Three Young Men from Islington Troop 1 Attain Eagle Scout Rank

At the Eagle Scout Court of Honor on October 21, 2018 three young men from Boy Scouts of America Troop 1 Islington received the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor granted by Boy Scouts of America (BSA). These three scouts were Jack Sweeney, a 2017 graduate of Norfolk County Agricultural High School; Matthew Fitzgerald, a 2018 graduate of Westwood High School; and Nicholas Simon, also a 2018 graduate of Westwood High School.

To become an Eagle Scout, a great deal of work is put into not only earning the required Merit Badges, but also each potential Eagle Scout must complete an individual service project. Sweeney, a member of Troop 1 since 2011, planted fruit trees in front of the rectory of St Susanna’s Catholic Church in Dedham with volunteers. The long-term goal of this project is that the fruit from these trees will be used at the job skills program at the Haley House Bakery in the South End of Boston. He also built a bocce court at St Susanna’s. Sweeney is a sophomore accounting major at Assumption College.

Fitzgerald started as a Cub Scout at Hanlon School and then joined Troop 1 for his Boy Scouting career. His project was to hold a supply drive for Project New Hope, an organization which holds retreats for veterans. Fitzgerald is studying to be an electrician at The Peterson School.

Simon was a member of Islington Troop 1 since he was a Cub Scout, He headed a project to design and build a sensory/picnic table at Dedham’s Lynn Moran STARR house, a home for foster children which is a division of Eliot Community Human Services. Simon is a first-year student at UMASS Lowell where he studies Computer Science and Robotics.

There were many distinguished guests who served as Honored Guest Speakers at the Court of Honor ceremony. These speakers included State Representative Paul McMurtry, Westwood Selectman Michael Walsh, and former Westwood Superintendent of Schools John Antonucci. The benediction was offered by Father Stephen Josoma of St. Susanna’s Parish in Dedham.

As approximately four percent of boys who begin as Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts, this is a great accomplishment, and congratulations are due to these three young men.

Photo Credit: Maryanne Fitzgerald

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