LYNNFIELD — Six members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 48 in Lynnfield were promoted to Eagle Scouts Sunday in a Court of Honor ceremony at the Centre Congregational Church.
The Eagle Scout award is the highest honor in Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
Troop 48 Assistant Scoutmaster Gordon Forrest said attaining the Eagle Scout rank is “pretty rare,” with less than 4 percent of all Boy Scouts going on to achieve that distinction.
The troop’s newest Eagle Scouts are Jared Alphen, Daniel Miller, Cole Trainor, Jacob MacPherson, Paul Wehle and Michael Madden.
“For most of these young adults, unless they serve in the military or play on a Division 1 college athletic team, becoming an Eagle will be the most impactful event of their high school and college years,” Forrest said. “The lessons they learn, the experiences they have had and the relationships they make will all serve them well in their future studies and career endeavors.”
Alphen’s Eagle Scout project was aimed at supporting the Centre Congregational Church. His team of volunteers performed several maintenance and improvement projects for the church, including improvements to the Tower Day playground, renovation of the benches at the back of the church, rehabilitation of the antique window hardware in the chapel and general cleaning.
A 2021 graduate of Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, Alphen will attend the University of Massachusetts – Lowell in the fall.
Miller’s service project consisted of fundraising for the construction and installation of two new benches for the front of Centre Congregational Church. As part of the project, Miller also completed the construction and installation work.
“The benches are frequently used by people enjoying the town’s historic common,” said Forrest of Miller, who also graduated from Essex Tech and currently attended Plymouth State College.
For Trainor, his project consisted of developing, funding and installing a new entryway sign and landscaping concept for St. Joseph’s Church on Union Street in Lynn. He led a team that raised more than $4,000 for the project. A 2021 graduate of Lynnfield High, he will attend Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the fall.
MacPherson’s service project involved a comprehensive survey of trees located in the Lynnfield Common and surrounding areas. The survey included identification, condition and geographic information system (GIS) information of the trees. This data will be used by the town to plan for future tree restoration and planting programs. MacPherson is a rising senior at Lynnfield High School.
Wehle worked with the Lynnfield Conservation Commission to plan and deliver improvements to the town’s Partridge Island Trail. A new trail gateway sign was created and installed, and maintenance was performed on the popular recreational path. A 2021 graduate of St. John’s Prep, Wehle will attend the University of Rochester in the fall.
Madden’s service project was developed in conjunction with the Lynnfield High Athletic Department, the town’s Conservation Commission and the Department of Public Works. The entities worked together to build a new public access walking and jogging path in the town’s Pine Hill Lot off Durham Drive.
The new trail provides an off-road training course for the Lynnfield High cross-country team, as well as recreational opportunities in the previously-unused, town-owned land. A 2021 Lynnfield High graduate, Madden will attend the University of Massachusetts – Amherst this fall.
The requirements to become an Eagle Scout are rigorous. Scouts must be active in their troop, team, crew or ship for a period of at least six months after achieving the rank of Life Scout. While a Life Scout, they must serve actively for six months in at least one position of responsibility, as well as plan, develop and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to a religious institution, school or their community.
They must also demonstrate that they live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. They are required to earn 21 merit badges, including 13 that are mandated, and take part in a scoutmaster conference. Finally, scouts must successfully complete an Eagle Scout Board of Review.
