Talking Commitment: Hopatcong Man Honored for 50 Years of Boy Scouts Service

Robert Corcoran likens the Boys Scouts to a buffet.

"You can take what you want from it and leave what you want," he said.

You'd think by now he'd have had his fill. But Corcoran, who recently was commended for his 50 years of service, can't get enough.

Corcoran, a Hopatcong resident, is involved with several Hopatcong-based Scout services. He's Troop 191's scoutmaster, Ventering Crew 192's advisor and Sea Scout Ship 193's skipper.

And he loves every minute of it.

"He's been excellent for the Boy Scouts," parent Bill McManus said.

Corcoran, 58, was acknowledged two weeks ago for his time by scouts and Mayor Sylvia Petillo, who presented him with a certificate and declared Aug. 21 "Robert Corcoran Day" in Hopatcong.

Corcoran said learning is one of the biggest things keeping him in Scouting.

"The program fosters leadership," said Corcoran, who works in insurance.

"I've been in management for probably 33 years, and the leadership abilities I got through the scouting program, they just rolled into the business end of my career. I can't say enough."

Corcoran wasn't surprised he made it to 50 years. "I can keep going until I can't do it any more," he said.

Plenty of those in the Scouting community hope he does.

McManus said Corcoran's involvement with Morristown's Angel Food Ministries, which provides low-cost boxes of food to needy families, has been one of Corcoran's biggest contributions.

Each week, Corcoran takes a crew of boys to the food bank, where they load a vehicle with boxes and bring it to West Side Methodist Church. There the kids distribute the food to families.

"He's been around for so long," parent Tom DiGrazia said. "There's always kids coming along. He mentors a lot of kids, and he's graduated so many Eagle Scouts."

DiGrazia, who's known Corcoran for about two years, said its Corcoran's enthusisasm that stands out.

"He's got such a zeal for scouting," DiGrazia said. "And it's more than just scouting to him. It's helping boys to learn to be good men.

"He plans a lot of events. The amount that he's into it makes the kids want to be into it. He's been a lot of places…He mentors young men, making good Americans out of the kids."

The celebration honoring his commitment was extra-special to Corcoran. People he knew from Boy Scouts years ago attended the dinner, faces he hadn't seen in a while. At the end, the kids presented Corcoran with a binder filled with notes explaining how he's helped their Boy Scout experience.

Despite his already considerable efforts, Corcoran has no plans of slowing down. Next year he hopes to bring the kids to Canada. Last year, the boys went on a cruise and learned how to sail a large boat.

"[Boy Scouts] develops friendship," Corcoran said. "It develops leadership and it develops a person to be a well-rounded individual."

He hopes to gain more recruits.

"Try it," he said he tells potential Boy Scouts. "You'll most likely like it. And you'll build friends forever."

The Boy Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary this summer.