By Brielle Urciuoli

During the 1940s, thousands of young men who idolized soldiers, sailors and airmen rushed to their local troop location to sign up for the Boy Scouts, enthusiastic to help in the war effort.

At age 16, current Pennington resident Don Wright was not as eager as the other boys. But now, he is celebrating 70 years with the organization.

Wright’s life changed drastically in 1944 when his mother offered their barn to hold the rowdy group of boys from Troop 10 of Cos Cob, Conn. His younger brother had just joined the Boy Scouts, and Wright was sent to look after him.

“I decided that I might as well register as a Scout if I were going to be with them all the time,” he said.

As the oldest boy in the group at age 16, he became the leader. Since then, he continued to move up the ranks throughout his high school and college years, until, after graduating from the University of Connecticut, he was drafted for the Korean War. Upon returning home, he went right back to being a Scoutmaster.

In 1961, Wright moved to New Jersey and joined Pennington’s only Boy Scout organization, Troop 41. With more than 80 Scouts in a crowded room, he decided that a new troop was needed. So, he took the initiative and hosted about three dozen boys in a nearby Presbyterian Church, founding Troop 44.

When his sons came of Scout age, Wright became even more involved in Troop 44, where he is still an Eagle adviser for the troop and the district.

Wright strives to “keep the kids working on their stuff, not cars and girls,” he said. He also is in charge of approving and overseeing Eagle Scout service projects, which every aspiring Scout must do.

Vince Lauricella was a Scout under Wright’s leadership of Troop 44 during the 1970s.

“He was quiet, yet he demanded respect,” Lauricella remembers. Now, Wright is still part of his life as the district Eagle adviser for Lauricella’s son.

“He’s very to the point,” Lauricella said about Wright’s interactions with his son’s troop. “He does not make the Scouts jump through hoops.”

Over the past decades, Wright, who worked as an entomologist for American Cyanamid in West Windsor, has watched the organization evolve. From badge changes to no longer being required to memorize the breeds of the animals on all surrounding farms, the Boy Scouts drastically modernized after World War II.

“It’s gone from a strictly rural activity to a general activity,” Wright said. The organization also grew from 1.6 million members during World War II when Wright signed up, to about 2.7 million today. However, one aspect has remained the same, he said. “The best satisfaction,” according to Wright, is watching a young boy enter the program and, six or seven years later, graduate as an Eagle Scout. “Well, he’s no longer a boy, he’s a man,” Wright proudly declared.

Wright, too, was one of those boys who grew as a leader and into a man in the Scouting program. He has received a multitude of awards including the Scoutmaster Training Award, Scoutmaster Training Key, Commissioner Training Key, District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver Award, Church Service Religious Award, and the Wood Badge Knots.

February marked Wright’s 70 years with the Scouts. The Bucks County (Pa.) Council and the Mercer Area District recently honored him with a pin of distinction for his seven decades of dedication.

Gary Wilson, assistant district commissioner, has worked with Wright for more than 40 years and noted that it is rare for someone to serve the Scouts for so long.

“For someone to stay active in Scouting all these years is remarkable,” Wilson said. “It’s a well-deserved honor.”

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