|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Two separate troops of Miami Boy Scouts have earned the coveted rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement presented by the Boy Scouts of America.
The young men are members of Boy Scouts Troop 457 based in Pinecrest. The 21 scouts received their rank at Eagle Courts of Honor that took place on November 13, 2021 and April 30, 2022 at Kendall Methodist Church.
Masters of Ceremonies for the two events were longtime Scoutmaster Julie Ziska, Troop Committee Chair Rick Diaz, and Assistant Scoutmasters Peter Burg and Mark Hanson.
The newest Troop 457 Eagle Scouts are Xzavier A. Araujo, Aidan Patrick Baublitz, Michael E. Beauge-Alvear, James Birch, Nicholas Bistrong, Daniel Chaviano, Tyler William Chin, Michael E. Clark, Luca D’Alerta, Rolando Diaz, Christian Marlo Ebo, Derek Scott Hanson, Sebastian Hildoer, Christopher Bransen Keltz, Sebastian Romel Keltz, Aiden Kong, Rodrigo Panta, Austin James Thelen, Antonio Iverson Rangel, Andres Velasquez and Zachery Werner.
Troop 457, one of the largest troops in the South Florida Council, has advanced 349 scouts to the rank of Eagle Scout. Since 1986, the troop was led by David and Julie Ziska until the David’s passing in 2015. Since then, Julie has served as Scoutmaster. Their twin sons, Kenneth and Brian Ziska, earned their Eagle Scout rank in 1993. Grandson Austin is the newest family member to become an Eagle Scout.
About the Eagle Scout Award
For every 100 scouts, approximately two will persevere to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. 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.
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. They 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.
For more information about the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.
