By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – Tomas C. Zita IV, 14, of Marlboro, has become the youngest individual in the 30-year history of Boy Scout Troop 85, Marlboro, to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Tomas, who goes by Tom, is a freshman at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, where he is a member of the crew team. The young man is also a member of the Marlboro Teen Advisory Committee, Students Against Destructive Driving, Catholic Athletes for Christ and he is the senior patrol leader for Troop 85.
Tom volunteers as an altar server at noon masses and other religious ceremonies and is active in the Catholic Youth Ministry at St Mary’s Catholic Church, Colts Neck, and he dedicates time to Project CARE, which is a community building and environmental stewardship program.
Tom’s Eagle Scout project was to plan, raise funds, purchase and organize the installation of 82 plants, bushes and shrubs at St. Mary’s Parish. He said some of the money was raised at the Fireside Grill & Bar, Marlboro, in a Dining for Dollars effort in which a portion of a patron’s bill was donated to the project. He also received donations of money and supplies from friends and family members. In total, Tom raised about $2,000 to fund his Eagle Scout project.
The young man said he obtained nursery stock through Carl Simone, a St. Mary’s parishioner who owns a nursery, and received a discount on plants. Simone donated 70 bags of topsoil and 30 bags of mulch that were used to beautify the parish grounds.
Tom said he used some of his savings to cover the remaining expenses for his project.
The young man said he prepared a work site at the church, cleared the soil of rocks, planted bushes, spread mulch and cleaned up the work site. He was joined by 25 volunteers who worked a total of 78 hours. The beautification project was completed in September 2015.
“I was pleased with how many people came out to help and to volunteer their time,” said Tom, who is the son of Carrie and Tomas C. Zita III, and the brother of Anastatia Nicole.
Tom’s Eagle Scout ceremony was held on March 18 at St. Mary’s.
“In my almost 30 years as a scoutmaster seeing boys grow into young men, I would have to put Tom into a handful of Scouts who are in the top tier,” Troop 85 Scoutmaster Tom McCuiston said. “He has an unlimited future and I am sure he will go far.”
“Over the course of my career in the Boy Scouts, I learned many valuable life skills like time and money management, community service, good leadership, public speaking, and more,” Tom said. “Becoming the youngest Eagle Scout in my troop’s 30-year history is something I will always be proud of. My path to Eagle was hard and time-consuming, but it was extremely gratifying and worth all my efforts.”