Eagle Scout

Troop 544 Holds Eagle Scout Court of Honor

August 10, 2021 by The Scouter Digest Staff

On a sunny Saturday morning, nine Boy Scouts belonging to Troop 544 of Peoples Congregational UCC of the NCAC Council, in Washington DC, received the rank of Eagle Scout. This event took place at Northeastern Presbyterian Church, and it was truly wonderful as each Scout gave speeches about their journey in scouting, and were given awards in the presence of parents, family and friends.

The nine Scouts that achieved this rank were Brandon Hall, Xavier Scott, Joshua Simpson, Jamir Grier, James Marcus Hall, Charles Brown II, Benjamin Evans, Spencer Fridie, and Greyson Thrower. Under the direction of Scoutmaster Robert Simpson and other Parent Leaders, these young men have worked hard, over many years, to learn life skills and mature as young adults as they progressed through the ranks of Scouting.

Troop 544 is a historically African American troop that was started 90 years ago. Despite the underrepresentation of African American males who have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the US, Troop 544 has the distinction of having 58 Boy Scouts who have earned the Eagle Scout designation. What is even more remarkable is that this class of nine Scouts achieved the rank of Eagle Scout during the pandemic.

Here’s a list of the new Eagles and their service projects:

Brandon H. – Buddy Weekend: Went to senior citizen nursing homes to play games with and provided lunches and prizes too them on multiple weekends.
Xavier S. – Helping Hands: Assembled volunteers to do yard cleanup and various household chores for seniors in his neighborhood.
Jamir G. – Technology for Seniors: Held two weekends of sessions that provided technology training (i.e. cellphones, tablets, etc.) to seniors at different churches.
Marcus H. – Dog Poop Stations: Constructed a “Dog Poop Station” in front of his church.
Charles B. – Beautification Project for South Manor in DC: Led a group of volunteers to install various plantings in a neighborhood area in need of cleaning.
Joshua S. – Supplies for Seniors: Created activity bags for residents of senior nursing homes which included a variety of items too keep them entertained during the pandemic which limited their visitors.
Benjamin E. – Washington Yu Ying Rain Garden: Eco friendly project that had him plant plants to stop erosion at the hill of his former elementary school.
Spencer F. – SEGL Sick Room: Built a wellness and recovery center at his high school which included installing cabinetry, bed, etc.
Greyson T. – Little Libraries: Built little libraries at various multi family housing developments.

Congratulations, gentlemen! We are very proud of you all. If you would like information about joining Troop 544, please feel free to contact Scoutmaster Robert Simpson at rob@robsgroup.com or Jonathan Simpson, at jonathansimpson786@gmail.com.

Submitted by: Jonathan Simpson

Culpeper Scouts Soar to the Rank of Eagle

April 27, 2021 by The Scouter Digest Staff

Scoutmaster Donald Demory of Troop 196 discussed in an interview with Emily Jennings of The Free Lance-Star shares how three Eagle Scouts were able to complete their projects despite the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic may have presented.

Andrew Flack made custom-built free community library boxes for Culpeper area parks. When asked about the program, he stated, “It teaches great skills, good ethics and morals, and a lot of life lessons to carry with you your whole life.” For Aiden Durica‘s Eagle project, he constructed an awards platform for the Soap Box Derby and installed micro-libraries. Eddie Fleming organized a group of volunteers to helped him install 150 feet of fencing at Cedar Mountain battlefield. His group also installed a new sign that was laser-engraved by a local business.

We are proud of our newest Eagles Scouts and their contributions to the Culpeper community!

14 Local Scouts Are Part of Inaugural Female Eagle Scout Class

March 5, 2021 by The Scouter Digest Staff

BETHESDA, MD: Fourteen young women in the D.C. metro area are among the trailblazing young women in the Boy Scouts of America’s inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. These Scouts were honored on February 21 at the ‘Be the Change’ event, a celebration of these young women and their achievements, and a call to action for all young people to continue working to make a positive impact on their communities and the nation.

The local Scouts are members of National Capital Area Council, BSA (NCAC). They joined Scouting for various reasons, such as taking once-in-a-lifetime adventures, creating memories with their families, and paving the way for future generations of young women. While their reasons were different their goal was the same: to become one of the first female Eagle Scouts. Earning this award requires a Scout to hold leadership positions in her troop; earn 21 merit badges focusing on essential life skills such as first aid, camping, and personal finance; and lead a service project in her community. “Two years ago, BSA opened its doors to allow girls to join the organization. To see what these young ladies accomplished in that short amount of time is beyond impressive,” said Craig Poland, Scout Executive and CEO of the National Capital Area Council. “They represent the future of Scouting, and we are honored that they chose to be part of our organization.”

In addition to the already challenging requirements, these Eagle Scouts had to find ways to complete their projects during a pandemic. This required them to display flexibility and adaptability in their leadership skills. Please join us in congratulating the local members of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts:

Emma Bazemore organized volunteers from her troop to make snuffle mats and blankets for a local animal shelter, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
Ashlyn Cooper of New Market, MD, built storage units to house donations for a charitable health facility.
Vienna, VA resident Katie Hunter, supervised the construction and placement of 37 garden boxes for Bailey’s Elementary School in Falls Church.
Olivia Preston of Burke, VA, designed and constructed four boat racks for the Lake Braddock Community Association.
Clara Kelly partnered with an Islamic middle and high school to build an outdoor learning area. She specifically wanted to work with an Islamic school to bring an aspect of interfaith community building to her project.

Emma Bazemore, Ashlyn Cooper, Katie Hunter, Olivia Preston, Clara Kelly, Tara Presnall, Maya Kessner, Emma Teichert, Samantha Rutherford, Lila Weir, Lauren Doring, Carolina Herrera Gago, and Elizabeth Clegg completed the requirements for the Inaugural class of female Eagle Scout.

###

About Boy Scouts of America & National Capital Area Council Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life. ™ The Scouting organization is composed of 2.6 million youth members between the ages of 6 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more, please visit www.Scouting.org.

National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit www.NCACBSA.org.

A Better Pool

January 25, 2021 by Ethan T

Ethan T. of Troop 1966 in Fairfax Station, VA, has always been an avid swimmer. In fact, for the past ten years, he has been part of the Sideburn Run Swim Team, which is nearly as long as he had been a Scout. So when Ethan was looking for an Eagle Scout Project, he learned that Sideburn Run’s pool had some overgrown ivy area. While he was inspecting the ivy-covered area, Ethan recalled the times he and his teammates had found the space too small. Ethan began to consider incorporating a way to make the area around the pool more usable while for his teammates while he inspected the ivy. After consulting the board members, he decided he would clean up the ivy and clean up the area so the team could maximize it.

Ethan got to work by writing up a proposal for the pool board. Once they approved his proposal, he created a timeline, yet that timeline got put on hold due to COVID-19. Yet once restrictions were lifted, and Ethan drafted a new plan that followed social distancing rules. Ethan then began to gather the supplies, and he got to work. He found some trouble trying to lead at first. He realized he couldn’t just explain and then do the task to his volunteers; he discovered that he would only do the work. He also felt overwhelmed by the number of questions he would receive, asking if he could assist them. Yet once he figured out how to properly guide his volunteers, Ethan felt like he could handle anything.

After completing this project, Ethan felt he learned a lot about leadership and how to break down a large project into manageable parts. He was proud to have helped his community and later said, “My favorite aspect of this project was seeing all the different tasks coming together. I enjoyed stepping back to see the progress we had made and how all the tasks were coming together. I also enjoyed seeing my plans turn out exactly how I envisioned the project would look in the end. I am looking forward to next season so people can start using the new area. I feel like the swim team can now fully maximize that area during their meets, and members can enjoy the games we made.”

The Importance of Bees

January 22, 2021 by Robbie S

Robbie S. of Troop 2012 in Sterling, Virginia, had taken an interest in his father’s hobby as a beekeeper. Watching him work taught Robbie the importance of bees in the environment. He learned that bees and other pollinators are vital to plant reproduction and biodiversity. While learning more about these pollinators, he also learned that honey bees are at extreme risk of extinction due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) which is caused by various factors such as pesticides and poor nutrition. Robbie knew that for his Eagle Scout Project he wanted to raise awareness about pollinators and help the local honey bees out with some new bee boxes.

Robbie needed to show his Troop and his community the importance of pollinators to their ecosystem. So he began to research all he could about honey bees, mice, tracheal mites, and other pollinators, and how they help spread pollen. While Robbie was enthused to have found so much information, he was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of it and he had to figure out how to condense it into a slideshow. Once he had completed his slideshow, he recruited some volunteers to begin the process of building bee boxes. They were able to get their hands on a few kits with the help of Robbie’s father and they began their work. After finishing two beehives, Robbie was ready to show his work and spread awareness about pollinators to his community. He explained their importance to biodiversity, and ways they can help on an individual level, such as not using pesticides on your lawn.

Now that he completed his project, Robbie was able to not only learn more about pollinators and how to build bee boxes but how to effectively communicate and organize. There were many steps to this project from emails and agendas to keeping Scouts organized and keeping track of dates which led Robbie to quickly build his communication and organization skills. Even though it was hard work, it was all worth it in the end for Robbie because he was able to spread more awareness about the importance of pollinators.

If you’re interested in learning more about pollinators, you can check out Robbie’s slideshow here!

An Eagle Project With a History

January 9, 2021 by David Hollender

The Eagle project of fourteen year old Jack Gray, of Troop 51 in Herndon, is literally historic. Jack and his team recently completed a ten-month, 450 hour restoration project at the Civil War era Lyon Family Cemetery in Loudoun County Virginia.

A site of historic interest at the edge of Brambleton Regional Park in Ashburn provides a glimpse into our area’s past. Featuring grave markers that pre-date the U.S. Civil War, members of several prominent and distantly related Loudoun County families with names like Burdine, Edwards, Havener, Hawes, Jackson, Lyon, Moran, Paxson, and Shryock connect us with events and individuals whose life and times helped shape our own. The site’s historical marker, notes the presence of Private Richard “Dick” Moran, the “Warring Methodist” and an influential member of Mosby’s Raiders – a well know contingent of Confederate soldiers, and a bold disruptor of local union army efforts of the time.

Exposure of the Lyon Family Cemetery to the elements over the decades left headstones sunken, fallen over, or severely tilted. Many were cracked. The spoils of time rendered many of their faces unreadable. The stone perimeter fence– expertly constructed and laid hundreds of years ago— had crumbled under nature’s ongoing assault. A once grand and impressive rectangular wrought iron fence surrounding a large granite marker withered with rust and tilted inward as if in protective crouch.

To restore these grounds, and with it a piece of local history, the fourteen-year-old Gray recruited an impressive array of volunteers to carry out this restorative work. The effort required not only physical repairs, but expertise of skilled craftsmen and local historic preservation organizations.

Chief among these volunteers was Mr. James Short, a former Brambleton Regional Park manager, and owner of a local gravesite maintenance company, Gravesite Guardians LLC. As a project consultant and trainer for the work crew of Troop 51 Scouts and community members helping with the project, Mr. Short conducted onsite demonstrations on marker identification, cleaning, leveling, and re-mounting.

Representatives of local historic preservation organizations contributed their expertise and abilities to the project. The Stuart-Mosby Historical Society, and the Loudon Preservation Society, assisted in archival research, database and information retrieval. Several representatives from the Daughters of the Confederacy gave of their time to help clean and remount headstones. Scouts and families of Troop 51 contributed both physical skill and enthusiasm for completing the effort.

Thanks to the work of Jack Gray and his team, visitors to this site have gained a new opportunity to understand the history of our area and country. With a greater appreciation for the events and individuals who have shaped our society, we as citizens are better prepared to discuss our shared challenges and solutions.
To explore the Lyon family cemetery historic location, and see the work of Eagle Scout Jack Gray and his team, visit Brambleton Regional Park in Ashburn.