Newtown BSA Troop 270 celebrated its 124th Eagle Scout on February 21.

Founded in 1958, the troop celebrated its first Eagle Scout in 1966, when David Hughes became the first to achieve the honor. Sixty years and 123 young men later, a 15-year-old Newtown High School student saw his name added to the growing list of those honored by Newtown’s oldest troop.

As his proud father noted later during the Court of Honor, Sandor Ladanyi has not only joined those who have gone before him in Troop 270, his rise to Eagle Scout also puts him among “an elite rank of people across genres including astronauts, Presidents, athletes, and business and entertainment leaders.”

As was also noted a few times that afternoon, less than 5% of all Scouts become Eagles.

Sandor began his Scouting life while a member of Pack 490 while he and his family were living in Newhall, Calif. He was also a member of Troop 316, in Santa Clarita, Calif., before he moved to Newtown and joined Troop 270.

Sandor quickly moved up the ranks, from Second Class in April 2023, to First Class in February 2024, Star in September 2024, Life Scout the following September, and then achieving his Eagle rank in January of this year.

He has been Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 270 since September. He has earned 38 merit badges and three Palms to date — 17 more than the minimum required, Scoutmaster Michael Hoyack later noted — and has received the following Scouting honors and awards: Religious Emblem (September 2020), Fireman Chit and Totin Chit (both June 2022), Snorkeling (August 2024), Pistol Qualification (July 2025), and Recruiter (September 2025).

His Eagle Scout project was the construction of two picnic tables with attached benches last autumn at Audubon Center at Bent of the River in Southbury.

Ceremony And Awards

Liam O’Neil served as the emcee for the February 21 Court of Honor, which lasted approximately 90 minutes. He welcomed Scouts, leaders, family and other guests to The Great Room of Newtown Congregational Church, where the court of honor was conducted. Special guests included Newtown First Selectman Bruce Walczak, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky, and Aquila District Commissioner Jacob Cedusky.

Troop 270 is part of the Connecticut Yankee Council, Aquilla (formerly Scatacook) District.

Following the presentation of colors by an honor guard and the recitation of The Pledge of Allegiance by those in attendance, Alan Blatter offered an invocation. Logan O’Neil and Quinten Ewasko performed a candle ceremony that highlighted the 12 points of the Scout Law. Fintan Marquez, Ben Hoyak and Kevin Tenazaca followed with a second candle ceremony honoring the Scout Ranks. During the second ceremony, Ben also invited all Eagle Scouts in the room to stand and share when they achieved their rank and which troop they were part of.

Scoutmaster Hoyack presented Sandor with his Eagle Scout Rank Award. Hoyack began by explaining the ranks a Scout must achieve before reaching Eagle. An Eagle Scout candidate must prove “they live their life by the Oath and Law” of Scouting, he said.

The most important part of earning Eagle, Hoyack said, is the service project they design and execute entirely on their own. The projects demonstrate “skills such as organization, communication, leadership and delegation” through the creation of a detailed proposal, finding a beneficiary and funding, creating a detailed plan, and then executing that plan. A written report including photos must then be submitted to and approved at local, regional and national levels of Scouting America, Hoyack also explained.

He then invited Sandor and his parents, Sybil Dufour and Steve Ladanyi, to join him. Steve Ladanyi was handed an Eagle badge, which was pinned on his son’s shirt.

The Eagle Award Presentation was handled by Chrissi and Luis Tenezaca. With Sandor’s parents standing at the opposite of a long table near the podium, Chrissi Tenezaca addressed Sandor, telling him “the eyes of all Scouting — yes, the entire world — will be trained on you.”

Reminding him that the tradition of the Eagle is high, “may you live so that this tradition may always be guided by the sprit of Scouting, as symbolized by the blazing candles before you.”

Only a mother knows “the unnumbered acts of self-sacrifice and helpfulness she has provided which have led us to this ceremony,” Chrissi continued. As a symbol of what his mother made possible for him, Sandor was invited to pin an Eagle Scout Mother’s Pin over his mother’s heart “in recognition of her love, encouragement, faith and trust in you,” Chrissi said, adding “You are now an Eagle Scout and as such, may you never, never disappoint her.”

Assistant Scoutmaster Luis Tenezaca spoke next, about the support, encouragement and assistance Sandor has received from him father. Sandor was then invited to pin an Eagle Father’s Pin on his father’s shirt, “for his wisdom, guidance and help, who over the years has helped you get to the position you are in.”

Next was the presentation of an Eagle neckerchief and slide, which were handed to Sandor by Logan O’Neil. Sandor’s father removed his son’s Scouting neckerchief and replaced it with the new one to honor his current rank.

Assistant Scoutmaster Greg Pategas conferred the Eagle Charge and Oath, which called upon Sandor to reaffirm his allegiance to the three promises of the Scout Oath, to recognize the obligations and responsibilities of the rank, and do his best to make his training an example, among other points.

Pategas cautioned the young man that while many of the words would be familiar to those said before, “they will mean more now than they could have meant at any time in the past.”

With his hand raised and his voice steady, Sandor took the oath. Guests rose for a standing ovation as he crossed the room to shake hands with Pategas.

Parents And Others Speak

Sybil Dufor opened her remarks by stating her son “has never disappointed me.

“From birth, he had energy that was quite astounding,” she added. “Becoming a Scout, the path he took, becoming the youngest of ten in a complicated blended family … we are all so proud of him.”

Steve Ladanyi welcomed everyone, and said after having five daughters and trying to teach them baseball, “and Boy Scouts was not available to them at the time,” he was happy to welcome Sandor and begin the path of Scouting.

He called his son brave, having started Scouting and life in California before moving to Connecticut, “where he joined a new troop, made new friends, and resigned himself to camping in the snow.”

State Representative Mitch Bolinsky also noted the move across the country.

“Every path is unique, but … I think this may be the first bicoastal Scout I have met,” Bolinsky said. “I think it’s a bit poetic, in fact. His journey went from Newhall, California, to Newtown, Connecticut.”

Bolinsky presented Sandor with an Official Citation on behalf of himself, State Representative Marty Foncello and State Senator Tony Hwang.

“This is in recognition of achieving the pinnacle of Eagle Scouting,” the state rep said to Sandor. “You will also stand tall. We all wish you the very best on this occasion and on everything in your future.”

Bolinsky turned to the room then, and addressed the other members of Troop 270.

“I offer you the utmost respect and admiration to all of you,” he said. “Troop 270 and its leadership are a team that puts out so many wonderful Scouts.”

Before presenting a proclamation, First Selectman Bruce Walczak said he had the “privilege of recognizing a young man who truly embodies the best of Scouting. He gives new meaning to the phrase ‘soaring like an Eagle.’

“It’s not easy pulling up roots,” the first selectman said. “You did a great job.”

Sandor’s service project, Walczak said, “invites people to sit and enjoy time together. That project will be enjoyed for years to come.”

Aquila District Commissioner Jacob Ceduski also complimented Sandor, saying he has “come to personify the highest qualities and values of Scouting. … We are in more need now than ever before of those who show kindness, bravery and cheer. At this moment you are now more prepared than ever with those qualities.”

Ceduski said many Eagle Scouts look back and consider their service project their most important accomplishment.

“Eagle is the culmination of a decade of preparation,” he said. “Opportunities to lead will arise. I challenge you to be a stander, not a bystander.”

Ceduski then presented Sandor with the Yankee Council Eagle patch.

Leon Demers, who serves as Troop 270’s Eagle Coach, gave Sandor an American flag that had flown over the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. Noting the flag had been flowing on December 22, 2025 — the birthday of Sandor’s grandfather — Demers said the flag “reminds us of generations who have served our country.”

Demers also continued a new tradition for the troop, which was started with last year’s Court of Honor for Connor Child. Demers gave Sandor a framed photo of an Eagle badge above which the words Act Like An Eagle Today had been printed.

“I want you to hang this by your door … and every morning I want you to tap this picture and think to yourself of the Scout law and how you are going to act like an Eagle today, and there is a good chance you will have a good day,” he said to Sandor. “I’m not guaranteeing all days will be honky dory. You will have the bad days and even terrible days.

“But if you think of the Scout law and oath,” he continued, “you can continue to try to be friendly and kind, courageous, cheerful and even reverent, to get through those bad days.”

The day will come when Sandor’s son will ask about the picture and why his father taps it every morning before he leaves for work, Demers said.

“That will be the day to sit down with him and tell him about your Scouting career, and about the Scout law, and how important it is to live by the Scout law and oath. Maybe he himself will start living by the Scout law, and then one day at his or her court of honor, you will pass down this picture to him,” Demers said.

Proclamations and letters that had been received from Governor Ned Lamont, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes and US Senator Chris Murphy were introduced by Karen Hoyack, who invited the guests to take the time after Saturday’s ceremony to read them.

Sandor’s Speech

Finally it was time for the afternoon’s guest of honor to speak.

Taking the podium, Sandor thanked everyone in front of him and called his Court of Honor “both humbling and exciting.

“This is the moment that represents years of effort, growth and support from many people in my life. When I first joined Scouts I didn’t fully understand what becoming an Eagle Scout meant,” he continued. “I knew it was an important goal but I didn’t see how much the journey would shape me along the way.

“I learned skills like leadership, teamwork, perseverance and responsibility, lessons that go far for camping trips and merit badges. Scouting has taught me how to push through challenges, help others and, especially, how to lead my fellow Scouts.”

Earning the rank of Eagle is not something anyone does alone, he said. He offered his thanks to Michael Hoyack “for being a great Scoutmaster and being an excellent role model for everybody to look up to.”

He also offered thanks to Assistant Scoutmaster Demers, “a huge help throughout my journey” toward success.

“I am proud to say that I want to be like Mr Demers when I grow up one day,” Sandor said, before inviting Demers to join him again at the podium, where he presented a Mentor Pin to the Assistant Scoutmaster.

Sandor thanked his fellow Scouts for the memories, camping trips, “and other adventures we’ve gone on. You guys have been the laughs and support that have carried me through this journey.”

He offered thanks to his family, for being there that afternoon and for “encouraging me when things were difficult and celebrating the milestones along the way.”

Addressing his father directly, Sandor said “Dad, you’ve been here throughout my entire journey through Cub Scouts and through Boy Scouts. You’ve always been there for me. You’ve been the main man encouraging me and always striving for me to be the best I can be.

“Throughout this Scouting journey,” he continued, his voice breaking, “it wasn’t only an adventure for me, but I’ve made so many memories with you. I really cannot thank you enough.”

Inviting his father to the podium, Sandor presented Steve Ladanyi with a Mentor Pin.

Turning toward his mother, Sandor said she “has always been someone I could call whenever I felt like things weren’t going my way. You’ve always been the person supporting me whenever I needed something, and I’d really like to thank you for that. I love you Mom.”

Sandor also said the principles of Scouting will continue to guide him though his life.

Heading toward his conclusion, Sandor said becoming an Eagle “isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the beginning of carrying these principles forward into the future.”

A Benediction offered by Lauren and Sean O’Neil closed the formal event. Guests were invited to stay for refreshments and time with the newest Eagle Scout of Newtown Troop 270.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.