BERLIN – Five Worcester Preparatory School students earned their Eagle Scout rank, the highest rank in Boy Scouts, including sophomore Chipper Becker, junior Frank Carter, junior Kurt Leinemann, sophomore Will Mears and sophomore Joseph Schwartz.
With a combination of extraordinary perseverance, countless merit badges, numerous camping trips and copious service projects, only 5.7% earn the Eagle Scout milestone. The five WPS students’ Eagle Scout projects are located throughout the area, from the Delaware State Park to Coastal Hospice in Salisbury.
Boy Scout members of Troop 225, Mears, Schwartz and Becker began their journey as Cub Scouts in first grade. Becker chose to construct a campfire site at one of the juvenile rough camping sites at the Cape Henlopen State Park as a tribute to his favorite scout memories of campouts. He wanted his Eagle Scout project to enhance and enable future generations of scouts to enjoy their own camping experiences. His project included the construction of an engineered stone campfire enclosure as well as four surrounding permanently affixed benches for seating.
Mears chose to restore three Trap Houses on the Five Stand Field at the Synepuxent Rod & Gun Club, an organization that hosts an annual Turkey Shoot, Troop 225’s largest fundraiser for the past 10 years. The scouts replaced and reconstructed doors, trap windows, paint and installed a new retractable roof system for the Springing Teal.
With the help of other scouts, Schwartz built and landscaped a gazebo for Coastal Hospice at the main care facility in Salisbury. The project encompassed everything from digging a foundation for the structure, assembling the gazebo, shingling the roof, planting roses, and adding a stepping stone walkway to the gazebo.
A Scout member since the age of five, Carter earned his Eagle Scout rank, with help from other Troop 1 scouts, by building a GaGa Ball game pit for children to enjoy at Camp Arrowhead in Lewes, Del. He learned how to play the game, which is similar to dodgeball, at the 120 Boy Scout Camps he attended over the years. He felt it would help people work together and communicate, as it did for him.
Leinemann served his community by restoring and installing a statue of an American soldier from World War II for the American Legion Post 166. With assistance from Troop 261, the scouts completed tasks such as pouring concrete and pressure washing. In honor of the organization’s centennial anniversary, he dedicated his efforts to the American Legion knowing that they will continue to honor veterans for generations to come.