10 From Devon 50 Troop Make Eagle Scout, Including First Girl

DEVON, PA — A pandemic brought Scouts challenges as they worked toward Eagle rank over the past year, but 10 Devon Troop 50 Scouts will be named Eagle Scouts next week, and the Devon 50 Girls Troop will recognize its first female Eagle Scout.

Devon Troop 50 will hold Eagle Court of Honor on June 12 from 5-8 p.m. at Camp Jarvis in Devon.

Three of the 10 new Eagles spoke with Patch about their projects and some of the difficulties they faced trying to serve communities that were in lockdown and distancing modes.

Luke Taylor Storm planned a project to install a dog-walking trail and recreation space for Brandywine Valley SPCA, where he'd adopted his dog Chewy. He led more than 50 volunteers in designing and preparing 1,600 square feet that make up the trail. The group put in 325 combined hours of service clearing the area and readying it for use.

But the project stalled early in 2020. "March 28, 2020 was supposed to be the start date," Taylor said. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, that was delayed until August. "Restrictions dragged it out," he said.

As communities shut down, it was hard to find help when it was needed. "The company removing trees didn't show up three days in a row," Taylor said. Once the work got going, new ideas came up. The team took trees and turned them into benches along the trails.

Jacob Lavin created a solution for a problem on the Waterloo Mills Preserve hiking trail. Whenever it rained, the section of the trail was turning into a mud pit, he explained.

"My job was to elevate it a couple of inches so hikers could go over it," Lavin said. One of his main challenges was the weather. While working in December 2019, it was too cold for his second shipment of stone to be delivered. Then it rained.

"But — the rain worked in our favor," he said. He explained the rain made everything more pliable. Leading the project meant managing costs, ordering, and planning. He said his mom, Michelle Lavin, helped him with the paperwork that accompanies any large project.

Michelle Lavin said, "They all preserved and stayed engaged."

Julian Lu's project collected disused and idle musical instruments to be repurposed by Musicopia in Philadelphia. His goal at the project's start was 100 instruments, but he has garnered more than 300 from donors in five states — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, and Virginia.

Musicopia said it's the largest donation they've ever received, Lu reported. The non-profit had to secure extra storage space for the instruments.

Working in the fall of 2020, Lu had to arrange no-contact drop-off locations and delivery for the instruments. Volunteers put in 717 service hours, he said.

Lu's mom, Pam Erbe, said, "They put the extra effort in. The community is what made Julian's project. He still gets calls with donations, there are still people messaging."

Julian wrapped up his project and achieved his Eagle rank in March. He along with the others will be recognized in the Court of Honor on June 12 with the other Eagles from Devon 50.

Paige Cutler is among the first female Scouts to earn Eagle rank nationally. The Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts was announced by the Boy Scouts of America to be credentialed in February 2021, after girls troops were admitted in 2019.

Culter one of a few contenders for the honor of being the first female to make Eagle rank from Devon 50 since the Boy Scouts of American admitted girls' troops two years ago. The "G" in Troop Devon 50G designates it as the girls' troop that is part of Devon 50, explained Scout Master Bob Tickner.

To earn Eagle rank, Tickner explained, a scout must demonstrate leadership. He said Paige has lead the Girls' Devon 50 Troop since June 2019, planning campouts and service activities, arranging meetings, leading the 13 members of Devon 50G. She's been on Conestoga's dive team and color guard, as well.

Devon 50 has recognized 394 Eagle Scouts since it was founded in 1927. Michelle Lavin said that though membership slowed a bit during the pandemic, there are a lot of new scouts coming in, and Devon 50's membership is at 100.

The Devon 50 Scouts who will be named Eagle Scouts at the Court of Honor, listed by the order in which they made Eagle in the Troop, since its founding, are:

386 - Matthew Palomo

387 - Takshil Chituluru

388 - Sungchan Cho

389 - Zach Munch

390 - Kevin Connell

391 - Julian Lu

392 - Luke Taylor Storm

393 - Jacob Lavin

394 - Ethan Huang

Devon 50G:

1 - Paige Cutler

Devon 50's Scout Master is Jeff Ford and its Committee Chair is Bill Kline.

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