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Seven outstanding young men were honored by the Boy Scouts of America with the rank of Eagle Scout on Saturday, May 15. All are members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 457 based in Pinecrest.
The Troop 457 Eagle Scouts included Daniel Stephen Kayworth, Carson Q. Garcia, Raven C. Brousseau, Kurt Mitchell Jablonski II, Grant Alan Kleber, Kevin Mark Sturge and Noah L. Giles.
The impressive ceremony included the presentation of the colors by an honor guard and a bugler playing “Taps,” and speeches by representatives for U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, former Pinecrest Vice Mayor Jim McDonald, Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham and Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago.
Presiding over the ceremony were Scoutmaster Julie Ziska, Troop Committee chair Rick Diaz, and Assistant Scoutmasters Peter Burg and Mark Hanson.
Historically, for every 100 boys who become Scouts, only two will persevere to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest award a Scout can attain. The first Eagle Scout award was presented in 1912 to a 17-year-old New Yorker named Arthur Eldred. In 2020, the first girls were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. Troop 457 has produced more than 320 Eagle Scouts in the past 36 years.
To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Scout must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges and demonstrate the traits of leadership, honesty and duty. He or she must also plan, coordinate and supervise a service project called the Eagle Project, all before their 18th birthday. A board of review determines which Scouts receive the time-honored award.
Eagle Scout Kevin Sturge, 18, spent the day of Dec. 7, 2019 refurbishing the nature center of Bill Sadowski Park with the help of 40 volunteers made up of fellow scouts, friends and family members.
The project required coordination with the park manager ahead of time, gathering of resources, planning and leadership of the volunteers. The project involved refurbishing a shed, raising a fire pit wall, replacing seats on the fire pit bench and mulching trees. The finished result will be enjoyed by park visitors for years to come.
“To have earned the nationally recognized achievement of Eagle Scout is an accomplishment that a young man can be proud of for the rest of his life,” Mayor Cunningham said.
The new Eagle Scouts received dozens of letters of congratulations from around the country. Some of the notable messages of praise were sent by former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush and Donald Trump, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Miami Heat president Pat Riley, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.
“Congratulations on earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Becoming an Eagle Scout is an outstanding achievement that reflects your hard work and dedication. Your accomplishment serves as an example of excellence and a source of pride for your community,” wrote former President George W. Bush.
