Central House proprietor Dan Flood credits scouting for leadership and community service

Dan Flood described a lifelong connection to scouting that he said influenced his approach to community service and running the Central House. Flood recounted trips, training hikes and his experience founding a Venture Crew; he said such experiences build skills that serve participants later in life.

On his Eagle Scout project, Flood said he and his father renovated a neglected science lab at St. Peter Central Catholic in Worcester so it could be used as a classroom again. "That was kind of my goal — I wanted to do something that would be there so I could go back and look at it later in life," he said, adding that the work required fundraising and coordination with the school.

Flood linked scouting skills to his hospitality career: he attended Johnson and Wales for hotel management, then returned to Westborough to help the family business after economic conditions and family illness. He described learning every job at the Central House and later reviving the restaurant; he said those experiences, coupled with scouting teamwork, helped him run the business.

Organizers and Flood said the Good Scout award recognizes service that benefits the town and that honorees often remain involved with the committee after the event to help identify and support future recipients.