Six Westwood Eagles Set for Historic Flight

Editor's Note: The following was submitted to Westwood Patch by resident Mal Duffy.

Troop 3 Westwood has had its share of Eagle scouts since its beginnings in 1963—50 to be exact—but on Sunday, May 13, the Troop will mark a historic first.

At the , the Troop’s charter organization for all of its 49 years, the Troop will hold a Court of Honor ceremony for six scouts—Alex Beach, Bryan Beach, Conor Duffy, Jonathan Mooncai, Colin Neville and Kiernan Somers—who have each earned the rank of Eagle, the highest rank in Scouting.

As you would imagine, Scoutmaster Richard de Reyna is extremely proud of the boys who are achieving this rank.

“Not every scout has the drive, the parental involvement or the troop support to advance to the rank of Eagle," de Reyna said. "When six scouts achieve this rank, it is a testament to the strength of the Troop, from the sponsor organization, to the Assistant Scoutmasters, to the Boston Minuteman Council, to all the parents and the scouts themselves. This day will be a real celebration for the whole Troop.”

De Reyna pointed out that the boys started Boy Scouts under Scoutmasters Fran Campion and Steve Dukeman, both of whom are still active with Troop 3.

He also said that while many focus on the Eagle project—a significant self-designed project to test a Scout’s leadership skills, or the merit badges—you must earn a minimum of 21, including 12 Eagle-required badges, to advance to Eagle—Scouts learn the most from troop meetings, outings, trips, service projects, and fulfilling requirements to advance ranks.

“That’s where they learn to be Scouts, to learn to love the outdoors, to learn about what the Scout Law means in practice, to learn what helping others and community service is all about,” de Reyna siad. 

The current Eagles all began as cub scouts, and four share a common bond: In 2009, they trekked the Rocky Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico as a part of Troop 3’s Crew C contingent on a 14-day High Adventure Expedition with the Boston Minuteman Council. 

The six Life Scouts who will become Eagle Scouts on May 13 are:

Alex Beach: A sophomore and varsity football player at the Noble & Greenough school, who helped the Westwood Land Trust manage two of its conservation properties for his Eagle project.

Bryan Beach: Alex’s older brother, a senior at Nobles who will attend Trinity College in the fall. Bryan worked with the Westwood Food Pantry, Westwood Public Schools, and to ensure a more consistent supply of food for the pantry.

Conor Duffy: A musician and Westwood High School senior who completed a trail navigation improvement project at for his Eagle project. Conor will attend Lehigh University in the fall.

Jonathan Mooncai: A junior and National Honor Society member at Westwood High School, whose father, Harry, achieved his Eagle as a member of Troop 1 Westwood, completed a painting and renovation project at .

Colin Neville: Also a junior at Westwood High, doubled the size of the dressing room that Hale uses for summer camps, a labor-intensive project that earned him Volunteer of the Year honors from Hale in 2011. Colin, together with the Beach brothers and Conor Duffy, older brother Ryan and Steven Campion (also Eagle Scouts), and fellow Troop 3 member Matt Blum, participated in the Philmont Expedition.

Kiernan Somers: A Westwood High junior, and a varsity soccer and lacrosse player, created and led the Westwood Green Team, which conducted cleanups at several Westwood public spaces and then carried out a community improvement project at each area, including the creation of the Liberty Tree Memorial in Westwood’s Veterans’ Park.

Ken Shaw, the Chartered Organization Representative from First Baptist, who is already looking ahead to 2013, when the Troop and First Baptist will celebrate their 50-year partnership, summed it up best, “We will have many celebrations for the Troop’s 50th, but nothing makes us prouder than seeing so many fine young men reach the rank of Eagle—this is why we sponsor Troop 3 Westwood.”