Little Silver Twin Brothers Awarded Eagle Scout

Twin brothers Alex Jayme Morris and Kyle Jayme Morris received Scouting’s highest award at a Court of Honor Ceremony held Sunday, February 10^th.  The Court of Honor was convened by Little Silver Scout Troop 126 at the Little Silver Fire House.

Alex and Kyle are both 18 and seniors at Red Bank Regional High School.  Kyle is a member of the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program and Alex is in the Advanced Placement program.  Both are accomplished athletes and participate in numerous extra-curricular activities.  They are the sons of their loving mother, Beth Morris and the late Jayme Morris, who died before seeing his twin sons born.

Kyle’s Eagle Project assisted St. John’s Church, the chartering organization for Troop 126.  On the many occasions Kyle had been there he noted a perpetual problem with the many trash cans placed at the side of the church.  The problem was a massive amount of garbage being invaded by various animals and vermin and then the trash blew all over the property and those adjacent to the church.  

Kyle contrived to build sturdy wood boxes with doors, hinges and latches to prevent the trash from getting out of the trash cans.  Two boxes would be built each holding three large trash cans.  The boxes would have to be sturdy enough to keep out invaders and big enough to accommodate the trash cans yet short enough so that the average person could open the lid and drop in a trash bag.  Kyle worked with an adult expert on engineering construction drawings and recruited adults and scouts to transport materials, cut, assemble and paint the boxes and then deliver them via truck to the St. John’s site.  Kyle met with the owner of Builders General in Little Silver to donate all the materials, paint, and hardware.  Kyle also made an appeal to the parishioners of St. John’s for donations to cover miscellaneous expenses.  The construction, site preparation, painting, transportation and placing of the boxes was an exhaustive group effort directed by Kyle.  The boxes are simple, yet elegant and functional.  Trash is now contained at the site and the only evidence of invaders are their paw prints on the tops of the boxes.

Alex’s Eagle Project grew from his interest in mammals.  Specifically an interest in bats.  He found that bats have a maligned reputation.  They do not tangle in peoples’ hair nor do they do most of what people attribute to them.  Bats are ecologically friendly consuming thousands of mosquitoes every night.  To attract more bats to Little Silver properties and public parks, Alex planned and executed his project to build and distribute bat houses throughout Little Silver.  Part of the planning process required him to make presentations to the Mayor and Borough Council and the Borough Environmental Commission.  He received a resounding unanimous approval from each governing body so he acquired the materials and plans for the bat houses.  They were constructed by scouts from the troop and then were stenciled and painted.  Each bat house came with instructions on how and where to place the house and attaching hardware was also provided.  Next time you are at Memorial Park, the someplace in your neighborhood, or the nature trail and you don’t get bitten by mosquitoes, thank Alex Morris for his Bat House Eagle Scout Project.