Cat Shelters And A Food Pantry: 4 Millburn Teens Make Eagle Scout

MILLBURN, NJ — Boy Scout BSA Troop 17 and their families recently gathered at St. Rose of Lima Church in Short Hills to honor the Troop’s four newest Eagle Scouts: Ander Berman, 15, a freshman at Millburn High School; Patrick Ragno and Taylor Brentjens, 18, seniors at St. Peter’s Prep, and Matthew Faughnan, 18, a senior at Oratory Prep.

Guests of honor who addressed the audience and presented the awards included Millburn Mayor Maggee Miggins and Deputy Mayor DianneThall-Eglow, Trustee of the Knights of Columbus, Council 6386, Fred Hrinuk, and Troop 17 Committee Chairperson GraceAnn Bisig.

Monsignor Harihan of St. Rose of Lima Church gave the invocation.

Becoming an Eagle Scout takes years of hard work and community service projects. Fewer than 5 percent of all Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.

Ander Berman represents the fourth generation of Eagle Scouts in his family, and Matthew Faughnan is the seventh Eagle Scout in his family.

Each Eagle Scout candidate is required to earn a minimum of 21 merit badges and complete an Eagle Scout project before his or her 18th birthday. Scouts who earn an additional five merit badges earn a Palm pin in addition to the Eagle medal.

In 2020, twin teen girls from Millburn were among the first class of female Eagle Scouts.

Scout Projects: Shelters, Bog Bridges

This year Matthew Faughnan earned a Palm with his Eagle. The service projects completed by the scouts benefit the community at large. This year, Ander Berman’s Eagle project involved the painting and refurbishing the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry building in Maplewood, as well as organizing a food collection and distribution.

Patrick Ragno’s Eagle project consisted of assisting in the rehabilitation and outfitting of a dormitory for girls in a school run by the Sisters of the Holy Family in Liberia, West Africa.

Taylor Brentjens made winter shelters for community cats for St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center.

Matthew Faughnan built 21 bog bridges in the Wildflower and Forest Preserve in the South Mountain Reservation.

With this year’s four Eagle recipients, Troop 17 has now produced an impressive total of 148 Eagle Scouts since its founding in 1945.

Read about past Eagle Scouts in Millburn here.