10 Greenwich Scouts Are Honored for Earning Their Eagle Awards

Ten young men, who earned the Eagle Scout rank this past year, were honored by the Boy Scouts of America Greenwich Council at the 39th Annual Greenwich Scouting Eagle Recognition Dinner and “Gathering of Eagles.”

The 2015 Greenwich Eagle Scout Class, comprised of Robert Anderson, Eugene Constandaki, Peter Forsberg, Matthew Fox, William Freder, Benjamin Langley, John Martin, Conor Patterson, Nicholas Sages and Sivan Sud, worked on Eagle Scout service projects that benefited local organizations including the Greenwich Land Trust, Stanwich School, Greenwich Audubon, St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church and Greenwich Parks & Recreation. Their projects collectively totaled 1,084 service hours through leadership of 206 volunteers.­

In addition to recognizing the 2015 Class of Eagle Scouts, Greenwich business man Terry Betteridge received the Malcolm Pray “Friend of Eagles” Award. As the seventh recipient of the award, Betteridge, owner of Betteridge Jewelers, told the Eagle Scouts of all ages and the 150 guests that he thought the most important merit badge to earn was the salesmanship merit badge.

“You need salesmanship. If you don’t pass it on, if you don’t let people know about your passions, it won’t continue. There’s a world out there that is really what Scouting is about,” Betteridge said. “This natural world that Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Thompson Seton sought and fought to guard jealously with everything in their power.”

Betteridge urged the Scouts to continue their passion and salesmanship for the outdoors and Scouting in general. “You have the ability, the power and the leadership to guard [the outdoors],” Betteridge said. “It will be your salesmanship to the next generation, the kid on the street, to the person you help, that shows them what Scouting is about. And that will make it flourish and continue, and make me ever so proud.”

Greenwich Police Chief and Eagle Scout Jim Heavey, who led the Eagle Scout Promise, awarded Bob DeLaney a walking stick for being the most senior Eagle in the room, earning the Eagle rank in 1951. For years the title of most senior Eagle Scout went to Paul Palmer, who earned Eagle Scout in Greenwich in 1938. Palmer passed away earlier this year.

For more information about local Scouting, visit www.GreenwichScouting.org.

Contributed photos:
#1: Honored at the 2015 Greenwich Scouting Eagle Recognition Dinner and “Gathering of Eagles”, back row from left: Matthew Fox, Robert Anderson, Nicholas Sages, Sivan Sud, Peter Forsberg. Front row from left: seventh recipient of the Malcolm Pray “Friend of Eagles” award, Terry Betteridge, with Conor Patterson, Eugene Constandaki, Jack Martin, Benjamin Langley, William Freder.

#2: Pack 37 Cub Scout Andrew La Padula hands Natalie Pray flowers as a thank you for all she does for local Scouts.

#3: Eagle Scout and Chief of Greenwich Police Jim Heavey awards Bob DeLaney with a walking stick as the most senior Eagle Scout in the room.

#4: Eagle Scouts Francis Ambrogio and Vince La Padula.

#5: Reciting the Eagle Scout Promise at the annual Greenwich Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner and “Gathering of Eagles” are Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. William McKersie, Greenwich Scouting Board Member Jim Adams, Greenwich Eagle Scout Coordinator Will Druschell and the past Eagle Scout Coordinator JP Holko.

#6: Karl, Endy, Robert and Roberta Anderson attended the Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner to celebrate Robert’s recent achievement of the Eagle Scout rank.