WILLIAM J. BRESNAHAN
Scouting & Community Center Inc.
Honoring the Past-Nurturing the future
In 2003 a Number of Ashburnham citizens formed a group to address two problems. The first was the condition of the memorial for William J. Bresnahan, a Marine, and an Eagle Scout, from Ashburnham that was killed May 26, 1967 fighting for his country in the Vietnam War. The second problem was the deteriorating condition of the scout house building on River Street, near the center of town.
SINCE THIS TIME THE William J. Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center Building Committee, appointed by the Selectmen, have been involved in numerous fundraising efforts, including raffles, memorial brick sales, dinners and yard sales, Hamburg and hot dog concessions, to raise the monies to erect a new building and establish a more fitting memorial for PFC Wm. Bresnahan. We have not taken any funds from the Town of Ashburnham.
Our small town has always had a large Scouting community, and a wonderful group of leaders, but the scout house use for meeting was deteriorated by powder post beetles that ate away the main supports of the building. The building was inadequate without bathroom or heat, but it was their very own. And they were happy there, until it was unsafe for them to be there. We hoped to have a center built for this year, but the economy bottoming out has made this an uphill battle.
We are a committee of thirteen people known as The Wm. J. Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center Inc., bonded together for the sole purpose of preserving the scouting way of training our young Americans.
We have established a trust, a 501-C Non-profit Corporation, in order to continue with our plans to raise the new building and maintain it for years to come. To date we have raised just over half of the project cost of the materials for the center, and all of our efforts are volunteered, so all our funds are only for the building project.
Some of our funds have come from private donations and from generous groups. We have also received many offers from companies, clubs and private individuals that want to contribute their time, services and materials to our cause. Can you donate to our cause?
We are always looking for more volunteers. Please feel free to contact us if you have an interest in being part of this project.