Friday, July 11, 2025
Christian Kennedy, Joseph Kozlik, James Loud and Michael Riomao of Rockville Centre Troop 40 achieved the rank of Eagle Scout on June 6, an accomplishment that only about six percent of Boy Scouts attain, according to GreatRiversScouting.org.
Family, friends, troop leaders, fellow Scouts and members of the community gathered at the St. Agnes Parish Center to honor the four Scouts, who are seniors at South Side High School, during a Court of Honor ceremony. Local officials, including Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray, Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray and Nassau County Legislator Scott Davis, were also in attendance to personally congratulate the new Eagle Scouts.
Earning the rank of Eagle Scout requires years of dedication, discipline and hard work. It is the highest achievement in Scouting and represents a milestone that is both personal and communal, celebrated by all who supported the Scouts along their journey.
The Court of Honor began with the Presentation of Colors by a color guard made up of boy scouts of all ages, along with Kennedy, Kozlik, Loud and Riomao. The Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation, the scout oath and the scout law candle lighting followed. After the color guard escorted the Eagle candidates to the stage, Legislature Davis said some words, referring to the honor of Eagle Scout as “an effort you don’t get overnight.”
Troop 40 scoutmaster Mike O’Hare spoke of the lessons scouts learn and the impact Eagle Scouts can have on both their community and the world, mentioning how many of America’s greatest leaders achieved Eagle Scout rank. O’Hare also talked about the steps scouts take to become Eagles, such as how they need to obtain a total of 21 Eagle badges and complete an Eagle service project. All projects must help the scout’s community and demonstrate the scout’s leadership skills.
Kennedy’s project was building two bike repair stations at Hempstead Lake State Park, Kozlik’s was refurbishing the courtyard at The Phillips House, Loud’s was cleaning out and renovating the storage rooms and expanding the food pantry at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Riomao’s was creating QR codes containing information for displays at The Phillips House.
Toward the end of the ceremony, O’Hare presented each scout the Eagle award pin and asked each young man’s parents to come up to the stage. The scout’s mother then pinned the award on her son’s uniform, and the scout proceeded to give both of his parents, as well as a chosen mentor, a pin. At this moment Kennedy, Kozlik, Loud and Riomao officially became Eagle Scouts.
Scouting has a rich history in Rockville Centre. The first Eagle Scout in the history of the Boy Scouts of America was Aurthur Rose Eldred of Troop 1 in Rockville Centre in 1912. Troop 1 later became Troop 40, the troop Kennedy, Kozlik, Loud and Riomao are all a part of today.
O’Hare was especially proud of his scouts. Speaking of the new Eagle Scouts, he said, “I learned that they are determined. It got to a point where maybe they weren’t gonna get their Eagle rank and they decided that they were gonna go for it in the end.”
The new Eagle Scouts have great aspirations for the future. Kennedy wants to be a lawyer and Kozlik wants to be a pilot. Loud aspires to work in law enforcement and Riomao in finance. The boys reflected on their journeys to becoming Eagle Scouts and words of wisdom to young boy scouts.
“Just stay focused. Keep that focus mentality,” Loud said as his advice to new boys scouts.
“The award can take you far and you get to associate with a lot of people your age and you get to do a lot of outdoor activities. That can be a lot of fun,” Kozlik said on achieving the honor.
Kennedy talked about the most important lesson he learned from Boy Scouts: “Probably just hard work. Being an Eagle Scout took a lot of hard work and it took a lot of discipline.”
Riomao gave insight into what being an Eagle Scout means to him “I think just means being able to help the community and just being there for whoever needs.”
