18 Greenwich Scouts Celebrated for Achieving Eagle Scout Rank

“We need you Eagles Scouts.  We need you all, through life… it may be the man who makes the eagle, it may be the eagle that makes the man but in word and deed, keep being that Eagle Scout,” said superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools and Eagle Scout, Dr. William McKersie, as the keynote speaker for the thirty-eighth Annual Greenwich Eagle Recognition Dinner and “Gathering of Eagles” event.  Eighteen young men made up the 2014 Class of Eagle Scouts that were honored and charged by Dr. McKersie to continue to be Eagle Scouts in word and deed throughout life.  Linda McMahon was also honored with the sixth Malcolm Pray “Friend of Eagles” Award joining an impressive list of past recipients including Malcolm Pray, Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei, State Senator Scott Frantz, Jack Moffly and Lieutenant Commander Chuck Standard. 

Linda was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Malcolm Pray “Friend of Eagles” Award for her work ethic, natural ability to lead and constant service to others, all traits that Boy Scouts develop as they earn the Eagle rank.  You’ve set an example of service to others,” she said to the newest Greenwich Eagle Scouts.  “Tonight’s award ceremony should not be considered a finish line, but rather the starting gate of what I hope will continue to be a lifetime of service beyond Scouting.”  This year’s Greenwich Eagle Scout class service projects benefited a wide variety of local organizations including Greenwich Land Trust, Hill House Senior Residence, Neighbor to Neighbor, Greenwich Audubon and Greenwich Parks & Recreation, totaling 2585 service hours through leadership of 347 volunteers. 

The eighteen new Eagle Scouts are part of 800 Eagle Scouts who have earned this notable rank through Greenwich Scouting over the last 100 years.  To date there are over two-million Eagle Scouts nationwide who make up our current and future leaders.  Honored at the Eagle Dinner were: Matthew Baptist, Nicholas Baratta, Ian Brown, Kyle Crocco, Robert Graham, Vincent Hackett, J.P. Hadley, Spencer Helmrich, Zachary James, Sean Keyser, Ovila LeBlanc, Tarmo LeBlanc, Javier Ignacio Moreno-Soto, Joseph Peters, Jack Seavey, Jacob Stone, Zachary Weller and Evan Wolf.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America and requires an enormous amount of time and hard work from earning 21 merit badges to planning and executing a local service project.   As a result only 4 percent of all Boy Scouts become Eagles, an accomplishment that is well worth the hard work as found by a recent independent study conducted by Baylor University.  The study, Merit Beyond the Badges, determined that Eagle Scouts are more likely than men who have never been in Scouting to do better across various parts of life, including personal health, social connection, environmental concern, goal achievement, and character development.  Past successful Eagle Scout recipients include Steven Spielberg, Neil Armstrong, and President Gerald Ford.

Adventure, leadership, service and learning, especially in the outdoors, have remained essential to the Greenwich Scouting experience since its inception in 1912.  Nearly 2,600 local youth participate in fun programs, run by 350 dedicated volunteers, all of which help prepare local boys and girls for life.  With over 18 partnering organizations and Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing and Exploring opportunities in Greenwich, Connecticut, there’s never been a better time to join the Scouting community.

If you are an Eagle Scout interested in re-uniting with local Eagles, visit www.GreenwichScouting.org or contact Jessica Reid at Jessica.Reid@Scouting.org or call 203-869-8424 x112.