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Photos by Hallie D. Martin
Summer visitors at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck will no longer be confined to a cramped deck when they chat or play games outside a popular meeting spot at the Center Moriches camp, thanks to the efforts of an aspiring Eagle Scout from Eastport.
It took him just over a month to complete but, on November 24, 17-year-old Brandon McAlary set in place the last stone in a patio that he built with his own hands. The patio is located behind the Trading Post building, a popular meeting spot at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, a summer camp for special needs children.
Brandon completed the project with the hopes that it will earn him the rank of Eagle Scout. He already submitted the required paperwork to the Suffolk County Boy Scout Council. It is not clear when the council will make a decision.
The patio is attached to the pink Trading Post building, which kids attend once a day during their week-long stay at the camp, according to Jean Gilrane, the director of Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck. The post, which has a small deck in the front of the building and Brandon’s new patio in the rear, is a place where the campers can socialize.
The deck attached to the post is small and campers were bumping into each other while playing games, talking, drinking soda or eating ice cream this past summer. When campers come back next summer, they’ll be able to safely maneuver around in their wheelchairs while socializing on the new patio, Ms. Gilrane said.
“The children will be much more comfortable getting around each other,” she said. “It really wonderfully enhances the social action that takes place at the Trading Post.”
Ms. Gilrane said the patio is a huge asset to the camp, and is pleased that it could also help Brandon achieve his goal of Eagle Scout. “I just think it’s a win-win situation,” she said.
When Brandon approached Ms. Gilrane in the spring about taking on a project, she presented him with a few ideas, including building a box for life preservers or a ramp leading to a shed. He said he opted to build the stone patio because he thought it would benefit the campers the most.
More than 140 gray-hued stones that are held in place with sand, which acts like grout, make up the nearly 20-foot by 20-foot patio. Ms. Gilrane praised Brandon’s dedication and craftsmanship.
“He followed through with everything he needed to do,” she said. “He was very expeditious in getting it done.”
There are two other Boy Scouts now working on projects at the camp to earn their Eagle Scout titles, Ms. Gilrane added. She said that Christian Trapani, a student at Westhampton Beach High School, is building a shed while Anthony Ricci, who attends the Eastport South Manor School District, is finishing up flower boxes.
Brandon, a senior attending Eastport South Manor High School, said that building the patio was not a full-time project for him. He said he is very active in his school’s theater department, and explained that he is also busy applying to colleges. He hopes to attend either the State University of New York at Albany or the University of Central Florida, where he would study forensic science.
Brandon explained that he worked on the patio on weekends and after school. He did take a day off from school to finish the project. “I worked a few days here and there,” he said.
Though Brandon could not accept monetary donations to finish his work, he could receive materials and help from local companies. Desi Manufacturing Group, a Center Moriches company that manufactures stones, donated the 18-inch by 18-inch blocks that make up the patio. The stones would have cost about $800 to purchase.
Larry Santinon, the manger of Desi Manufacturing Group, said he has donated to Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck in the past and wanted to help out again. “I feel good about donating to them,” Mr. Santinon said.
Dean Worby’s business, SL Worby & Sons of Quogue, spent the majority of a day leveling the site for Brandon. Mr. Worby said he has also donated to the camp in the past and also wanted to help Brandon.
“I think he’s doing a great thing for the camp and I hope he gets his Eagle Scout rank,” he said.
Though he could have offered his assistance anywhere, Brandon said he chose Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck because he is familiar with the important work that is accomplished there. Both he and his parents, John and Marie McAlary, have donated their time to the camp in the past.
“Growing up, I’ve known about the camp,” Brandon said. “It’s a great thing what they do for kids with special needs.”
Being a Boy Scout also runs in his family. Brandon has been a part of East Moriches Troop 29 for 10 years. His grandfather John McAlary was the troop leader and his father still serves in that capacity.
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