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Community Corner

Four Eagles Take Flight

In a gathering in front of more than 100 friends, family members, fellow Scouts, and local officials, David Korzeniowski, Isaac Feldberg, Mark Tentarelli, and James Freeman were awarded the Eagle Scout rank, the highest in the Boy Scout program. The Court of Honor took place at Our Lady of Fatima on Thursday, January 9.

To attain the rank, boys need to spend several years in the program and complete five other ranks that demonstrate proficiency in areas, like camping, citizenship, cooking, first aid, knot tying, and physical fitness. In addition, Scouts must earn at least 21 merit badges, including required ones in communications, environmental science, and family life. Illustrating the diversity of the Scouting program, this group earned merit badges in archery, chess, fishing, photography, rifle shooting, snow sports, and whitewater rafting.

Perhaps most importantly, boys need to demonstrate Scout Spirit by abiding by the Boy Scout Oath and Scout Law. In effect, Scouting is management training for boys. They plan troop activities and work in small groups (patrols) to complete tasks, like set up camp, cook their meals, and clean up. To advance in rank, a Scout must take on a leadership position in the troop. They find that getting young boys to focus on the tasks at hand requires a lot of effort, patience, and trial and error.

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Scouts are also expected to contribute to the community. For Eagle, each Scout must choose a service project that takes 100 hours of work and helps the community-- not a group directly connected to the Boy Scouts of America. David Korzeniowski built two book cases and conducted a book drive – that collected more than 2,000 children’s books from Scouts, and parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Anselm’s Rectory -- for the Pregnancy Help office at the Archdiocese of Boston. Isaac Feldberg worked with the Sudbury Valley Trustees to build an information kiosk in Memorial Forest. Mark Tentarelli constructed benches at the Sudbury Refuge, so those folks passing by can sit, rest, and revel in nature. James Freeman renovated the nursery at the Plymouth Church in Framingham.

Attaining Eagle is not for the faint of heart. Only two percent of all Scouts reach the rank. But often, the badge is a precursor to other noteworthy lifetime achievements. Eagle Scouts have become Academy Award winners; astronauts; company presidents; local, state, and federal politicians; professional baseball, basketball, and football players; Nobel Prize winners; Olympic gold medalists; Rhodes Scholars; Supreme Court Justices; and even President of the United States.

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James Freeman is currently a freshman at UMass, Isaac Feldberg is a senior at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, Mark Tentarelli is a junior at LS, and David Korzeniowski is a sophomore at St. Sebastian’s High School in Needham. What does their future hold?

Troop 63 meets on Thursday nights at 7:30 at Our Lady of Fatima at 160 Concord Road in Sudbury. For more information on becoming a Scout and perhaps an Eagle, you can contact the troop by email at troop63bsa@gmail.com.

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