Two Boy Scouts from Wilton Troop 20, Kace Stewart and Sean Carlson, earned the rank of Eagle Scout and were celebrated for their accomplishment in an Eagle Court of Honor this past weekend on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Zion’s Hill United Methodist Church. Masters of ceremony for the occasion were Troop Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) Cole Avallone and Assistant SPL Adam Harley, both close friends of the new Eagles.
Wilton’s state senator Toni Boucher gave the invocation and also presented the Eagle Scouts with a citation from the State General Assembly congratulating them on their dedication, hard work and commitment to reach the rank of Eagle. Both of the boys were also inducted as members into the National Eagle Scout Association.
Each teen gave a speech reflecting on their time in scouting for the past ten years. Both Stewart and Carlson started in scouting in first grade as Tiger Cub Scouts, in Wilton’s Packs 17 and 22, respectively, before joining Troop 20 at the end of fifth grade. The boys’ fathers also spoke about their sons’ trail to Eagle, from their early campouts to their growth into young men tackling challenging troop leadership responsibilities and managing their Eagle Service Projects.
An Eagle Scout’s Service Project represents the culmination of his scouting experience and requires the scout to initiate, plan, and source materials. He then recruits and leads a team of scouting volunteers to execute the project. Service projects are designed to benefit the local community while challenging the scout to demonstrate a full range of leadership qualities.
Stewart’s project involved overseeing a complete renovation of the Borglum Road Park, a little known but beautiful area adjacent to the Silvermine River in southwest Wilton. Stewart devised a new trail network, constructed several benches along the river and built a new footbridge to traverse a stream. Since the original project took place, he has returned several times to maintain the trails.
Carlson decided to construct a sorely needed firewood shed for Woodcock Nature Center. Until then, Woodcock had no weatherproof storage area, which often left the center with wet and unusable firewood. Carlson built a shed conveniently located directly behind the outdoor pavilion and fireplace where many children’s programs are conducted throughout the year.
In addition to the physical work required to complete these projects, the boys had to write an extensive project summary as part of their Eagle Scout applications, which had to be reviewed by the National Boy Scouts of America. The final step was to appear before an Eagle Board of Review, whose purpose is to determine the quality of the scout’s experience and decide whether he has fulfilled the requirements for the rank of Eagle. Stewart appeared before the Board in January while Carlson’s Board convened in early August. Both boys passed their Eagle Boards of Review with flying colors!
