Some join the Eagle Scouts to better their community, others, to make bonds that last a lifetime, and some just because they signed up one day for Cub Scouts and ended up falling in love with the program. Ocean Township resident, Brian Woods, discusses just what being an Eagle Scout means, and his receiving of his letters of recognition this June.
Woods is a senior at Ocean Township High School, and he was introduced to the concept of Eagle Scouts at a young age. His older brother, Jack, was in Boy Scouts when Woods was a child, and their mother got involved as well. “They took me to the meetings and I got into it that way,” he explains
Something that initially might be seen as a chore – being taken to meetings for a club you’re not a member of – ended up being an inspiration. Woods marveled at the connections and friendships his older brother was making while being a Boy Scout. “That happened with me too. I wouldn’t know some of my best friends if I wasn’t in Eagle Scouts.”
Woods joined Cub Scouts (the order of the Scout path is Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and finally Eagle Scouts, for the uninitiated) when he was eight years old, and many of his fellow Scouts joined back then as well, remaining in each club throughout the years. “Most of the people from Cub Scouts have stayed,” Woods says.
Boys spend their time at Cub Scouts building their base of skills, and with each advancement, Scouts explore these skills more in depth before moving on to Boy Scouts. Scouts acquire badges, or physical markers of their accomplishments. Thirteen badges are required to advance to Eagle Scouts. Lori Billows, an Oakhurst local and Advancement Chair for Troop 70, explains, “There’s cooking, camping, family life, citizenship in society – things like that. After that, you have the pick of the litter.”
“I have 63 badges,” Woods elaborates. So, what are the most difficult badges that he’s received? He says it’s a tie between Horseback Riding and Physics, both of which presented challenges. But not all of the badges have proved as difficult. “My favorite badge to get was probably the Golf Badge,” he says. “I played for the high school team for the Merit Badge, and ended up enjoying it.”
When asked about what he excels at the most in Eagle Scouts, Woods answers: “Leadership. There are people in the troop younger than you, and you have to teach them – that’s always been easy for me. I was thinking about being a teacher for a while.”
Billows goes on to explain the exact process to become an Eagle Scout. “Brian’s court of honor is coming up, where he gets his rank, his patch, and is presented with letters of recognition from dignitaries. There, people speak about the scouts, like funny stories – and with Brian, there are many. There are times where I’ve had to pull over because Brian is making me laugh so hard I tear up.” After the speeches, a Scout takes their Eagle Oath, and other Scouts stand in support for the initiation of a new Eagle member. “It’s a really cool ceremony.”
To get to this ceremony, a Scout has to go through the Board of Review, following a bit of pomp and circumstance, as described by Billows. “The Scout is asked questions about what they’ve learned in their previous work. Each rank, you ask specific questions relative to that – we’re not going to ask a 13-year-old about personal finance. Then, a Scout goes over their Eagle Project. They also get a chance to express their feelings privately, like what they like about the troop, how we can make a better impact, things like that. They get a chance to reflect on what they’ve accomplished. We sign off – I don’t think I’ve ever had to decline anyone. We announce to them they’re progressed to the next rank.”
After Eagle Scouts, Woods has plans to go to Brookdale before heading to NJIT. He reflects on how far he’s come from Cub to Eagle Scouts. “I was able to grow with this group of people. We’ve all not only gotten bigger, but we’ve grown mentally. I’m more mature than I was.”
Each Scout has to complete an Eagle Project, typically something that benefits the community in some way. Woods aided a local church in Ocean Township – but he’s humble until Billows chimes in: “I want to give a lot of credit to Brian. He omitted the most bizarre set of circumstances at every corner.” First, his paperwork was lost, due to no fault of his own. By the time the paperwork was redone, a former Eagle Scout and contact at the church unfortunately was in the hospital and was inaccessible to approve the paperwork. “So, Brian had to resell the project to the church, even though it had already been approved. For a 17-year-old, that’s a lot.”
Woods’s ceremony took place on June 14, and he wasn’t the only scout receiving honors. Scout Nate Bender, another 18-year-old Ocean Township resident was honored as well.
“When I first went into the meeting, I didn’t know anybody – but little did I know that these were the people I’d be with for the next 10 years in Scouts,” Bender says. “That’s why I stayed with it all the way through.” Scouts helped Bender be more open, trying things like whitewater rafting for the first time. “I’m really happy that I made it this far and appreciate all the help from my scout leaders along the way. It means a lot.”
Another Scout, 17-year-old Suvit Asnani of Ocean Township, joined initially because of his love for the outdoors. “I made some great friends along my journey,” Asnani says. “Additionally, scouting has helped me apply creative solutions to real-world problems, especially ones that support sustainability and protecting the environment, which is something I am passionate about. Being surrounded by people who share a commitment to leadership, service, and making things better has motivated me to stay.”
No matter the Scout, boys all across Monmouth County have made lasting bonds at Troop 70, and they’ll be flying high with what they’ve learned, from Cub to Eagle Scouts and beyond.
