 | | | From left, back row: Kevin Hull, Ben Westphal, Grant Smith, Chris Hansen (sitting), Grant Pedder, Marc Davis and Will McCandless; middle row: Michael Samaniego, Jack Hood, Sam Fraser and Nick Anderson; front row: Peter Goldie and Preston Tso. Photo provided | | | | | | Lafayette Boy Scout Troop 204 will honor 13 young men who have achieved the Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America from 1:30 to 4 p.m. March 15 at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church. The Eagle Scout Class of 2014 is the second largest group in the history of the Troop and the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council to achieve Eagle. To attain the rank of Eagle Scout, a scout must earn his way up the scouting ranks - from Tenderfoot to Life Scout. As a Life Scout, he must be active in the troop for at least six months, earn at least 21 merit badges, serve in a Leadership position, show Scout Spirit, and plan, develop and give leadership to others in an approved Eagle service project helpful to any religious institution, school, non-profit organization or the community. In addition to requirements listed above, each of these Troop 204 Eagle Scouts has attended annual 50 mile backpacking trips, hiked over 500 miles, actively participated in annual Camporees, constructed and slept in snow caves and camped in the wilderness for over 100 nights.
The following is a list of their community service projects: Nick Anderson built wooden duck boxes and donated them to the California Waterfowl Association; Marc Davis developed an iPhone app for the Lafayette Historical Society; Sam Fraser collected preschool supplies for the JF Kapnek Trust, a Lafayette-based organization that works to prevent the transmission of pediatric HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and aims to open over 100 preschools for needy children; Will Goldie designed and assembled computer systems for impoverished schools in Afghanistan; Chris Hansen used donated wood from Ashby Lumber and built 50 drawers out of plywood; Jack Hood managed, fundraised, and ran a week-long science-based summer camp for underprivileged children along with his trusted volunteers; Kevin Hull rebuilt and refurbished a dilapidated deck at the Lafayette Community Center; Will McCandless wanted to do something to benefit the Lafayette Reservoir and worked with the ranger, Rod Tripp, to determine a suitable project and chose a fire danger sign to indicate the fire danger level and the associated restrictions; Grant Pedder constructed a 20-foot-long planter box out of cement blocks outside of the Lafayette School District offices at Stanley Middle School; Michael Samaniego collected 170 used soccer uniforms, cleats and equipment from teams throughout Lamorinda, Walnut Creek and Concord; Grant Smith restored the marquee in the Acalanes High School parking lot; Preston Tso worked on the Stanley Middle School tennis courts and rehabilitated them; and Ben Westphal restored the baseball backstops and benches at some of our local schools.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA