12 New Wilton Eagle Scouts Honored

On Sunday, May 23, 12 new Eagle Scouts were honored at an Eagle Court of Honor.

Ben Kesselman, Everett Lee, Alex Jelilian, Nate Newcomer, Dean Kaduboski, Ian Kineon, Dev Madhavani, Jack Hall, Mitchell Bakken, Chris May, Ryan McElroy, and RJ Fields, were finally able to gather in person with friends and family to celebrate this achievement.

Troop 20 Scoutmaster, Mark Kaduboski, was glad the group could celebrate in-person at the culmination of their years-long commitment to scouting.

“Most of them are going off to college in the fall and it was a nice way to finish their career together,” Kaduboski said.

Most Eagle Scouts have committed about 12 years overall to scouting — five in Cub Scouts and seven years in Boy Scouts.

“I think that’s what makes an Eagle Scout notable and why people recognize it as a real achievement. It’s something that requires dedication, perseverance over a long period of time,” Kaduboski explained.

To achieve the rank of Eagle, scouts earn 21 merit badges in areas such as first-aid, personal fitness, leadership, citizenship, camping, cooking, and swimming. Each scout is also required to organize and complete a community service project.

This year’s projects included building a firepit for the American Legion Post 86, a portable stage for Trackside Teen Center, an outdoor classroom for Woodcock Nature Center, raised garden beds for the greenhouse at Middlebrook Middle School, and a toy shed at the Wilton High School preschool, among others.

Kaduboski explained that completing these projects during the pandemic was an added challenge for the scouts. In addition to their leadership roles, they now had to ensure that all participants in the project remained physically distanced and adhered to all safety guidelines.

Eagle Scout Nate Newcomer explained how meaningful becoming an Eagle Scout is.

“Being an Eagle Scout signifies a deep and longstanding commitment to the ideals of scouting. As a troop, we stress the values of outdoorsmanship, service, and leadership, but really what scouting is about is striving to be the best person you can be,” he said.

“Scouting teaches us that self-improvement paired with strong morals is a selfless endeavor because as you become a stronger individual, you are able to do more for your friends, family, and community,” Newcomer added.