MIDDLETOWN — Boy Scout Troop 246 of Middletown celebrated the achievements of Jack McQuade and Jonathan Kiernan, who became Eagle Scouts, with an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at Elks Lodge 233 in Red Bank, where former Eagle Scouts, troop members, family and friends attended.
“Each person’s journey to becoming an Eagle is different, but the path requires hard work, dedication to high morals, strong work ethic, respect for self and community. We’re proud to have supported each boy on his journey,” said Troop 246 Scoutmaster Scott Pevonis in a press release.
Scouts who achieve the Eagle rank account for only two percent of the 1.1 million Boy Scouts nationwide, according to the press release. Eagle Scouts must meet high standards in scouting for leadership, citizenship and responsibility and earn a minimum of 21 merit badges. They hold troop leadership positions and develop and complete a project to benefit the community.
McQuade, a Middletown South junior, organized a collection of supplies for the Monmouth County SPCA shelter through friends and family, as well as PetSmart customers in Holmdel. He used cash donations to purchase materials to build five birdhouses, which fellow scouts helped to construct. He delivered the birdhouses to the SPCA for installation.
Kiernan, a Middletown South sophomore, dedicated his Eagle project to extending the fossil beds at the Poricy Park Conservancy Center in Middletown. He worked with fellow scouts to construct and install an additional 24 feet to the existing boardwalk, which will give future visitors easier access to the fossil beds.
Boy Scout Troop 246 meets on Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. at Nut Swamp Elementary School, 925 Nut Swamp Road. For more information about Boy Scouts, contact Scoutmaster Scott Pevonis at [email protected].