Scouting News

Troop 189 scout earns Eagle rank

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Diego Sanchez, a Boy Scout with Wantagh Troop 189, recently attained his Eagle rank during a Court of Honor ceremony at Levittown Hall. He started his scouting career as a Tiger with Pack 376 and continued in Cub Scouts, earning the Arrow of Light Award.

He joined Troop 189 in 2010 and held many positions throughout the years including assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, bugler, historian and others. Sanchez especially liked the position of guide, allowing him to help the newer scouts grow. For the last two years, he was den chief for Pack 189. He became a member of the Order of the Arrow and served on the ceremonial team.

Sanchez had the opportunity as a scout to complete NOVA awards which contain four units of intense science and math concentration. He earned the NOVA award in 2014 and looks forward to completing the Super Nova award this coming year. Sanchez has earned three of the available religious emblem awards for his faith, starting with the Light of Christ, Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII Award.

He attended Onteora Scout Reservation Camp for the past five years. At camp, the boys learn new and exciting fields of study. Sanchez has earned more than 50 merit badges. Last summer he was one of the three instructors to work in the STEM lab up at camp, and worked at Theodore Roosevelt Council this past year as a merit badge instructor on the weekends in its new STEM lab.

When he is not at scouting events, he can be found on the football or lacrosse field or tennis court improving his athletic skills, or at church working with the other teens in the community at Chartable Kidz young Vincentians group, who come up with solutions to help end the local hunger problems.

His Eagle Scout project involved redesigning the religious education hallway at St. Bernard’s Church in Levittown. He fundraised and recruited manpower to help fix walls, paint the repaired walls, as well as re-paint the black steel doors. He also placed tiles on the walls to create a new stonewall effect without real stones, replaced lighting to warm the area, and built three faux Clairvaux arches as parent and teacher message boards.

His future aspirations are to attend college for engineering. Once he finishes college, he plans on becoming a civil engineer.