(above, l-r) Top Row: Alex Caoila, Eric Elizes, Gianni Pizzi. Middle Row: Jack Spellman, Joshua Schwartz, Liam Orsini. Bottom Row: Michael Moore, Spencer Linenberg, William Arida
Nine Westfield Boy Scouts Earn Eagle Scout Rank
Submitted by Jeannie Arida
On Saturday, July 18, 2020, a Troop-record nine Boy Scouts from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout at the Troop 77 Court of Honor. This ceremony took place at the Watchung Reservation Sky Top Pavilion and was attended by immediate family and Scout troop leaders. These Eagle Scouts have earned a sufficient number of merit badges, demonstrated leadership within the Troop, and successfully planned and completed a service project within the community.
St. Paul’s Troop 77 newest Eagle Scouts are William R. Arida II, Alex L. Caiola, Eric R. Elizes, Spencer C. Linenberg, Michael A. Moore, Liam B. Orsini, Gianni Pizzi, Joshua S. Schwartz and John (Jack) H. Spellman.
Chartered in the 1930’s, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Boy Scout Troop 77 is over 80 years old. This Court of Honor brings the total number of Troop 77 Eagle Scouts to 113. These young men have actively participated in Troop 77’s activities for a minimum of 4-6 years. These activities include summer camping experiences at Sabattis Adventure Camp, weekend camping trips, weekly Troop meetings led by the scouts themselves, troop service projects as well as the projects of previous Troop 77 Eagle Scouts. They can claim credit for making Troop 77 a strong and vibrant unit.
The Boy Scout movement constitutes one of the most wholesome and significant developments of our day. As Eagle Scouts, they have assumed a solemn obligation to do one’s duty to God, country, fellow scouts and fellow citizens. They have exhibited a proficiency in various crafts and skills prescribed for the Eagle rank. Each Eagle Scout has earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, including thirteen required merit badges. Required merit badges include First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communication, Personal Fitness, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Camping, Personal Management, Swimming, Family Life and Environmental Science.
These Eagle Scouts have proven their leadership skills, which is another important aspect of this rank. They have served as leaders in their troop, school, church and community. Within the troop, they have served for at least two years each in various leadership positions and in these positions have passed along many of their scout skills to younger scouts, serving as role models of the ideals of Scouting.
Demonstrating leadership in a service project is one of the key requirements for advancement to Eagle Scout. The project must benefit the community, but more importantly it must be planned and completed under the leadership of the Eagle Candidate. It is usually regarded as the most difficult thing encountered by the candidates to this point in their lives and provides a valuable learning opportunity. The project plan must be approved not only by the adult leadership of Troop 77, but also by the Watchung Mountain District Advancement Committee and in some cases local governmental organizations. The actual work to complete the project is, in most cases, the shortest phase. In each case, the Eagle Scout has provided a tangible benefit to his community and by doing so has demonstrated their ability to lead.
The Eagle Scout Service projects are as follows:
William Arida worked on a courtyard revitalization at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield, where he is an active church member. The courtyard is the main entrance to the church from the parking lot and was in need of revitalization. He led a team of volunteers over four weekends to remove dozens of dead trees, shrubs and plants, replant over 50 new shrubs and trees, mulch beds and install a commercial park bench to create a place of rest and reflection. William will be attending The Ohio State University College of Engineering to study biomechanical engineering this fall.
Alexander Caiola and his volunteers designed, built and installed a fitness trail behind the athletic fields of his school, The Wardlaw and Hartridge School in Edison. The project included installing fitness equipment including double pull-up bars, a push up bar, and a balance beam and bench, as well as mulching the entire area. Alex is a rising Senior and plans to major in business in college in the fall of 2021. He is looking forward to sharing his fitness trail with his classmates.
Eric Elizes worked to improve the grounds at the Reeve House Westfield Historical Society. He led a team of volunteers who excavated and constructed a forty-foot bluestone pathway in the rear yard that connects the upper and lower parts of the grounds. Eric will be studying at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, in the fall. He will major in data science and analytics and/or aerospace engineering.
Spencer Linenberg built an entrance to the Dunham Avenue Bird Sanctuary in Westfield. Previously, the sanctuary was difficult to access and largely unknown. He and his volunteers laid gravel paths, installed a bench, information board and entrance sign. The improvements have effectively put the Dunham Avenue Bird Sanctuary “on the map,” as people can visit and learn about the birds that nest there. Spencer will be attending Washington University this fall and studying economics.
Michael Moore supervised the construction of an IT museum for his technology-focused high school, The Academy of Information Technology (AIT). This included organizing, cataloging and researching computer components dating back to the early 1980’s through today to create a museum website alongside physical cabinet displays at his school. AIT has added a new course this coming year based on the IT museum information showcased in Michael’s project. Michael will major in computing security at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Liam Orsini’s project benefited the Historical Society of Union at the Hannah Caldwell Parsonage. For his project, he sorted historical books and recorded information related to the books in a spreadsheet, he constructed a shelving unit to house yearbooks for Union High School dating back to 1926 and he also constructed a map storage and viewing desk for historical maps of Union County. His improvements will provide visitors with an improved experience and make organization for the Historical Society easier. This fall, Liam will be attending University of New Haven to study national security.
Gianni Pizzi helped to enhance the Fine Arts Department at the Westfield Schools. He organized the props closet in the Edison Intermediate School Auditorium and soundproofed the doors in the choir room at Westfield High School, as well as installed a trophy case used to display the choir awards. Gianni will be attending Albright College this fall, where he plans to study music industry. He is deeply passionate about live music performances and wants to be involved in that industry for his career.
Joshua Schwartz beautified the St. Francis Garden at St. Paul’s Church. Joshua wanted his project to benefit St. Paul’s Church, which charters Troop 77. The project included weeding and mulching the area, completely replanted and mulched nearby flowerbed with perennials and refinished two doors that were in dire need of refurbishing. Joshua plans to major in illustration and sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) this fall.
Jack Spellman wanted his project to benefit his church and community. He designed, constructed and installed twelve weatherproof plaques for the stations of the Justice Garden at First United Methodist Church in Westfield. The plaques contain relevant information and assist in raising awareness and encouraging action on specific justice topics such as clean water, food insecurity and deforestation. Jack is a rising Senior and intends to play basketball at the collegiate level and major in business.
Eagle Scouts are charged with the responsibility to live with honor, loyalty, courage and service. Each of these Eagle Scouts took this oath at the Court of Honor. Only 4% of Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout. Over 2.5 million Eagle Scout awards have been presented in total since 1912. Eagle Scout rank is considered to be the “PhD” of Boyhood.
