Gábor Bodnár Scout Troop No. 2.

The Gábor Bodnár Scout Troop No. 2. in Boston was founded in 2003. Our namesake is Gábor Bodnár (1920–1996), co-founder of the Hungarian Scout Association Abroad (KMCsSz) and its leader for decades. It is worth knowing about Gábor Bodnár that he played a key role in uniting young people who fled to America after the war, and for nearly 50 years he managed Hungarian Scouting life abroad and organized leadership training camps.

Gábor Bodnár, our troop's namesake

Our launch was particularly helped by Gábor Dömötör, the honorary vice-president of the KMCsSz. Quoting Gábor Bodnár, the goal of the foreign scouts is: "The task of foreign Hungarian scouts is twofold. They work with honor for the country that accepted them or where they were born. But they also serve the Hungarian people, to which their culture, traditions and family bind them." In the words of the first Hungarian chief scout, gr. Pál Teleki, our task is to educate "more humane humans and more Hungarian Hungarians". This is also symbolized by the inscription Cs = E² + M² on our team t-shirts.

A 20-year-old Scout Troop in 2023

How do we scout in Boston?

In our programs, we strengthen the scouts' knowledge of Hungary, expand their knowledge of nature and develop their character. In addition to the regular biweekly classes, during various camps, we guide them through playful activities, stories, and obstacle courses from the age of a young scout to adult scouts.

We are grateful to the founders and teachers of Boskola, who have been keeping the enthusiastic Hungarian children together for more than twenty years. The scouts hold their own programs after the school's classes.

Our scout group is organized into cub and senior scout packs, and within them into patrols. Patrols are often led by our already tested, 14-18 year old senior scouts.

• Cub Scouts ("Seven-Headed Dragon" Pack, 5-9 years): We accept 5-6 year olds for a “trial period” (polka dot tie), then 7-9 year olds receive a blue tie after the Cub Scout Promise.

• Scouts (Turul Pack, 10-15 years): This is the “golden age” of scouting life. The character of young people with green ties is determined for life by community, selflessness and the scout laws.

• Wandering scouts (16+ years): An age group that helps teenagers become adults and preserve their traditions. 

  
  

Our Programs

Beyond our biweekly meetings, we welcome youth and their families with year-round events and camps:

• Community and Cultural Events: A season-opening outdoor gathering, the Hungarian Ball organized by the scouts every four years, as well as a joint Christmas celebration with the Boston Hungarian School (Boskola), national commemorations, and a poetry recitation contest.

• Cub Scout Camps (Ages 5–9): A fairy-tale overarching theme throughout the year, autumn and spring day trips (games, singing, folktales), an overnight campout, and the highlight of the year: a two-night summer tent camp.

• Scout Camps (Ages 10+): Multi-day outdoor tent-camping trips in autumn, winter, spring, and summer, shared among scout friends.

Scout connections

We are the northernmost troop in the North American Eastern Region. Our sister troops are located in Garfield, New York, New Brunswick, Florida, Wallingford, and Washington, as well as across Eastern Canada.

In recent decades, Boston has earned its place on the map of international Hungarian scouting; our scouts regularly participate in joint regional and association-wide events alongside other troops. For instance, we are regular attendees at the leadership training camps at Sík Sándor Scout Park, the Kodály Weekends in New Brunswick, the regional AKI scouting obstacle courses, regional poetry recitation competitions, and the large Jubilee Camps (JUBI) held every five years for Hungarian scouts abroad.

Supporters and partners

Our work is supported by the Hungarian Society of Massachusetts. In addition, we work in close partnership with Boskola. Together, we organize numerous community events and celebrations, collaborate on preparing students for the Hungarian heritage exam, and share the venue for our meetings. Our operations rest on a solid foundation provided by the Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris (KMCsSz), with which we maintain close ties. Our mission would be unimaginable without the dedicated help of our enthusiastic scout parents: they actively contribute to organizing our events, prepare lunch for the scouts, cook at our camps and fundraisers, and make sure the children get to and from our meetings and camps.