Brothers earn their Eagle rank together

As brothers, Matthew and Christopher Ho shared a lot growing up. Now, they share one of the most prestigious honors any young man can earn — Eagle Scout.

The pair officially became Eagle Scouts, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts, at a Court of Honor ceremony on Nov. 15 at the Seaford American Legion. They are members of Troop 581, and were joined by about 60 people to celebrate their accomplishment.

“You don’t realize how many people have been a part of the experience until they’re all there,” said Matthew, 19, a 2014 graduate of Seaford High School and a sophomore at Hofstra University, where he is studying music education.

Matthew got involved with the Scouts when he was in his early elementary school days, joining Cub Scout Pack 581. Christopher went right to the Boy Scouts, and said it wasn’t until a camping trip to Rhode Island that he actually started to enjoy it. “I didn’t expect myself to go this far,” he said of becoming an Eagle.

For both boys, camping was a big part of their scouting experiences. Matthew estimates that he has been on 30 to 40 trips, totaling hundreds of nights outdoors, in his Scouting career. “It’s the camping trips that really get you the experience,” he said. “After you do it, you see how fun it is.”

Matthew said it was the “little things” like fishing at sunset and playing Frisbee in the woods that made those trips special.

Christopher, who became the 50th Eagle Scout in the history of Troop 581, said that the camping trips allowed him and his fellow Scouts to bond. “In a sense, they became our second family,” he said.

The brothers said that their father, Tom, was one of their biggest supporters. They noted that he often used his vacation time from work to take them on the camping trips.

A community service project is required to become an Eagle Scout. Matthew rebuilt the flower planters at St. David’s Lutheran Church in Massapequa Park. The planters were there from a Scout project done in the 1980s, but had deteriorated over time. Matthew made new ones, and put in fresh soil and flowers.

“It was a new experience, to say the least,” he said about completing a large-scale service project. “It’s a lot of planning.”

Christopher did a “Stuff a Bus” food drive. Last November, he and fellow Scouts gathered outside Waldbaums on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa, seeking donations from shoppers. Educational Bus Transportation Company donated the bus, which was then filled with 2,000 pounds of food and delivered to Lutheran Social Services in Uniondale.

“Today, I still think it’s the best decision I ever made,” he said of selecting that as his project. Christopher added that it taught him to be appreciative of what he has.

Matthew earned 39 merit badges along the way and Christopher picked up 24, both exceeding the requirement. Kayaking was Matthew’s favorite badge to earn, which he did on a trip to the upstate Onteora Scouting Reservation. Christopher enjoyed basketry, a badge he said is probably everyone else’s least favorite.

In high school, Matthew was involved with the music ensemble and played horn in the band, piano in the jazz band and was a drum major with the marching band. He also sang with the choir, participated in the Model Congress and was a founder of the Robotics team which moved on to the national competition in its first year.

Christopher is a section leader in marching band and a member of the jazz band and jazz choir. He makes his biggest mark on the Seaford High School stage, where he has performed in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Into the Woods” and “Guys and Dolls” and is getting ready for this coming spring’s performance of “The Little Mermaid.”

The brothers said that they are proud to have earned their Eagle rank and glad they stuck with the Scouts, even in the most trying of times. Matthew said that the frustrating moments eventually become the fondest memories. “It’s the best thing that you can do,” Matthew said. “The busy work pays off with this Scouting honor that you get to keep for the rest of your life.”