Three Avon Scouts Awarded Eagle Rank

Avon Scout Troop 274 has awarded three of their scouts the rank of Eagle. In a Jan. 4, 2020, ceremony at West Avon Congregational Church, Scouts William Haberlin, Andrew Jozef and Alex Kawa were awarded the Eagle rank - Scouting’s highest rank. Less than four percent of those who begin Scouting as a Cub or Boy Scout will earn their Eagle Award.

The three scouts, all seniors at Avon High School, each completed an Eagle Scout Service Project benefiting the community. The scouts also experienced High Adventure Trips to Florida Sea Base and Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico together.

Eagle Scout William Haberlin served as Senior Patrol Leader for the Troop of 85 Scouts, as well as other leadership positions during his 11 years of scouting. He is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, which is Scouting’s National Honor Society. For his service project, William restored and beautified a walking trail at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. The project included clearing the trail, removing invasive species, building a wooden walkway and a stone walkway over a stream, making a wooden overlook bench and replacing wooden trail markers. Outside of Scouting, William is Captain of the Avon High School Ultimate Frisbee Team, a singer in Camerata, and a member of the Avon Community Service Club. Upon graduating from high school, William plans to study business in college.

Andrew Jozef, also an 11-year veteran of Scouting, served in leadership positions, including Quartermaster, Instructor, and Outdoor Ethics Guide. He earned 37 merit badges. For his project, Andrew made two log benches out of a tree trunk and five bat houses to be hung up around the Roaring Brook Nature Center. The log benches were placed in front of the nature pond observation area where visitors can sit and view various animals. The bat houses will serve as a home for bats whose population is declining in Connecticut. Andrew is the goalie for the Avon High School Boys Varsity Soccer team. He will be attending college in the fall.

Alex Kawa, in addition to attending Florida Sea Base and Philmont, also experienced a High Adventure Trip to California. He held many leadership positions within the Troop including Quartermaster, Den Chief and Troop Guide. Alex is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, he earned the BSA World Conservation Award and he completed 35 merit badges. For his project he worked with the House of Bread, a Hartford day shelter, building 18 new shelving units and refurbishing and restocking their storage pantry. Alex is a member of the National Honor Society and is active in several organizations that are committed to community service. He plans to pursue a degree in political science and post graduate studies in law or public administration.

A Scout has from age 10 until they are 18 to complete the requirements for Eagle Rank. To achieve that goal, they must complete the set of skills, leadership, and service objectives for each of six ranks. These ranks begin with Scout and are progressively more challenging as a Scout advances to Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, Life and finally to Eagle. Eagle requirements include: Troop leadership roles, earning at least 21 merit badges from a list of over 120, and the conception, planning and completion of a capstone community service project of significance.

Eagle Scouts are represented among the most respected positions in business, government and service because Scouting demonstrates a highly valued long-term commitment to and practice of community service and leadership. It is understood that Scouts routinely log hundreds of hours of community service to achieve the rank, and that Scouting is one of the few programs offering extensive opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills.

The Eagle Badge identifies a person of significant accomplishment. More importantly, it represents the promise made by a Scout to uphold and promote the Scout Oath and Law for their lifetime.