Troop 78 Welcomes Three New Eagle Scouts

Three scouts with Boy Scout Troop 78 of Nanuet attained the rank of Eagle Scout on Sunday. Jon O’Neill from Clarkstown South High School, Matt DePaul and Colin Myers from Suffern High School, all 18 years old, attained scouting’s highest rank in a ceremony at the Rockland Lake Championship Golf Course in Congers. All three boys have been troop members for the seven years.                           

O’Neill of New City chose Rockland Lake State Park in Valley Cottage for his project.   He saw a need for park visitor to get information about hikes, trials and upcoming events and constructed two informational kiosks at the Nature Center. Walkers, joggers, bicyclists use the 3.2 mile path around the lake daily and visit the four-acre Nature Center.

DePaul’s Eagle project created a picnic area in Bon Aire Park in Suffern for his project. With the help of fellow scouts and family friends, the Suffern resident built picnic tables and benches for the community to use.

Myers of Suffern realized Brooklands Park in Suffern suffered severe damage during Hurricane Irene.  He worked on refurbishing the park grounds and riverfront by replacing old wood on benches and picnic tables and cleaning up overgrown bushes and clearing paths.

The average Eagle project accumulates approximately 500 hours of combined service from start to finish. Eagle Scout is the highest advancement rank in Boy Scouting and is earned by just five percent of all Boy Scouts. The average age of boys earning the Eagle Scout rank is 17 years of age.  Since its introduction in 1911, more than two million young men earned the Eagle Scout rank. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life thus giving rise to the phrase "Once an Eagle, always an Eagle." Eagle Scouts are expected to set an example for other Scouts and to become the leaders in life that they have demonstrated themselves to be in Scouting.                             

More information on Troop 78 can be found here.