Archive: Around Town

Only 4 in 100 boy scouts reach Eagle rank. It is the ultimate achievement of a boy scout, and to earn the rank a boy must demonstrate exceptional leadership, service and outdoor skills. These attributes see them well into adulthood. President Gerald Ford was an Eagle as well as former US Senator Bill Bradley, current Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Olympics world record holder Willie Banks.

Some scout troops may have no Eagles at a given time, so it it was all the more remarkable that Lansing's Troop 48 inducted two of their boys as Eagles last Saturday. The Lansing Community Center was jammed as fellow scouts, including Eagles, leaders, families and friends honored Frank Massi (17) and David Jones (16).

Dinner was served downstairs, attended by fellow scouts and families and served by scouts from the troop. Photo displays showed the Eagle projects each scout had led, with construction and before/after shots.

Anthony , Frank and Amelia Massi

Stephen, David and Joyce Jones

Massi's project involved restoring and landscaping The Mount Olivet Cemetery. The cemetery is inactive now, located on Route 79 in Ithaca. Massi got sponsors to sign on, then organized the troop to do the restoration work. "The first thing we did was get plants to do a beautification," he says. "We put a flowering hedge along the highway. We cleaned up brush and planted flowering plants around the mausoleums. The gates were stuck in the ground, so we dug them out, painted and primed them and made them usable."

Frank Massi led his troop in restoring Mount Olivet Cemetary

He also purchased and arranged for placement of a memorial bench in Calvary Cemetery for the late Immaculate Conception Church Reverend, Father Bernard Carges. Sponsors included The Plantsmen, Micheleen's Floral and Garden Center, Glenside Monument Co., Lansing Lions Club, Ithaca Agway, Ithaca Wegmans, Bruce Hunter, and Don Seacord.

David Jones built a life guard chair for Myers Park and painted the lighthouse there

Jones built a new life guard chair and painted the light house at Myers Park. "I was going to build a concessions shed at the Woodsedge baseball fields," he explains. "We found out there were a whole bunch of water and electric lines buried and therefore we couldn't build the shed there. We couldn't find another place to build it, so I went to see (Parks and Recreation Director) Steve Colt. I noticed an ad on his desk for a life guard chair. I thought that would be an interesting Eagle project." He got Ridge Road Imports, Home Depot and AES Cayuga to contribute to the project.

The ceremony began with Assistant Scoutmaster Rod Sunderlin, who led the event. Each boy's Mother and Father joined him in places of honor. After the Pledge of Allegiance scouts lit candles representing the various attributes of scouting. As he described the various stages a boy scout goes through to reach Eagle, scouts of that rank formed a line and read a brief description of what the rank is. Scoutmaster Rick Vaughan also spoke, saying "Both of these gentlemen are the epitome of what Eagle Scouts are." Six Eagle scouts stood by the podium as the scout oath was administered and the two were officially induced as Eagles.

Jones gave a long acceptance speech in which he thanked his scout leaders, coach, fellow scouts and Vaughan, to whom he presented a field cot. He especially honored his Father, saying he is always there for him. Massi also thanked his parents and fellow scouts, saying "Scouting will leave me many memories. Thank you all for being part of my achievement." Each boy's mother pinned the Eagle pin on his uniform, and was presented with a mother's pin commemorating their sons' achievements. The fathers read the Eagle certificate out loud to the assembly.

The stages of boy scouting

Mike Coles read congratulatory letters that had been sent to both scouts by State Senator Michael Nozzolio, US Senator Chuck Schumer, Governor George Pataki, US Representive Sherwood Boehlert and President George Bush and his wife Laura.

Taking the oath

The turnout was remarkable as Lansing's scouts and their families honored two of their own. Younger scouts took part in the event, helping with the dinner and participating in the ceremony. Also remarkable was the fact that two more scouts expect to become Eagles this Spring. It is very unusual for a troop to produce so many Eagles at once.

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