Lenny and Marie Luizzi founded the troop in Hoboken. The goal was to create a scouting program focused on the values of scouting, free from political or social agendas. Initial recruitment efforts focused on Saint Peter and Paul School and the nearby public housing. They faced strong opposition from members of the parish council. Father Ligos stepped in and decided that the troop would be formed, regardless of the council’s vote.

The best and oldest documentation we can point to says, “Charter Original Date = 12/31/1984”.

But Lenny is certain that Troop 146 actually started sometime in 1983 and was active well before 12/31/1984. Lenny recalls a canoe trip down the Delaware in the spring of 1984; i.e., 8 months prior to our “official” start date.

Pack 146 started in 1994. The first Cubs to bridge into the troop happened in 2000.
Pack 18 started in 2004. The first Cubs to bridge into the troop happened in 2005.

1. Donald Gorff:  September 1983 – November 1984

2. Fred Burgett: November 1985 – June 1991
   When Donald Goff stepped down, Lenny was approached by a man with a beard, a ripped coat, and an unkempt appearance. The man revealed himself to be an undercover FBI agent named Fred, who had previously served as an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 2. Despite his unconventional appearance, Fred proved to be a highly effective Scoutmaster. He ran the troop single-handedly, increasing membership to 50 scouts. His leadership skills, discipline, and ability to inspire the scouts contributed to the troop’s rapid growth and success. Due to his ongoing work with the FBI, Fred communicated with Lenny through detailed memos written on legal yellow paper. These memos contained troop updates, plans, and instructions, ensuring the troop remained well-organized despite Fred’s secretive nature. Eventually, Fred was transferred to Chicago, a move that had a significant impact on Troop 146. Without his leadership, the troop experienced a massive drop in numbers.

3. Bob Manzari: September 1991 – July 1994
   After Fred’s departure, troop membership dropped to just two scouts. Bob Manzari, with his strong scouting background, stepped in as Scoutmaster and began rebuilding the troop. He focused on recruiting new scouts from the Saints school, slowly growing the troop. A key moment in the rebuild was a canoe trip on the Delaware River, which became a popular recruiting tool, showing potential scouts the adventure and camaraderie scouting offered
4. Norman Kasser:  July 1994 to Present
   Norman started as Assistant SM in September 1992

   One day, Bob came to Lenny with a suggestion. He introduced Norman, an Eagle Scout from Trenton, who wanted to help. Bob, who had been working nights at Panasonic, could no longer continue in his role, so he brought Norman in to assist. Norman, a seasoned Eagle Scout, was very eager to give back to the program. Lenny was initially skeptical and asked Norman a lot of questions. “Do you have children?” he asked. Norman replied, “No, but I believe in this program, and I want to help.” After a short interview, Lenny decided to give him a chance. Norman took on the role of assistant Scoutmaster, and soon after, Bob had to step aside. Norman’s leadership skills and dedication revitalized the troop. His presence helped bring stability and structure, and with his expertise in scouting, the group began to grow once again. As the troop rebuilt, the boys started to reconnect with the program, and the number of scouts gradually increased. With Norman’s help, the troop started organizing more activities, including camping trips, which had been lacking before. Norman became a key figure in the troop’s success. Under his guidance, the troop grew, and he still runs it to this day.

1. Saints Peter & Paul Lower Church ( including SS-PP School) [Founding to 2011]
   We met in the “Lower Church”; that is, the basement hall beneath the sanctuary.

   In 2000, the Lower Church was closed to install an elevator. T146 met at the Elks Lodge for a semester. It was awful. In the early stages of the troops history this school stood as an important part of the troop as it was a place where many scouts were recruited from.

   In 1999, the Archdiocese closed SS-PP Middle School. We started to meet in what used to be the school cafeteria. In 2008, SS-PP leased the middle school building to Prime Time Child Care; we shared the space.

   In 2011, SS-PP turned over the entire building to Prime Time. Our new meeting space was the HOPES gym.

3. The Rue Building ( HOPES ) gym [2011-2017]

   The Rue building started as the Rue school. It was shut down and an organization called HOPES bought the building, where they let us move in with no charge. For many years other organizations would pay for the space on days the troop didn’t meet but in 2017, HOPES asked us to move out so ZogSports could take over the gym.

4. The Multi Service Center  [2017-present]

   The troop and pack started to meet in the Hoboken Multi-Service Center. A better choice would have been the St. Francis parish hall, but it was booked pretty much every night.

-An emphasis on scout-led activities and decision-making became a hallmark of the troop.

-The establishment of two Cub Scout Packs provided a feeder program for the troop.

-Joint camping trips with the Cub Scout Packs were implemented to ease the transition to Boy Scouts.

-In 2005 the Venture Patrol was formed with the purpose of keeping the older Scouts involved with the troop. They could schedule monthly outings that offered a challenge without having younger Scouts tagging along to slow them down. Soon they started scheduling week-long summer outings, beginning with a week in the Grand Canyon. Important to the Venture Patrol’s success were its adult advisors, such as Nancy Czesak, John Rounds, Mike Evers, and Joe Facchini

-The troop has a very high rate of cub scouts transitioning to boy scouts.

-This is achieved by joint camping trips, having older scouts act as den chiefs, and by requiring cubs to visit a troop meeting before earning the arrow of light award.

Troop 146 has had just two sponsors. 

When Lenny and Marie started the troop, he was a member of Saints Peter and Paul, and so that was the original sponsor. 

In October 2011, Father Frank Del Prete said, “The Scouts can no longer meet at Saints Peter & Paul’s  anymore, our space was needed by other groups”   Father found the Troop a meeting space at Saint Joseph’s Church in Hoboken. Lenny looked at the space and didn’t like it. Lenny spoke to Troop Committee Member Ken Howitt about the HOPES space in the Rue Building. Lenny then decided if we were going to move our meeting space he would also change our sponsor. Ken Howitt accompanied Lenny when he went to talk to Father Michael Guglielmelli of St. Francis Church. Lenny told Father Frank we would change sponsors to St Francis, he didn’t mind.

Popcorn was never a particularly good fundraiser for the troop (but it works well for the Cub packs). Instead we’ve done a couple bake sales, spaghetti dinners, and pancake breakfasts. For several years we bagged groceries for tips at the local A&P (later Acme). Over the years we’ve received unsolicited donations from various people, including grateful parents. One lady made yearly donations for us shoveling snow off her walk in spite of us telling her “No need. We don’t do it for the money.” For several years we sold flowers at the PATH station, thanks to a Scout dad who was a florist with leftovers at the end of the week. A couple times we did a car wash in front of the Elks Lodge. Currently donations from the Troop 107G golf fundraiser is our biggest source of income.

This was unique:  In 2015 we received $1,000 from a company called Medidata — totally unexpected! They planned a day of employee team building in an NYC hotel conference room and heard that our Cub pack had a pinewood derby track. Each team would build a car from scratch and race it, and I agreed to drive to NYC with the track and to run a race for them if they would cover my expenses (SUV rental, tolls, etc.) I estimated $100. They responded with $1,000.

In my opinion, the best troop tradition is the patrol competition with points and Doctor’s Notes and archiving of winning patrol flags. Surely there are other troops that do something similar, but I’ve never heard of any. The idea came from an early Assistant Scoutmaster named Graham Anderson. Next best was the creation of our Venture Patrol, and their decision for a different high adventure trek each summer. The idea came from a letter that was published in Scouting Magazine. Next, we consider the position of SPL to be a 2-year job, with the first year to learn how, mistakes and all, and the second year to do it right. Surely there are other troops that do something similar, but I’ve never heard of any. This was my decision.

Finally is our library of quizzes, which I think is great, but many disagree. We may be the only troop in the country with such a library. It started when I watched an older Scout working with younger Scouts on the Tenderfoot first aid requirements. It was awful. I figured that he really needed a written lesson plan to work from so as to cover all the requirements and to do them correctly. Eventually the lesson plans morphed into the quizzes.

“One word in Scout Law is ‘Helpful’. Troop 146 is very Community involved. We try to work with Hoboken Institutions and Organizations.

We have participated in Hoboken’s Memorial Day Parade since 1987 (even during the pandemic a walk along Washington Street was held). The first time the Troop were Flag Bearers for Saint Anthony and again for Saint Francis was in 2017. Both of these Processions are sponsored by the Saint Francis Holy Name Society, of which I became President in 2016, because Troop 146 is chartered by Saint Francis Church, I thought it was a good idea to show the Parishioners that our Troop was involved in the Parish. In 2014 during the Saint Anthony Procession, at our stop at Saint Ann Church, the members of Saint Ann were very impressed by our Troop Flag Bearers. The President of the Saint Ann Holy Name Society asked me if we would lead the annual Saint Ann Procession and I agreed.

Troop 146 for the last 41 years has always been ready to assist in the general good of the Hoboken Community, and we will continue to serve, and help any legitimate Community Organization, whatever it may be.”

• Troop 146 attended Rock Hill Scout Reservation in Pennsylvania through 1999.
• In 2000 – NNJC closed Rock Hill.  So we switched to Camp Turrell as did many other troops, but the camp was not prepared for the big influx of scouts, and our week was very disappointing.  Another switch was needed.
• 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 – Summer camp at Treasure Island, owned by the Cradle of Liberty Council.
• 2004 – One extra week of Soaring Eagle at Camp Hart, owned by the Cradle of Liberty Council.
• 2005 – Treasure Island wiped out by a flood, we went to Resica Falls Scout Reservation.
• 2006 to 2024 – Camp Turrell got better, so that became our go-to camp.
• 2025 to present – Our parent Northern NJ Council decided to close Turrell for financial reasons. Our new go-to camp became No-Be-Bo-Sco (North Bergen Boy Scouts). 

Jun 2006 – Week in Grand Canyon – Havasu Falls

Aug 2007 – Week at Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation

Aug 2009 – Week at NOAC (National Order of the Arrow Conference) Indiana University

Jun 2010 – Week at Scout Sea Base – Out Island Adventure

Jun 2011 – Week in Grand Canyon – Havasu Falls

Jun 2012 – Week at Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base

Aug 2013 – Week at Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation

Jun 2014 – Week at Scout Sea Base – Out Island Adventure

Jul 2015 – Week at Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base

Aug 2016 – Week in Adirondack State Park

Aug 2017 – Week at Northern Tier High Adventure Base

Aug 2018 – Week at Summit Bechtel Reserve

Aug 2019 – Week at Scout Sea Base – St. Thomas

Aug 2021 – Week at Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation

Aug 2022 – Week at Scout Sea Base – St. Thomas

Aug 2023 – Week at Philmont Scout Ranch – Cavalcade

Jun 2024 – Week at Northern Tier High Adventure Base

Aug 2024 – Week at Bahamas Sea Base

 

	January	Added	Dropped	Aged Out	December
1992	10	5	-7		8
1993	8	5	-4		9
1994	9	6	-1	-1	13
1995	13	6	-4		15
1996	15	9	-4	-1	19
1997	19	13	-10	-1	21
1998	21	16	-10	-1	26
1999	26	6	-16	-1	15
2000	15	11	-5		21
2001	21	12	-12	-2	19
2002	19	5	-7	-3	14
2003	14	16	-5	-1	24
2004	24	8	-9	-1	22
2005	22	9	-5	-3	23
2006	23	10	-11		22
2007	22	14	-4	-3	29
2008	29	10	-9	-4	26
2009	26	6	-10		22
2010	22	6	-10	-1	17
2011	17	11	-1	-3	24
2012	24	11	-9	-4	22
2013	22	4	-5		21
2014	21	4	-3	-3	19
2015	19	13	-6		26
2016	26	6	-9		23
2017	23	11	-6	-4	24
2018	24	28	-6	-2	44
2019	44	11	-22	-2	31
2020	31	15	-4		42
2021	42	16	-13	-2	43
2022	43	13	-9	-4	43
2023	43	13	-10	-3	43
2024	43	10	-4	-1	48
2025	48	9	-8	-13	38

 Some commentary below on the Number of Scouts on Roster (from Norman Kasser:)

1998/1999:

You’ll see that 16 new Scouts signed up in 1998. Of them 9 were recruited in Brandt School by Anthony Mignoli (Eagle 2003). Sadly, all but two of Anthony’s recruits dropped out in 1999. The other dropouts from 1999 each had his own reason, but basically, Scouts didn’t work for them.

2018

The gain of 28 in 2018 was 100% Cubs bridging into the troop from the two Cub packs. Among them were future Eagle Scouts Veer Agarwal, Jayden Altamura, Leo Burnett, John Facchini, Victor Mauseth, Teddy Muldowney, and Arjun Puri.

Troop Growth:

Activities play little role in growth. Growth is driven by the Cub packs. Activities are what keeps Scouts involved so they don’t drop out. “Camping trips” is how most Scouts respond when asked.

See Appendix A for a listing of all Camps and Camping Trips

Some commentary below on a Few of the Camping Trips (from Norman Kasser:)

Beaver Weekend at Rock Hill (06/1993, 05/1997)

When we arrived intending to camp at Rock Hill, there were a couple dozen Order of the Arrow adults already there, prepared to do some heavy-duty construction. We were invited to assist as helpers. We were assigned to help lay down a new concrete slab for an upgrade to the rifle range.

Camp Lewis Blair Witch Project (11/1999)

This was a November cabin camping trip. One of the Scouts had a new video camera, so the boys decided to go out at night and film their own version of “The Blair Witch Project,” a popular horror movie currently showing in theaters. There was more filming the following morning. Nothing ever resulted.

“Tough Guy” camping trips (11/2008, 11/2007, 11/2005)

Standard troop policy is to rent a cabin for winter camping trips, November through March. For the “tough guy” trips, we tell Scouts to prepare to spend the entire weekend in the cold, including sleeping outside in the cold. (Lean-to’s are open to the elements and are just as cold as tents.)

Camp Winnebago Baden-Powell games (02/2008, 02/2009, 02/2010)

This was a terrific camping trip that was organized by an Assistant Scoutmaster named Will Purcell. It would please me greatly if we could someday do a repeat. Will found an old manual from Lord Baden-Powell called “Scouting Games,” and he particularly liked the chapter called, “Stalking Games.” Will’s notes are located in Appendix B. Will divided Scouts into two competing patrols and said, “At the end, both patrols will get a prize, but the winning patrol’s prize will be worth double.” During the Saturday night campfire, Will handed out the 2nd place prize, which was a pack of Oreo cookies. Then he handed out the 1st place prize, which was a pack of Double-Stuf Oreos

See our full list of camping trips at Camping Trip History

 

Will Purcell’s Stalking Games Setup

Norman,

The first thing you should do is divide the scouts into 2 even teams. Do not allow the boys to choose the teams. You and the SPL should split the boys so that the teams are as balanced as possible.

My goal is that at the end of the weekend the scouts will have practiced and honed a few (underappreciated) Scout Skills. This weekend, I want the boys to learn how to communicate better.

So some of the games will involve signaling, morse code, communicating silently, and marking trails.

Friday Night:

As soon as you get settled in and choose teams (patrols) give every scout a piece of paper and a pen. You will ask the scouts a series of questions. Tell them to answer as truthfully as possible. This game is essentially about “gathering information” and getting to know each other. You will then post these papers somewhere visible in the cabin. Only you should know whose paper is whose.

The questions are:

1. Favorite Merit Badge/Scouting Requirement
2. Favorite Subject in school
3. Favorite historical character (Dead/alive)
4. Favorite Movie Genre
5. If they could be an animal, what animal would they be

Here is how you play the game.

Post their answers on something that can be left up for the rest of the trip, divided by teams. Team A is going to try to figure out whose answers match up with Team B’s members. But here is where it gets tricky. The teams can only guess once per opposing player. If they have a guess, they tell you, and you write their guess down on the board/paper (wherever you posted it.) You do not tell them if they have it right or not.

Once there is a guess for every player, you reveal how correct each team was.

You need to stress that the answers they are providing should be kept a secret, and must be subtly pried out of the opposing team. If a team gets every guess correct, it is full points. Get just one wrong, no points.

This game should take about an hour to get set up, and should be played all weekend, or until all guesses are in.

Saturday Morning: (after breakfast)

MAKE A MAP

Start the morning with a game about making maps. Give each team a piece of paper and one pen. They will have 20 minutes to send out their patrols and get as accurate a map of the surrounding area as possible. They should mark down everything they see. (trails, buildings, large rocks, bodies of water, slope of the land, cars, interesting landmarks, etc.) At the end of the 20 minutes of gathering, they will have another 10 minutes to actually draw the map. This game will be scored not only on how well their maps come out, but on how well they communicate with each other during the actual drawing phase of the competition.

TRAIL BLAZERS

This is a game for the leaders of each patrol, and their entire patrol. You need to separate out the patrol leaders and a buddy prior to announcing what this game is to them, because you will be sending them to an undisclosed location. On their way there, they are to leave trail markers (nothing permanent) for their patrols to follow to where they are. Essentially what I am looking for are broken twigs, rock groupings, and pieces of fabric tied to branches. Make sure you send them FAR away. Possibly as far as the parking lot or a distant cabin.

This game should take a while, because I want the boys to have to follow a long trail to their patrol leaders. After this game, it should be almost time for lunch. If it isn’t throw in some free time, or any activity of your choosing.

Saturday Afternoon:

SIGNAL RELAY

Send the boys out to grab sticks and something of a flag to signal with. Teach them how to signal using signal flags and Morse code. Depending on how many people you have, make them split their patrol into 2 different teams. Set them out so that they are within sight of each other, and begin to relay the message. You are going to send 3 messages, and should expect 3 responses. You will ask 2 scout trivia questions (Your choice) and one Riddle.

Once Spoken Already Broken. What is it? The answer is Silence

Essentially it is just signaling, but with a trivia twist.

SILENT SCOUTS

You are going to need paper plates and clothes pins for this one. Pick a destination for a patrol to get to. Establish boundaries (the wider the better) Send one patrol out to act as the silent scouts. The other patrol will get a 4 digit number written on the paper plate, and that plate will then get pinned to their back using the clothes pins (or tape or whatever) The patrol with the plates on them will have to try to sneak to the destination, and the patrol that is scouting will have to try to see, and read these 4 digit numbers WITHOUT BEING SEEN. Once a member of the paper plate wearing patrol reaches the destination, they should immediately remove the plate and give it to You (or Bob, or whoever) After all members of the plate wearing patrol arrive call in the Silent scouts and ask them what numbers they saw. The people they saw, are “dead” and therefore earn no points for their patrol. You then switch which patrol wears the plates and repeat the game.

BOMB LAYING

An excellent game for the country is ” Bomb-Laying. ” It is most exciting if the cover is good or if the light is just failing.  

The troop divides into two parties, each commanded by a Patrol-leader. 

Each Scout, with the exception of the Leader, is provided with a small stick about seven or eight inches long, and sharpened to a point at one end. 

These sticks may be cut from trees or bushes (if permission is first obtained and no damage is done), or, failing these, the pieces of wood in an ordinary bundle of firewood will do very well. 

Each Scout wears his ” life,” i.e. scarf, tie, or piece of tape, in the back of his belt as a tail, so that it can easily be pulled out. 

The Scoutmaster then defines an area which provides good cover, and the two parties select a “camp” which they think can be best defended. The center of each camp is marked by a patrol flag mounted on a staff. If the game is played in the dark, then the camps must be marked with a lamp. 

The camps are an area within a twenty-five yards’ radius of each flag or lamp. The object of each party is to place their “bombs,”  represented by the sticks, within the other party’s camp.  When a Scout has planted his “bomb” in the opponent’s camp, he must take the scarf or tie out of his belt and tie it round the stick. A ” bomb ” is not planted until this is done.

A Scout is “killed” when an opponent snatches his “life” from his belt, and when “dead” he can take no further part in the game, but must make his way quickly to a definite piece of neutral ground agreed upon before beginning the game. 

When the cover is good it Is often possible to “kill” a Scout without his noticing it, and when after carefully planting the “bomb” the owner discovers he is “dead,” his feelings are better imagined than described. 

Each party works under the command of its leader, who directs the attack. Thus it may prove better to attempt to lay only a few bombs and use the rest of the party for defense. The leader must remain in his camp area, and is not allowed to “kill” any of the opposite side. He may climb a tree or, direct operations from any position within his camp. 

Scouts who have successfully planted their bombs must make their way straight back to their leader and inform him, after which they may take part in the defense of their own camp–being provided with another “life.” 

No Scout is allowed to lay more than one bomb. 

If a Scout who has laid his bomb is caught on the return  journey, he can be taken back to the captor’s camp and made to remove his bomb, and then “killed.” 

At the end of an arranged period of time the Scoutmaster sounds a bugle or whistle for operations to cease, and the side which has laid the greatest number of bombs wins the game. 

A very large troop may be split up into more than two parties and a general “international warfare” indulged in.

This should take you till Saturday night.

 Saturday Night:

 Campfire with songs skits and cheers (Preferably original ones)

 A game of capture the flag to end it all.

History of Troop SPL’s:

1992	[none]
1993	Joe Volaric
1993	Justin Raveché
1994	Robert Jordan
1994	Tomas Santos
1995	Nick De Leon
1996	Nick De Leon
1997	Nick De Leon
1998	Steven Kinney
1999	Will Purcell
2000	Anthony Mignoli
2001	Anthony Mignoli
2002	Nick Walker
2003	Aaron Rosa
2004	Donald Purcell
2005	Donald Purcell
2006	Donald Purcell
2007	Johnny Bauers
2008	Charlie Bates
2009	Charlie Bates
2010	Orson Chansler
2011	Orson Chansler
2012	Adam Gellman
2013	Adam Gellman
2014	Jason Davidoff
2015	Jason Davidoff
2016	Henry Plotka
2017	Henry Plotka
2018	Aidan Ward
2019	Aidan Ward
2020	Victor Mauseth
2021	Victor Mauseth
2022	JackC
2023	JackC
2024	HaydenF
2025	HaydenF

 

Troop 146 “in-house” Merit Badge Counselors

Norman has access to a database of all Northern NJ Council merit badge counselors.

This site has all the rank and merit badge requirements online.
Click here for rank requirements.
Click here for merit badge requirements.

Scan of the merit badge pamphlet, pages 26-43
Useful for passing requirements 4-7.

What if someone might be a danger to themself
Useful for passing requirements 15.

* Gettysburg Address + Preamble to the Constitution (Zoom session 06/02/20)
* Declaration of Independence (Zoom session 06/16/20)
* Separation of powers, checks and balances (Zoom session 06/23/20)
* The Constitution (body) (Zoom session 06/30/20)
* The Electoral College (Zoom session 07/07/20)
* Amendments 1,5,6 (Zoom session 07/07/20)
* Amendments 2,3,4,7,8,9,10 (Zoom session 07/14/20)
* Amendments 11-27, stress on 14th (Zoom session 07/21/20)

Video: A Walk Through Hoboken
Quiz based on the video

Speed up advancement by doing quizzes at home, then bring the results to a Tuesday Scout meeting. Click here for a list of all rank requirements, then click on any requirement that links to a quiz.

Five exercises scanned from the Scout Handbook Parent’s Guide insert. These are needed to fulfill Scout rank requirement 6a. Click here to download. Note that you will have to redo the same five exercises in order to reach Star Scout.

Click here for a link to the BSA webpage with four videos.

El folleto para padres ayuda a cumplir el requisito de rango Scout 6a.

Guest speaker Mark Smith’s favorite weather resources, and links to his fascinating Amelia Earhart work.

For second class requirement 3d: find north during the day without a compass or GPS. We use the “Shadow-Stick Method” for 100% accuracy.

1. Show what to do for “hurry” case of stopped breathing.
2. Show what to do for “hurry” case of stroke.
3. Show what to do for “hurry” case of severe bleeding.

[Click here] 6d. Describe proper body positioning in a watercraft, depending on the type and size of the vessel. Explain the importance of proper body position in the boat.

El folleto para padres ayuda a cumplir el requisito de rango Scout 6a.

Guest speaker Mark Smith’s favorite weather resources, and links to his fascinating Amelia Earhart work.

For second class requirement 3d: find north during the day without a compass or GPS. Use the “Watch Method” for a close approximation.

Scan of the merit badge pamphlet, pages 26-43
Useful for passing requirements 4-7.

[Click here] 6d. Describe proper body positioning in a watercraft, depending on the type and size of the vessel. Explain the importance of proper body position in the boat.

Session 1 – Recorded March 20, 2020 – 1 Hour
Session 2 – Recorded March 21, 2020 – 1 Hour