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HILLSBOROUGH: Zobele twins earn rank of Eagle Scout

John Cotter Zobele and Thomas Joseph Zobele of Hillsborough were awarded Scouting’s highest honor, the designation of Eagle Scout, at a May 5 ceremony.
Zobele twins earn
rank of Eagle Scout
   Boy Scout Troop 1776 has had many sibling Eagle Scouts over the years, but not many eagle twins.
   On May 5, John and Thomas Zobele of Hillsborough were both recognized at a ceremony at Neshanic Reformed Church for achieving the rank.
   To become an Eagle, a Scout must earn 21 or more merit badges, hold a troop leadership position, and conceive, plan and execute a community service project to be carried out by the troop.
   John and Thomas both began Scouting in first grade as Tiger Cubs in Pack 1776. Known for its adventurous spirit and active outdoor focus, Boy Scout Troop 1776 became their home in 2004.
   The twins earned nearly 60 merit badges between them. John served as troop historian and librarian, while Thomas excelled as chaplain’s aide. In memory of their father, Silvano Zobele, who lost his battle with cancer, John and Thomas spearheaded an annual troop blood drive and established the troop’s annual participation in Relay for Life, the fund-raising walking event of the American Cancer Society.
   For his Eagle community service project, John focused on his former elementary school, Woodfern, where he unified the flagpole area in front of the school with the rest of the building’s outdoor aesthetics and refurbished the school’s playground equipment to ensure safety.
   Girl Scout Troop 61021 secured a flag for the flagpole that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol, and which included a citation from Congressman Leonard Lance.
   Thomas focused his project on the needs of visitors to the sensory garden in Ann Van Middlesworth Park. To make the entry to the gardens more accessible for persons with disabilities, he replaced the existing gravel path with a brick walkway. In addition, the project planted a variety of perennials near the entrance. The Glen-Gery shale plant and Lowe’s donated the majority of the materials. Scouts and volunteers completed the project despite a record-breaking heat wave.
   Both John and Thomas expressed gratitude for the leadership of the many senior Scouts and troop leaders who guided them. As newly minted “twin eagles,” they thank family and friends for helping them achieve Scouting’s highest honor.
   John and Thomas will graduate from Hillsborough High School in June and plan to attend college — John at Point Park University in Pittsburgh and Thomas at Raritan Valley Community College.