Boy Scout Troop 26, sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, hosted a very special event Sunday, June 5, as they honored four young men who have achieved Scouting’s Highest Rank, Eagle Scout. Connor Carberry, Norman Main, Matt Miller, and Danny Reid , all have completed the rigorous requirements and will be presented
their awards at a quadruple Eagle Scout Court of Honor to be held at 1 p.m. in the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School auditorium.
The fact that a young man is an Eagle Scout has always carried with it a special significance, not only in Scouting, but also as he enters higher education, business or industry, and community service. Achieving the rank requires perseverance to complete the extensive requirements list over a scouting career, culminating in a significant Service Project that the Scout must design and lead and requires a substantial amount of planning and coordination. Only about five percent of all Boy Scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout. To have four young men achieve this high honor at the same time is a special event for this community.
Connor’s service project was to replace a portion of the spectator seating overlooking the pulling ring at Hamburg Fairgrounds. During the project he led the installation of eight benches constructed from 20 ft. long 2” x 10” boards anchored into the ground with 4 ft. 6” x 6” piers. Connor is a senior at Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) where he has focused on technology courses and is a member of the band and lacrosse team. Connor will be graduating later this month and will be studying Mechanical Engineering Technology in the fall.
Norman’s project focused on extending a previous Eagle project on Old Lyme Land Trust property off of Four Mile River Rd. The previous project created access for hikers to get down a steep hill, and Norman’s project extended that to get across a swampy area. This huge undertaking included driving pilings to secure the walkway that was over 94 feet long. From the design phase, to the material gathering, to coordinating with all the volunteer help, the project has helped him gain confidence and public speaking skills. Norman is Junior at LOLHS who likes to bike, skateboard and Jet Ski. His future plans revolve around building and designing airplane engines, with the possibility of going into the Air Force.
Matt’s project also benefited the Lyme Grange Hamburg Fairgrounds. The horse and oxen ring on the fairgrounds property had fallen into disrepair. Matt’s project refurbished the entire ring with new fence rails; fence posts; repaired and built new gates; replaced gate hardware; and put two coats of stain on the ring and ancillary buildings. The project required supervision of many small teams of workers and required two days to complete. Matt is a senior at LOLHS who loves playing his guitars and with his dog Gunner. He will attend Central Connecticut State University in the fall where he has already declared a major in history and is planning to earn his teacher’s certificate.
Danny will be the fourth generation of his family to earn the Eagle Scout award. His project also benefitted the Lyme Grange, and was to construct a ramp to connect the upper and lower parts of the grounds. The 40 ft. ramp was designed to assist people with strollers, heavy equipment and to make it a little easier for elderly fair-goers to navigate the grounds. This project helped Danny gain an understanding of management in the world, planning and the satisfaction of completing such a time-consuming project. Danny is a junior at LOLHS, where he is a member of the soccer and track teams, and a member of the Select Singers choral group. His future plans include going to college and majoring in either business or marine biology.
All are welcome at the Court of Honor being held Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School auditorium.
Our hearty congratulations to these four, fine young men!