Boy Scouts of America Troop 230 held its first Eagle Court of Honor in two years on Saturday May 21st.
The event which was held at Yardley United Methodist Church celebrated the advancement of Zachary Giacomelli, Zachary Kalb, Dylan Ramsey, Nicholas Terry, Jeffrey Pirog, and Noah McLaughlin to the rank of Eagle Scout.
Public officials in attendance were Brian Fitzpatrick, Steve Santarsiero, Perry Warren and Frank Farry.
Zach Giacomelli completed his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project at the Tareyton Estates Playground, where he designed and constructed two accessible picnic tables which provide seating for those visiting the playground as well as for community events.
He also installed two trash receptacles which has helped keep the area free of litter.
He designed and built a third picnic table at the Middletown Township Community Skate Park as part of his project. Looking back on his Scouting career Zach said, “Through various leadership positions in scouting, I have learned how difficult it can be to lead at times. However, I have enjoyed being a positive force in the lives of the younger scouts around me.”
The son of Kelly and Dan Giacomelli of Langhorne, Zach will pursue a degree in biology at The Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall.
Zachary Kalb wanted to give back to a park where he has enjoyed walking, biking and observing nature.
He built three turtle basking platforms to be placed in The Giving Pond at Delaware Canal State Park near Upper Black Eddy as his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. “Turtles are some of my favorite animals in the canal, but some are threatened and in need of habitat improvement.” He chose environmentally friendly and long-lasting materials for the platforms which will make the turtles more visible to the park guests and provide additional basking opportunities to the turtles, serving the park for years to come. The son of Chris and Andrea Kalb, Zach will attend Union College in the fall.
Dylan Ramsey’s Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project took place for Artists of Yardley (AOY) at historic Patterson Farm in Yardley.
With generous donations from Shady Brook Farm and Eddington Supply Company, the project included a 10’ x 12’ stone patio and transplanting 100 Hosta plants. “At the height of the Covid pandemic Artists of Yardley were not able to host classes and or events inside their studio space and were looking for a safe alternative,” Dylan said. “After the patio was constructed in August 2021 it allowed The AOY Art Center access to more outdoor space so they could safely host classes and events.”
The son of Jason and Gretchen Ramsey, Dylan will be attending California State University in the fall. Nicholas Terry’s Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project included creating a database cataloging several hundred musical instruments and nearly 3000 pieces of music for the Pennsbury High School Instrumental Music Department.
The project was a natural fit for Nicholas who said, “The Pennsbury Instrumental Music Department has had a huge impact on my life since I started playing the saxophone in fourth grade.”
The computer-based system enables the director to access details of each instrument and helps preserve over 70 years of music in the department.
Nicholas is the son of Charles and Tricia Terry, and will be majoring in mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. Jeffery Pirog followed his interest in lacrosse in selecting his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. His project was composed of two parts.
The first was the design and construction of three heavy-duty rebounders sturdy enough to withstand group use for the Lower Bucks Lacrosse Fields at Middletown Community Park. The second part of the project was a collection drive of gently used sticks, pads, gloves and gear bags. Jeffrey said, “I started playing lacrosse in high school and was surprised at how expensive the gear was and how this could make it impossible for some kids to play. Thanks to the generosity of my community I was able to donate two car loads of gear to Trenton Youth Lacrosse. The son of Cindy and Steve Pirog, Jeffrey will be attending St. Joseph’s University in the fall.
Noah McLaughlin created a Gaga Ball court at Edgewood Elementary School where his younger brother attended school, and where he often volunteered with the PTO or Cub Scout events. “While planning for my Eagle project it seemed like the perfect place to give back to the school, as well as the local community” Noah said. “I built a Gaga Ball court on the school grounds that provides a place where the students could have fun learning a game that I learned and loved while in Scouting; and at the same time get exercise, improve coordination, motor function, group dynamics, collaboration and help build their social skills.” The son of Tracey and Tim McLaughlin, Noah is employed as a barista at Starbucks and looks forward to studying computer science in ASU’s Online Program.
Troop 230 is part of BSA Washington Crossing Council’s Tamanend District and is chartered by St. Ignatius of Antioch Roman Catholic Church in Yardley.
PHOTO CAP: From left, Jeffrey Pirog, Zachary Kalb, Nicholas Terry, Zachary Giacomelli, Dylan Ramsey, and Noah McLaughlin.