Three Scarsdale Boys Named Eagle Scouts

Three scouts from Scarsdale Troop 4, Robert Frank Britto, Benjamin Kiel Jacobowitz, and Ryan Kiel Jacobowitz, were recognized for their achieving the highest rank in scouting, Eagle Scout, this past Sunday. The Eagle Scout Court of Honor, the ceremony held to recognize such an achievement, was at Hitchcock Church, Troop 4's chartering organization. Among family, friends, and fellow scouts, the three SHS juniors were praised for their commitment to scouting and their numerous achievements as scouts. All three boys started scouting as first graders, thus having spent well over half of their lives as scouts. Despite their deep involvement in scouting and their troop, they have also managed to be active in many non-scouting endeavors, such as football, cinematography, the French horn, trumpet, aerospace engineering and Fire /FBI Explorers.

To become an Eagle Scout, one has to follow a rigorous process of rank advancement that includes mastering various scout skills, including outdoor skills, first aid and cooking as well as performing hours of service and earning 21 merit badges. Only four out of every hundred scouts make it to the Eagle level. Several prominent figures across various disciplines have advanced to Eagle Scout, including astronaut Neil Armstrong, President Gerald Ford, Steven Spielberg, Sam Walton, and Dr. William Devries (who performed the first artificial heart transplant), just to name a few.

The final requirement is to complete an Eagle Project. Ryan worked on the Thomas Paine Cottage through his landscaping and restoration garden. He built a new rain gutter for an old schoolhouse on site, built a historically appropriate portable bench, created a memorial garden around a revolutionary war memorial marker and restored a historically appropriate butterfly garden adjacent to the house. Ryan earned 35 merit badges.

His twin brother, Ben, helped the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY by constructing four large wooden wolf capture boxes. These boxes are needed by the Wolf Conservation Center for medical checkups, transport, and additional den space. He earned 38 merit badges. 

Robert's Eagle Project centered around The Kemper Memorial Park in Mamaroneck. The park had been looking for someone to start up the beautification of their park. The park gave Robert a parcel of land, about 600 square feet, and told him they desired a flower garden that would bloom throughout three seasons. In addition to building this, Robert also constructed wooden flagholders to be used during ceremonies honoring veterans.

The event's guest speaker was Scarsdale Mayor Dan Hochvert, who as a boy spent several years in scouting.

This Eagle Scout Court of Honor was just the beginning in the rolling out of new Eagle Scouts. Next month three more boys will be similarly recognized by Troop 4, with more coming down the pipeline. It is through the commitment of parent volunteers and the scouts that makes this possible.

More information on Troop 4 can be found by clicking here.