Adam Schuit and volunteers construct Torah Ark for synagogue
Adam Schuit, a sophomore at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, was awarded the highest rank bestowed by the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle Scout. The significance of the achievement was not lost on the approximately 150 family members, friends and state and local officials who joined in honoring Adam during a solemn "court of honor" Nov. 5 at the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church.
To achieve Eagle rank, Adam earned 46 merit badges, well beyond the 21 required. Troop 40 Scoutmaster and Master of Ceremonies Bill Hasling credited Adam’s years as a pitcher on WW-P’s Junior Varsity baseball team as preparation for his excellent fly rod casting, which helped Adam become the first in the troop to earn the Fly-Fishing Merit Badge.
For his Eagle Project, Adam designed and led the construction of a portable Torah Ark for his synagogue, Congregation Beth Chaim in West Windsor. Fifty-four volunteers participated in building the Torah Ark, which took 430 hours to construct.
Adam has also earned BSA awards for conservation, the mile swim, snorkeling and scuba diving. He was also the recipient of the Lions Club "Outstanding Student Achievement Award." Adam is a member of the Central New Jersey Committee on Jewish Scouting and is a recipient of its first youth "Excellence in Service" Award.
A troop tradition Adam initiated is leading scouts and other students in music recitals for senior citizens at the Windrows Assisted Living Facility in Plainsboro. Playing the piano, Adam has performed in six recitals at the Windrows with Scouts and other students.
In 2004, Adam organized, managed and played for the troop’s first charity softball team in the David Suarez Scholarship tournament, raising more than $500. A Troop 40 Eagle Scout, David Suarez died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
In addition to his other Troop and community activities, Adam enjoys helping at the New Jersey Special Olympics, where he umpires softball and helps teams to keep their scorebooks.
In addition to pitching for WW-P’s JV baseball team, Adam is a member of the school’s swim team and Junior Varsity soccer team. Adam is a New Jersey certified lifeguard, a certified United States Soccer Referee, and a trained little league umpire. Adam is also a volunteer at the St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center.
Adam’s father, Michael Schuit, is an active member of Troop 40’s Troop Committee. Adam’s grandfather, Bernard Siegel, was a Boy Scout in Pittsfield, Mass., and once met Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting.

