022

New Home for Scouting Named in Honor of Eric N. Ferguson

70 Old Kings Highway North

The Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust launched our Capital Campaign in 2018 to create more program space for the eight Scouting units we sponsor. The urgency grew as the foundation floor in the current cabin is crumbling, and the cabin sits in the highest risk FEMA flood zone. We were 72% to goal when Covid 19 sidelined us. Construction costs escalated dramatically, bringing the expected price to over $4,000,000 – a hard to justify sum.

We were wrestling with this increase when two major floods occurred this summer – including Tropical Storm Ida which flooded the Cabin and brought costly repairs and a heightened urgency to reassess and ensure that our programs remain vibrant.

Simultaneously, we had been looking at alternate locations and an amazing property at 70 Old Kings Highway North became available. It is a fully-renovated antique structure with lots of period details, zoned for commercial use, and centrally located in the heart of Darien’s historic district. Incredibly, it is in move-in condition with 3,300 square feet in eight multi-size rooms complete with office furniture, new heating, and A/C. The ½ acre lot includes an income-producing carriage house, garage, and storage shed – and hosts an awe-inspiring oak tree that was present during the American Revolution. George Washington walked by this house at least twice - a unique reminder of patriotism for our Scouts!

Thanks to the generosity of many donors, we now have a viable solution. We’ve gained indoor and outdoor program space, additional storage, and a location for our thriving online charity auctions that fund our Scouting program currently. The carriage house, garage, and large backyard provide options for redevelopment, which could include a large group meeting space.

This space is available for your use! Since purchasing the property in late October, we have hosted the T35 merit badge fairs, Eagle Boards of Review, cub scout den meetings, and District meetings — as well as ASMT meetings and our online charity auctions. If you would like to schedule a meeting, please contact Suzanne Domenici. We look forward to hosting an open house later this Spring.

Eric N. Ferguson and His Commitment to Darien Scouting

Born in Motherwell, Scotland, Eric N. Ferguson emigrated to the United States when he was three years old. A successful businessman, Eric attended Rutgers University, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, was a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and was involved in a number of venture capital endeavors.

Although not a Scout himself, Eric was a major supporter of Darien Scouting, often promoting its importance in building youth character and life skills. He was a recipient of the Connecticut Yankee Council’s Good Scout Award, and was instrumental in helping to found a troop for Haitian youth in Stamford.

Well known for his deep involvement in charitable work, local politics, and fundraising for nonprofits, Eric was an inspiration for many future generations of volunteers, philanthropists and politicians. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. Eric was always warm-hearted and generous in spirit, and his friends felt inspired and encouraged by him to work to make their communities better places in which to live.

Recognizing Scout Achievement

Despite the challenges of COVID, Eagle Scouts soared in Darien in 2021! Seventeen Scouts from Troops 35, 53 and 219 earned their Eagle Scout award, the largest number of Eagles awarded in recent memory. The Eagle Scout rank is the highest award available to youth members in Scouting. In addition to completing six ranks in Scouting and earning a minimum of 21 merit badges, each Scout must lead a significant community service project. Among the organizations benefitting from our Scout’s Eagle projects are St. Johns Church, the Mather Homestead, Fitch Academy and the Darien VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) to name a few.

Congratulations to Darien’s 2021 Eagle Scouts!

Top Row (left to right): Dean Ambrose, Linus Carrier, Owen Coventry, Kirin Ebrahimi. Middle Row (left to right): John Friedrichsen, Will Harper, Lindsay Ferretti, Frank Pirone, Garrett Martin, Will Morgan, Ian Holly. Bottom Row (left to right): Daniel Martorella, Evan Towell. Tate Hansen, Andreas Lolis, Paul Scalise, and Adi Rai,

Cabin Flood: Before & After …Many Thanks to our AMAZING Volunteers