Families Finding Fun: MEET LONGMEADOW'S SCOUTS!

By Seth Stutman | Photos by Chris Ruiz and Longmeadow Scouting
Published in Longmeadow Neighbors August 2025

Roasting s’mores on the open fire while sharing spooky stories, camping in the woods, racing hand-built wooden cars down a ramp, shooting a bow and arrow – so many evocative, vintage experiences still available to our youth – if we can get them off of their phones!

For more than a century, Cub Scouts have been bringing families together to experience the great outdoors, to gain confidence and knowledge, and to build friendships. Cub Scouts is for boys and girls in grades K-5, developed with the purpose to “prepare young people for lives of impact and purpose.”

“Scouting provides amazing opportunities for boys and girls to try new things, have fun, and make friends. It is also a lot of fun for the parents (we get to go to summer camp too!) and I have met a lot of great people through the experience,” said Chris Ruiz, a Longmeadow scouting leader.

“We are a co-ed, family-oriented, and inclusive organization. There are all kinds of families and kids involved, and the breadth of experiences the kids get to try out is unique to scouting, in my experience,” said Ruiz. “In just the last year, we built race cars, launched rockets, dug for crystals, slept on a battleship, collected food for the Longmeadow Food Pantry, and way more!”

“Scouting exposes youth to a ton of different types of activities, ones you didn't even know existed,” said Alan Viber, an adult scout who is now the father of three scouts. “It brings kids together with common interests outside of activities like sports. There is something for everyone to enjoy and excel at. Those varying interests and skills are celebrated at District/Council events where everyone has a chance to showcase their skills and contribute.”

The Parzalie family joined the scouts after meeting them at a local event, and they immediately felt at home.

“I would describe Scouts as all-inclusive, family-oriented, FUN,” said Alex, who is now one of the group's adult leaders. “There are lots of very cool activities, places to make friends and learn life lessons while having fun – it’s just a GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE!”

For Michael and Caitlin Tobin, finding the scouts after moving from California was a cultural lifeline for their daughter Emmalyn.

“One of our family’s favorite events from last year was the pack Pinewood derby,” Caitlin recounts. “The derby was a culmination of weeks to months of work by the scouts creating their race cars. The night of the derby was an event unto itself, where everyone was crowded around the track, jockeying for the best view as they cheered for every car.”

The Tobins appreciate the simplicity of scouting. “With today’s highly online youth, we found it to be a breath of fresh air to unplug and engage with friends, family, and our community,” said Michael.

“We try to enable our kids to accomplish things they never thought possible,” said Ruiz. “[Scouting] shows them they can make a difference in the world.”

“In scouting, we always try to leave a place better than we found it. I feel that adopting that mentality makes supporting our community less daunting. You don’t need to change the world by yourself, just help those around you and make the world a little brighter.”

SCOUTING THROUGH GENERATIONS: THE RUIZ FAMILY

Amy and Chris Ruiz decided to move their family back stateside from Australia, where they had lived for nearly a decade, and as fate would have it, they decided on Longmeadow. Little did they know the innumerable ways that the lives of their children, Izabella and Felix, would be enriched by scouting.

“Longmeadow is friendly and helpful, and we have met a lot of great people since moving here. It really is an idyllic town, seemingly out of a movie. Kids ride their bikes to school, people wave as they pass, and it is just a great place to live,” said Amy.

Luckily, the Ruiz family was quickly introduced to like-minded neighbors.

“We were invited to come on a [scouts] campout one spring by the Laudermith family, where the kids built sailboats out of recycled materials and then raced them. All summer long, Felix asked us when we were doing scouts again; he was hooked,” said Chris.

Both Ruiz children took to scouting, and soon enough, Chris and Amy found themselves volunteering more and more frequently. Not only did it satiate their love of the outdoors, but it provided an opportunity to help.

“In my time as a leader in the Cub Scout Pack, I have seen kids grow their confidence, make friends, overcome fears, try new things, and have lots and lots of fun,” Amy said.

“I was a scout when I was a kid, and people look at me funny when I tell them that I use the skills I learned in scouting every day,” said Chris. “I may not be helping old ladies cross the street or tying knots all the time, but things like making and executing a plan, talking in front of a group, and building consensus are all skills I first developed in scouting. I think there is an enormous amount that scouting can do to help prepare a young person to thrive, and I am excited to be a part of helping the kids in our pack grow and develop.”

The Ruiz family moved more than 10,000 miles from Australia to Longmeadow, and between the beauty of New England and the opportunities of scouting, they are satisfied and settled.

“Longmeadow is an amazing community that we are fortunate enough to live in. It was shaped by those who came before, and it is our job to take care of it for the next generation. Keep up the great work!”

SCOUT SPOTLIGHT: SCHYLER PUELO

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN SCOUTING?
“I joined Cub Scouts in 3rd grade. I had friends who had been members, and I heard about how much fun they were having and wanted to join in.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS YOU'VE DONE?
“Camping at Horace A. Moses Scout Camp. Troop 90 hosted Pack 94 in a campout in November of my first year, and I was hooked! I have been to Scout Camp for the past three summers and have been able to participate in activities such as archery, climbing, water sports, and gaga ball. We have done cool activities as a Pack, such as crystal mining, overnights at museums, hiking, service projects, and of course... the Pinewood Derby!”

WHAT CAN SCOUTING TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE? WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL?
“Leadership, life skills, and the importance of service. [Cub Scouts gives me the] opportunity to create friendships and learn in the outdoors.”

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