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Mostly Cloudy Trio of scouts earn highest honor
Three local Boy Scouts joined an exclusive group on June 16 when they earned their Eagle ranking. Nationwide, only 2 percent of Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts.
The honor was bestowed upon John DiGiaimo, Andrew Freiman and Daniel Guarneri at a Court of Honor ceremony at Holy Name of Mary School. The three boys from Valley Stream Troop 116 were joined by about 100 fellow scouts, family members, friends and local dignitaries.
DiGiaimo, 18, is a 2011 graduate of Central High School and now attends St. John’s University. He said attaining the Eagle rank became a goal about two years ago, at the urging of his parents. “I made it through,” he said. “I’m glad I stayed in it. It was a lot of fun.”
He and Guarneri have been together since their early days as Tiger Scouts with Cub Scout Pack 368. DiGiaimo said that scouting has taught him how to be independent, but also to trust other people.
For his required community service project, DiGiaimo built a bench and a rock garden at Hewlett House, a community resource center for women with breast cancer. He earned his Arrow of Light award in fifth grade, and has been an assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and junior assistant scoutmaster for Troop 116.
Guarneri, 19, said he has wanted to become an Eagle Scout since he first joined the Boy Scouts. “I knew ever since I got into Troop 116, seeing all the scouts becoming Eagle Scouts,” he said.
A 2011 North High School graduate, Guarneri now works for the Valley Stream Sanitation Department, and has previously worked for the Recreation Department. He is enrolled in an auto collision program with BOCES.
Guarneri’s Eagle Scout project celebrated the history of Valley Stream. He placed a plaque in honor of former village Mayor Arthur Hendrickson near the entrance to the pool complex, and also planted flowers around it.
As a scout, Guarneri said his favorite activity was attending a summer camp upstate. He enjoyed learning survival skills and said it also gave him a chance to earn some of the 21 merit badges required to become an Eagle Scout.
Freiman, of Hewlett, was born in South Africa, grew up in Westchester and moved to Long Island in 2005. He joined Troop 116 and eventually became a senior patrol leader. The 19-year-old is a 2010 graduate of Hewlett High School and now attends Cornell University.
For his Eagle Scout project, Freiman worked with the New York and New Jersey Oyster Baykeeper Project. He assisted the organization with research on the repopulation of the Hudson River’s oyster sanctuaries, then tracked the growth of more than 100 oysters over a six-month span. When the research was done, he built an interactive billboard to teach others about the oyster organization.
Freiman said the community service project allowed him to put to good use the leadership skills he learned as a Boy Scout. He added that without the help of his scout leaders, he never would have been so successful. “They made it all possible,” he said. “Their leadership is absolutely astounding.”
At the ceremony, each boy was able to recognize one influential person in their scouting career. DiGiaimo chose Michael Vagnone, a Troop 116 committee chairman. Guarneri picked Bob Bogle, a Troop 116 assistant scoutmaster and the village justice. For Freiman, he invited his former scoutmaster from Troop 60 in Westchester, Gordon Hamilton.
Guarneri also thanked his parents for motivating him throughout his scouting career. DiGiaimo talked about the support he received from Andrew Kaplan, his “older brother during scouting,” a fellow member of Troop 116 who earned his Eagle rank four years ago.
Freiman said that he is the third generation in his family to earn a high honor in scouting — his grandfather was a King Scout in Scotland and his mother was a Queen’s Scout.
The Eagle rank is the highest honor in Boy Scouts. With DiGiaimo, Freiman and Guarneri joining the exclusive group, Troop 116 now boasts 60 Eagle Scouts in its history.
