Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout

by Lisa Bazzano

Two young Norfolk residents, Matthew Bell and Stephen Kasacek, recently received the Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.  The award, the highest achievement given from the Boy Scouts, is attained by only two percent of all young men in scouting.

In Battell Chapel for the award ceremony are (from left) State Representative George Wilber, Debbie Bell,, her son Matt Bell, Stephen Kasacek, and Sarah and Wayne Kasacek.

Both boys began this journey as Tiger Cub Scouts in first grade and continued through the ranks of Cub Scouts and, ultimately, Boy Scouts.  To become Eagle Scouts, Bell and Kasacek were required to earn a minimum of 21 merit badges.  The Merit Badge program offers more than 120 different fields of skill and knowledge for scouts to explore, from astronomy to water skiing.   The required merit badges for Eagle Scouts are: First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Personal Management, Camping, Hiking or Cycling or Swimming and Family Life.

Before attaining highest rank, the boys also received five letters of reference, wrote a statement of their ambitions, submitted a list of positions held in their community demonstrating their leadership skills, and completed a pre-approved service project benefiting a church, school or the community.  After completing all of the tasks, each scout appeared before the Eagle Scout Board of Review for final approval of the Eagle Scout designation.

Bell, a member of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD), is currently attending Fire Fighter I classes and is a driver and Medical Response Technician (MRT) for Norfolk Ambulance.  He graduates from Oliver Wolcott Technical High School this spring with a major in drafting and hopes to major in fire science in college. Bell’s service project involved researching Norfolk’s water pressure ranges on all 79 fire hydrants in town.  He devised a color-coded system for these ranges and created a corresponding map for the NVFD.  He held a work party to replace corroded fire hydrant reflector flags and repainted the flags that were less damaged.  All were painted in accordance with Bell’s new color-coded system.

Kasacek got the idea for his service project while employed as a lifeguard at Tobey Pond.  He noticed the haphazard storage of canoes along the water’s edge and decided to construct two canoe racks for the town’s use.  This project had a twofold impact: it improved the appearance of the beach and prevented further damage to the boats.  All the supplies for his project were donated.  A freshman at Penn State University, Kasacek plans to major in engineering.

Richard Byrne, Town Historian, commented on the boys’ achievements. “Out of Stephen and Matt’s hard work, our community has gained two confident young men with leadership qualities embedded with sound moral and ethical standards.  Living by the Scout’s Oath and Law is no easy task.  I congratulate Steve and Matt on their achievement and urge our community to support the scouting experience for both boys and girls.”

Photo by Marla Clayton.