45th Annual Scouting Retreat held at Holy Cross Seminary

Press Release
 October 26, 2005

45th ANNUAL SCOUTING RETREAT HELD AT HOLY CROSS SEMINARY


The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting (EOCS) held its 45th Northeast Region Annual Scout Retreat at the Holy Seminary, Brookline, MA.  The EOCS is responsible for teaching Orthodox Christian values and way of life among the Boy and Girl Scouts of the Orthodox Faith.  It also promotes Scouting as part of the youth ministry of Orthodox Churches.

The retreat opened with a prayer by Very Rev. Archimandrite Gerasimos Makris, Director of Student Life at Holy Cross.  Fr. Makris, along with his assistant, Julie Tziolas recruited twelve students and seminarians to formulate and conduct the retreat program based on the theme, "God's Word".  The weekend program was under the direction of seminarian Micah Hirschy from Minnesota.  The Retreat Chairman was Scoutmaster Tony Triant of New Jersey.  This was his 34th consecutive retreat as chairman.

During the afternoon session, a number of priests from the Seminary volunteered to hear confessions from the 97 Scouts participating.  For many of the Scouts, this was the first time they went to confession.

Because of the horrendous rainfall, a number of Scouts units were unable to attend the retreat.  Traditionally, the Scouts campout in tents and cook their meals outside.  Since the rain continued, the college opened all their facilities and the Boy Scouts camped in the gym and the Girl Scouts in the classrooms and the school provided meals in the college refectory.  The opening and closing ceremonies were held in the chapel.

The EOCS recognizes its duty to cultivate and nurture Orthodox Christian traditions.  The Scout Law and Scout Oath state that religion is an integral part of a Scout's personal moral development.

The EOCS was created in 1965 by The Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), and is responsible for providing scouting religious activities for our youth on a national level.


George N. Boulukos, National Chairman
Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting
862 Guy Lombardo Avenue
Freeport, New York 11520
Web page: www.eocs.org.