Little Cubs to Soaring Eagles: P’ville Celebrates Four New Eagle Scouts
By Erin Maher
There may be no better way to celebrate a special milestone than to share the occasion with family and three longtime friends at your side.
Friends, families and local residents gathered on Sunday afternoon at the Pleasantville Presbyterian Church to celebrate the induction of four new Eagle Scouts from the community.
Teens Jos
of Pleasantville Boy Scout Troop 12 all achieved Eagle Scout. An estimated 5 percent of all scouts reach scouting’s highest rank.
The four inductees started their journey together as Cub Scouts in Den 4 as third-graders. Since then, they have risen through the ranks together, collaborating on projects, supporting one another and sharing years of memories.
“It’s one thing to be getting an Eagle Scout award. It’s another to be getting an Eagle Scout Award with your three best friends,” Trudo said.
Local clergy members Rev. Debra Bronkema of the Pleasantville Presbyterian Church and Fr. Hugh Burns of Holy Innocents Church shared their blessings at the ceremony. Gregg Fonde, assistant principal at Pleasantville High School, came to support the students, who are all seniors at the school this year.
County Legislator Margaret Cunzio congratulated the inductees and presented each with a proclamation and his own day of tribute on behalf of Westchester County.
In order to reach the prestigious rank, a Boy Scout must fulfill requirements in the areas of leadership, service and outdoor skills. In addition, a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges and demonstrate the core goals of citizenship, character and fitness throughout their entire scouting career.
Finally, each Eagle Scout must complete a challenging Leadership Service Project.
All four scouts worked on projects that benefited the community. Hunter, 18, used his love of music to organize and produce a concert that featured local student musicians. The funds raised at the concert paid for the materials to build two outdoor benches that convert into picnic tables for the Bedford Road School quad. The 17-year-old Trudo, who volunteers as an assistant catechist at Holy Innocents Church, constructed two shelves and a display case for the parish.
Geier, 18, began planning his Leadership Project in ninth grade and completed it as a junior.
“These challenges have taught me to finish something once you start it,” said Geier, adding that it took great perseverance to complete the task.
He developed an outdoor classroom for special needs students at Green Chimneys school, clearing brush, laying down woodchips, building a whiteboard stand and creating benches from trees.
While there was respect for each other’s accomplishments, there was also friendly banter between the four scouts throughout the ceremony. Watts, 18, took to the podium to address the audience, but not without commenting on how fellow inductees all read their speeches from paper.
“I have my speech on my phone, because I use technology, unlike my peers,” he said.
For his project, Watts installed a hand railing for the exterior walkway at Pleasantville Presbyterian Church.
“Becoming an Eagle Scout is without a doubt the greatest accomplishment of my life,” he said.
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