WEST MILFORD The young men of Troop 114 have been working hard. Two were recently awarded the rank of Eagle, while a third is trying to earn a conservation award. To earn the Eagle rank, the highest in scouting, a Boy Scout must fulfill requirements in the area of leadership, community service and outdoor skills. While there are many options available to demonstrate proficiency in these areas, a number of specific skills are required to advance through the ranks, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. To advance, a boy scout must pass specific tasks, which are organized by requirements and merit badges. Merit badges signify the mastery of certain Scoutcraft skills, as well as serving to increase skills in areas of personal interest. Of the more than 150 merit badges available, 21 must be earned to qualify for Eagle Scout. About 2.5 percent of all boy scouts earn the rank of Eagle, which is considered significant by colleges, businesses, industries and those in public service. Peter T. Blehl Peter Blehl is the son of Coreen and Stephen Blehl of West Milford. He is a graduate of West Milford High School and a freshman at Fairleigh Dickenson University. He is also a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Hewitt. He started in scouting in 1994. During his scouting years he served as patrol leader, scribe, fund raising assistant, quartermaster and troop guide. For his Eagle project he constructed a display platform for the World Trade Center beam that was stored inside the West Milford Township Museum. The platform was constructed of concrete outside the front entrance to the museum. Blehl and his volunteers sealed the beam prior to placing it on the platform. There are plans for a plaque, which will be placed at the museum to acknowledge the importance of the beam and those who perished on September 11, 2001. The project consisted of 121.5 hours of volunteer time. Among those that helped the scout make the project a reality were the West Milford Heritage Committee, Steve Berryman, Chuck Enering, Tonya Cubby, many volunteers and his family. Jeffery G. Miller Jeffery Miller is the son of George and Carolyn Miller of West Milford and is a senior at West Milford High School. He is also a member of St. Joseph’s Church. He joined scouting in 1994 and has served the troop as den chief, fund raising assistant, scribe, quartermaster and patrol leader. For his Eagle project, Miller led a group of scouts and adults who restored and transformed a 1987 Chevrolet surplus military pick-up truck into a forest fire brush truck. All the interior seats and moldings were removed and the interior sanded and painted. New doors, dashboard and seats were installed. The truck was then sent to a mechanical shop and returned in excellent condition with a new set of tires and all mechanical systems in top shape. At this point the entire exterior of the truck was sanded, new door panels placed and prepared for painting. The truck was sent out to the paint shop and returned with a fresh coat of bright red paint. The many reflective exterior decals were placed on the truck, the rack system was mounted, and sirens, emergency lights and radio system were installed. This project took 11 months and 209 man hours to complete. Jeff would like to thank the Apshawa Volunteer Fire Department, and especially Deputy Chief Richard Poplaski, for the opportunity to complete his Eagle Scout project. He would also like to thank all the adults and scouts who helped make his project a success. Troop 114 is chartered to St. Joseph’s School and led by Scoutmaster James Mascola. Matthew Gabay Matthew Gabay, a 16-year-old boy scout from West Milford, and junior at St. Joseph’s Regional High School is spearheading a new environmental initiative as part of his attempt to earn one of the scouts’ highest marks of distinction, the silver medal in the William T. Hornaday Award for Distinguished Service in Conservation. It’s no easy task, as it requires Gabay to complete seven environmental projects of a caliber equivalent to that of a single Eagle Scout undertaking. Matthew presented his plan to the township council last week having previously met with the Beautification and Recycling Committee to gain their approval. Matthew said, “I have put together a proposal for a recycling volunteer service program for West Milford.” The scheme would involve the entire community and one of its core components is education. A month-by-month theme would exist to coincide with the seasons and target specific recyclables. In a 40-page proposal presented to each council member, Matthew identified January as a month for collection and recycling of Christmas trees with the help of local boy scouts. February would see the girl scouts get involved with a drive to collect used ink cartridges and cell phones. The year-long program would include art contests for posters promoting recycling and the award of a merit badge for participating in the conservation effort. Gabay even produced a mascot for the program called SMERT (Save Mother Earth Recycle Today). The council overwhelmingly approved of his plan and intend to create an ordinance implementing it before the end of the year. The William T. Hornaday Award is the oldest conservation award given in America. Each nominee for the award must have demonstrated leadership and a commitment to the education of youth on a national or international level, reflecting the natural resource conservation/environmental awareness mission of the Boy Scouts of America. In the past 70 years only a little over 1,000 scouts have attained this award.