After four years of toil, the esteemed rank of an Eagle Scout is within the grasp of Jeff Torosian, ’03. With six months until he receives the Boy Scout’s top rank, Torosian must complete one additional Eagle project.

A basic Eagle project consists of any development that may be utilized by the community. Torosian plans to direct his project toward the school, and have it completed by the end of the year.

According to Torosian, his peers, along with his love for the outdoors, drew him into the program. Along with these reasons he says it gives participants a “one-up” in life within certain job opportunities.

“It gives me an advantage in everyday life,” Torosian said. “It also gives me a good reputation going into college. If you decide to enroll in the army, it automatically gives you a rank above everyone else.”

Over the course of his Boy Scout adventures, a few basic requirements were put before Tororsian in order for him to qualify for the high honor of an Eagle Scout rank. Any individual who wishes to qualify must continually be active in the troop for a period of six months.

Torosian was also required to earn a total of 21 merit badges and lead others in the production of a service project. Some of these badges include First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Communications, Environmental Science, Personal Fitness, Camping and Family Life.

“It has been a lot of hard work,” Torosian said, “but again, it is worth the respect that comes along with it. My outlook on the world has been warped, and people look at me with an aura of determination.”

Along with his hard work, Torosian estimates that he has hiked 150 miles over the course of his scout career.

Torosian is not alone on campus, as Stephen Crosby, ’02, recently received his rank and Shelby Pettit, ’03, is striving to achieve his by the beginning of next year.

“I became involved for much the same reason as Torosian,” Crosby said. “It looks good on your job applications and teaches you good leadership skills. The main benefit of being and Eagle Scout is just the experiences themselves.”

Pettit looks forward to this advantage as he plans to earn his badge in late September.
“I can’t wait to see all my hard work pay off,” Pettit said. “I’m excited about the respect and honor that comes along with the rank. I have a much larger amount of knowledge in all areas and I have no regrets.”

Pettit has had a very entertaining time in the Boy Scout program and says one of his most memorable moments was a fire building competition, which occurred in his 2nd year of boy scouts.

“We were competing to see who could build the biggest fire and ours was getting quite large,” Pettit said. “When it got up to 20 ft. tall the rangers came and thought our camp was burning down. We got kicked out of the camp, but it was good times.”

According to participants, the Boy Scout program has meant more than just brouhaha in the woods, it has given them a new positive outlook on life, along with a self-respect that will go with them for the rest of their lives.

For more information regarding the Boy Scouts of America, visit www.bsa.scouting.org.