Peter Oselador achieves Eagle Scout rank

BY GINNY PRIVITAR
WEST MILFORD — Peter Oselador, a sophomore recently earned the coveted rank of Eagle Scout. Inspired by a suggestion from his Scoutmaster, Jeff Hanson, Peter decided to build an outdoor meeting area with benches and a fire pit on the premises of St. Joseph’s Church. The church has chartered and sponsored Peter’s Troop 114 for many years and Peter sought a way to repay their kindness with his Community Service Project.
The meeting area is behind the former school, near the outdoor chapel and will be available for church and school functions.
The project consists of a four-foot square fire pit and 10, six-foot long movable wooden benches, on a layer of washed cracked stone. A border of natural stones surrounds the 22-foot diameter circular seating area.
It will be a place for the church community, the school and Scouts and other groups for fun, for serious purposes and for quiet reflection.
An uncle and cousin helped Peter, 15, excavate and level the site. Over the course of two months, Scouts and leaders from troop 114 helped Peter as he poured the cement pad, built the fire pit, and constructed, sanded, and stained the benches.
The fire pit has a steel insert to keep heat from destroying the stone and a spark screen to contain embers.

Working on the project

There are many challenges that come with such an extensive project. Peter's most difficult challenge?
"Honestly, I’d have to say the most difficult challenge was that I was building the benches in the winter because I had to build them in my garage, so I couldn’t have too many people there to help me," he said. "The garage wasn’t big enough.
The actual design of the project was a combination of plans Peter found on the internet and his own tweaking of them.
When it was done, Peter knew he had done well, providing something the community would use for years to come.
"It’s hard to describe; it’s just a really good feeling being able to look at it," he said about his project that took so much time and effort from so many.
Peter's parents are Pete and Charlene Oselador.
The work of many hands
Peter thanks the generosity of St. Joseph’s parishioners; Fr. Steve and Sister Janet; the West Milford Community; his fellow Scouts and his family and friends.
Special thanks go to Jerry and Sophia Oselador for their assistance in excavating the grounds, and building the steel insert for the fire pit, and to Chase Appel who was there every step of the way. Thanks also to Phillips Steel of Vernon and to Joanne Woods from Stegle’s West Milford Hardware for donating supplies and to Home Depot of Mahwah for discounting the stones.
Finally, Peter said he would like to thank Jeff Hanson for the years of support as his Scoutmaster and for coming up with the original idea of the fire pit.

Importance of Eagle Scout Rank

The achievement of Eagle Scout rank has always carried a special significance, not only in Scouting, but also as the Scout enters higher education, business or industry.
In order to advance to Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in Scouting, young men must fulfill requirements in leadership, community service and outdoor skills, demonstrating increasing responsibility and community service with each rise in rank.
Only about 2.5 percent of all Boy Scouts do earn Eagle Scout rank, but this represents more than one million Boy Scouts who have earned the rank since 1911. Nevertheless, the goals of scouting: citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness, remain important to all Scouts, whether or not they attain the Eagle Scout rank.