Special to the Patriot-Bridge
The Old Charlestown Schoolboys Association hosted its annual Scholarship Night on Monday in the Father Daniel Mahoney Hall at the Knights of Columbus – giving out 12 awards to local students and highlighting a new award in memory of John ‘Jack’ Pierce.
The Scholarship Night always precedes the Old Charlestown Schoolboys annual gathering, which will be this Sunday afternoon in the Knights Hall – the 112th edition of the event. On Monday, however, the focus was on supporting the young people in the Town who are headed to college next fall, or who are already in college pursuing a degree.
Members of the Scholarship Committee included Chair Jim O’Brien, Moe Gillen, Marty Fabiano, and John Leary, Jr. O’Brien added a little history to the evening noting that the first Old Schoolboys were graduates of the Winthrop School on the Training Field in 1827. The organization was dormant for a while but rekindled in 1847 when the Winthrop School was moved to 5 Common St., it’s present site today. The current structure of the Schoolboys organization has been in existence for the last 112 years.
“For the Scholarship Committee, we congratulate you students and, of course, your parents,” said O’Brien. “Speaking for myself, I feel honored to be in the presence of such talented young men of Charlestown.”
The night was most poignant, though, in the giving of the first memorial award in memory of John ‘Jack’ Pierce, who passed in September 2024. Presented by his brother, legendary hockey coach and former Boston Fire Commissioner Marty Pierce, and Jack’s daughters, Lisa Mangone and Michelle Pierce, the award took on great significance as Pierce had been a former president of the Old Schoolboys. Also a Boston Police detective, he served in numerous roles in the Town, including president of the Bunker Hill Associates and the Knights of Columbus #62.
His award was presented to Joseph Broderick, a junior at the University of Notre Dame.
“My father would be so proud and humbled by this award to help a Charlestown student and continue on with his legacy and his service to the community,” said Mangone.
Other awards included: Ralph W. Brown Award to Cullen Lacey (Hebron Academy); Bertha Brown Award to Hayden Groh (UMass-Amherst); Francis and John McGee Award to August Groh (Boston Latin School); Robert, Ralph, James and Thomas Smith Award to Andrew Blake (Merrimack College); Firefighter Patrick Kelly Award to Quinn Rockhill (Malden Catholic); Robert ‘Gugga’ Flynn Award and the Edward Mahan Award to Will Killoran (Bowdoin College); James Cushman Award to Nicholas Carli (BC High); John ‘Jack’ Whelan Award to August Groh; Father Robert Smith Award to Steven Chiappa (East Boston High School); Jonathan Greatorex Award to Michael Frawley; Father Daniel Mahoney Award to Michael Frawley (Boston College) and Harry White (Purdue University); and St. Florian Scholarship to Harry White (Purdue University).