It was one of the few time the boys had officially gotten together since last March, and 17-year-old Anthony Seddon was bubbling with joy at seeing his fellow Scouts and their parents.

The occasion was Boy Scout Troop 121’s 9th annual Christmas Tree Recycling Fundraiser — in a normal year just one of many get-togethers for the troop, but in this year of COVID-19 a special opportunity to socialize.

Anthony was quickly elbow bumping his fellow Scouts and wiggling with excitement at seeing his friends, and it was obvious he would have preferred to be hugging everyone.

The troop, which serves Scouts with emotional or social struggles, arrived with their parents Saturday morning at the United Methodist Church of Auburn parking lot before heading out in small teams throughout Lewiston and Auburn to pick up discarded Christmas trees on curbsides. The pickups were pre-arranged by individual homeowners who made pre-paid donations to the troop for the post-holiday service.

It was one of the few social activities undertaken by the troop in an otherwise isolated year. In-person meetings stopped in March when the United Methodist Church closed its doors due to the pandemic.

Seddon invited his Edward Little High School teacher, Mark Stubbs, to join him and his father this year.

“He is helping me learn the core values and what it means to be a Boy Scout,” said Stubbs, an Auburn resident.

Seddon said his favorite core value is “to be kind.”

All the participants were careful to wear masks at all times around each other.

“Anthony is a role model for wearing his mask. He’s done an amazing job,” Stubbs said.

Cody Malpass, one of the original members of Troop 121 and an Eagle Scout, is now an assistant scoutmaster with the troop. He credited his seven years as a Scout and the annual fundraiser with helping him manage his anxiety.

“My first year was nerve-racking, with my ADHD and high anxiety. But after that first year, I love doing it. Every year I look forward to it,” Malpass said.

The troop tries to assign the same Scouts to the same neighborhoods every year. “We are giving people routes they’ve done in the past, so they know roughly where they’re going. We’re just doing the same thing,” Malpass said.

Anthony’s father, Chris Seddon, is the troop’s current scoutmaster and drives the truck for his group’s route. Each Scout is required to have a parent or family member accompany them to every meeting and event.

The older Seddon reflected on how this past year has been challenging for Troop 121, saying, “We used to do camping trips every month, even through the winter. If there was a storm, we would go bowling. And we would have a meeting every week. It’s not just outdoor stuff; it’s working on life skills in general.”

The Scouts have been a major part of his son’s life for the past four years. “Socialization is a huge part of any child growing up. They can be out in public and represent themselves in a manner that isn’t off-putting to people.”

Every summer the troop takes a break. And, until this year, every fall they start back up.

“We were hoping to start meeting again in person, but we just couldn’t. It was probably two or three weeks before Anthony stopped asking about going to Scouts,” the father said.

“During a normal year, some of the kids hang out with each other outside of Scouts. That’s something that hasn’t been happening either. This event is very important,” Seddon said.

As the Scouts got ready to start on their routes Saturday morning, they are called together for a last-minute pep talk by Don Malpass, Cody’s father.

“When you pick up a tree, make sure you remove the tag and put it in the envelope. Record it on the spreadsheet. Let’s be as safe as possible. And if you do see a homeowner, make sure you say, what?” he said, prompting the Scouts.

“Thank you!” returned a chorus from the boys.

“Definitely. Make sure you say thank you,” Malpass repeated.

Anyone wishing to join the mailing list for next year’s Christmas tree pickup or wanting to learn more about Troop 121 can email troop121me@gmail.com.

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