Boy Scout Troop 270 Will Continue Celebrating

New Eagle Scouts This Weekend

In 2006 three Scouts from Troop 270 earned their Eagle Scout rank. John Burns, Colin O’Connor, and Scott Nichols have each obtained Scouting’s highest rank.

As is tradition, Scouts are awarded their Eagle Award in a special Court of Honor ceremony.  Each of these ceremonies will take place at Newtown Meeting House.

Colin O’Conner’s was held on January 7. The next two ceremonies will be within the next month: Scott Nichols’s ceremony will be on March 4, and John Burns’s will be on March 25. Friends of the Scouts’ families, and friends of Scouting, are invited to attend.

To become an Eagle Scout, a Scout must have earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, 12 of which are specifically required. Scouts must demonstrate leadership by holding a leader position within the troop. They must live by the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law in their everyday lives.

Lastly, and perhaps the most difficult requirement, is to lead a group in a community service project. The project encompasses the planning, organizing, and operation of the work group.

John Burns’s project was maintaining and upgrading a large portion of the trail in Newtown known as Al’s Trail. This project included clearing undesirable brush and creating a stone path with steps on a section near a stream. A stone foot bridge was also created to help a stream crossing.

Colin O’Connor’s project was to create a hiking trail in Newtown that connected the Holcombe Wildlife Preserve Blue Trail with the White Trail on the Holcombe Memorial property. The existing Blue Trail was an Eagle Scout Project completed several years ago. Colin’s efforts created a natural extension that joined these two 80-acre properties.

Scott Nichols’s project was at St Rose Church at the Shrine to the Unborn. The project entailed cleaning the statue, the surrounding brick and stone wall. In addition a 14-by-14-square-foot slate patio was installed in front of the shrine.

Also granite kneeler was placed in front of the statue. The surrounding area was mulched and flowers were planted.

Overall these projects represented well over 300 community service hours by the Scouts and their volunteers. All of these projects will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.

If anyone has questions about Boy Scouts in Newtown they may contact Peter Lubinsky at 270-8382.