Twin Eagles: Hudson’s Caissies Scout as a Pack

By John Bishop

HUDSON — On any given Wednesday evening during the school year, fraternal twins Bodie and Shelby Caissie can be found at the First United Methodist Church at the weekly meeting of Scouting America Troop 2.

You see, the pair, joined by mom Hudson-native Melissa and Marlborough-born dad Jim, and with younger brother Ryder in tow, have always scouted as a pack. And, thanks to their togetherness and ambition, each helped reforge their unit into a true family.

In 2025, Shelby was the first of the Caissie crew to attain Eagle. Indeed, Shelby was the first young woman to earn Scouting America’s highest rank in the then-109-year history of Troop 2.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Shelby. “Especially being able to spend time with all of my friends here at Scouts and be able to teach them all kinds of different [activities and skills] and pass it along to our new leadership.”

Bodie, born one minute before Shelby, earned his Eagle badge at a ceremony this year, just a few months before the longest-chartered Scouting unit in Hudson turns 110 in July 2026.

“In terms of trying to get through the ranks faster,” explained Bodie of the not-so-quiet competition with his sibling, “it usually ended up with us matching each other for [rank] a long time.

“She was definitely a little more motivated for Eagle Scout [required] merit badges, though,” he added with a smile.

Two Eagles, Two Paths

Certainly, each Eagle Scout’s path is unique, but until some timely changes to the program in 2018, Shelby needed to watch Bodie scout from the sidelines. That’s when Cub Pack 3104 Hudson became a “Family Pack” and admitted girls — one of the first local units to do so — thanks to the work of then-Cubmaster Andrew Hermann.

Next, after Bodie and Shelby both earned their “Arrow of Light” (Cub Scouting’s highest rank) and dominated the Pinewood Derby, Shelby and her mom explored their options when the time came to “cross over” to Scouts BSA.

Again, thanks to some changes to the Boy Scouting program in 2019, girls could join “girl troops” or become “lone Scouts” and begin their journey to Eagle.

Then-Troop 2 Scoutmaster Chris Capobianco helped fulfill the Caissies' wishes to continue Scouting together. With assistance from Capobianco and the FUMC, Melissa and Shelby created a linked Troop 2 Hudson “girls unit,“ which shared space and schedule with the venerable boys troop.

However, despite much help from the next two Scoutmasters, Chris Houle and Hermann (the current Troop 2 Scoutmaster), that path was not easy - particularly for their mom. Necessarily, Troop 2 - Girls maintained numbers and followed very strict rules, designed to keep Scouts of both genders safe, secure and successful.

However, it also meant there needed to be two Troop 2s, and that Melissa couldn’t be far from Shelby, as those rules dictated that an adult woman volunteer be along for the proverbial ride (and all literal rides) when Shelby was present.

For several years, Jim focused on helping Ryder through Cub Scouts. Melissa, who became a Scoutmaster herself, made time for every Troop 2 B & G activity, from recruitment at the Rail Trail Caboose to annual weeklong summer camping (first at Camp Resolute in Bolton and then Camp Yawgoog in Rhode Island).

On the Road to Lowell

With their parents’ support, the Caissies cut a trail for their fellow Scouts — Shelby as the progenitor of the girls’ program, Bodie as the fanatical historian of Troop 2. Each left their mark on the unit, which is now officially a “Family Troop” according to Scouting America and sports a “vintage patrol” that wears old-fashioned uniforms to important events.

Today, both Scouts stand poised to graduate from the Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA in Marlborough) and take their good grades and myriad accomplishments up Route 495 to UMass Lowell.

Of course, and despite their shared birthday (a very appropriate Fourth of July), each Caissie Eagle has their own style.

Shelby remains at the forefront, loudly leading both boys and girls, whether it was in historic Lamson Hall in FUMC Hudson, on stage as an actor or director in AMSA stage productions, or at the beach, where she employs her BSA lifeguard status (one of the last ever to earn this now-discontinued achievement) as well as her Red Cross lifeguard certification for Marlborough Parks and Recreation.

Bodie, a calming voice now more often heard over the din at FUMC, is a lead-by-example kind of person, whose mildmannered approach is super appreciated by the youngest Troop 2 Scouts, by patrons at the Berlin Public Library (his job for several years) and by the adult leaders of the unit, who long ago turned over the troop's valuable archive to him to manage.

“Going through the extensive artifacts, I found multiple pieces of uniforms, one of the Arrow of Light sashes, badges and ribbons of all different years,” said Bodie, who wore his vintage uniform during the interview and displayed many artifacts during his ceremony.

“We use the [antique uniforms] as an honor guard during parades,” he added.

Meanwhile, their Eagle Scout projects (a kind of capstone project required of all Eagles) appropriately represent their disparate personalities.

Personal(ity) Projects

Shelby politicked, planned and supervised myriad Scouts in the building of a popular gaga pit (think dodgeball, but below the knees, usually in an octagon) at Quinn Middle School.

“I started with the Parks and Rec Department,” explained Shelby. “They were interested, but it didn’t fit into their plan for the parks, but they put me in contact with Quinn, who was looking for a gaga ball pit already.

“[Quinn PTA] paid for all of the materials and were very excited to work with me,” who grinned widely as she added, “I hear that there’s always a line to use it.”

Bodie’s project, planned and meticulously executed by himself and some carefully chosen fellow Scouts, was a display for the soon-to-be-shuttered Historical Society space in The Landing; a case which will find its way to Town Hall to keep some of the town’s Purple Hearts safe.

“I had a specific image in my head,” said Bodie of his case and the difficulties of delegating any of the delicate work involved. “I had to describe to the Scouts what I wanted them to do.

The case, which resembles an antique writing desk with a clear display in front, made its downtown debut during May’s Hometown Heroes Ceremony.

A Family Legacy

Fittingly for these Eagles, the physical manifestation of their achievement need not be their only legacy.

Both Scouts, by their determination, their compassion and loyalty, leave a lesson for all to follow:

First, that girls are able (and should be able) to achieve in spaces previously reserved only for boys, and that boys’ accomplishments are not diminished by sharing those spaces with girls.

Furthermore, they proved that by sticking with family, they could create a larger “family” in Troop 2.

Though Shelby and Bodie will soon “age out” of their youth programs (each hopes to maintain a connection as an adult volunteer), their brother Ryder will soon take on the neckerchief in the hopes of joining his older siblings.

Asked if Ryder can make it to Eagle, Shelby, not wanting to put too much pressure on the 11-year-old, said, “We’ll see, he just crossed over, so I don’t know what his ambitions are at the moment.

“But I think he is going to aim toward Eagle, the third Eagle in our family.”

Bodie said, “I think he does [have a good chance], if he has the motivation and works for it. I hope he does, it would be cool to have all of us be Eagles.”

And, given the example of Shelby and Bodie, who would bet against any Caissie?

This is the first of what is hoped to be a recurring Scouting update from Hudson. John Bishop is an adult volunteer for Pack 3104 and Troop 2 in Hudson.