Young men earn Eagle Scout honors

DOWNEY - Four scouts from Boy Scout Troop 2 were presented the Eagle Scout rank during a Court of Honor ceremony Jan. 5 at Downey United Methodist Church.The four scouts, under the guidance of Scoutmaster Jack Gesner and a staff of assistant scoutmasters, brings the total to 98 boys from Troop 2 that have earned the rank of Eagle, scouting's highest rank. Troop 2 is Downey's oldest Boy Scout troop having been in operation since 1923. The new Eagle scouts include James Schuck, Michael Soza, Thomas Foskarino and David Viramontes. All are graduates of Warren High School. To achieve the Eagle Scout rank, honorees must have earned countless merit badges and volunteered hundreds of hours working in and around Downey on a variety of community service details. Each invested a minimum of 11 years in scouting. "It is an amazing accomplishment when you consider the many potential distractions our youth face today," said assistant scoutmaster Bob Kobata. "These young men had the determination and willpower to stick with scouting when there were many other issues competing for their time and attention." Totaling more than 1,000 hours, the boys each planned and completed a Boy Scout Leadership Eagle Project to benefit the community. The boys and other volunteers completed four separate projects that refurbished the campuses at Warren High and Calvary Chapel of Downey. At Warren, the boys were active on campus, involved in activities ranging from varsity football and water polo to marching band and yearbook. All four graduated in June 2012 and are freshmen at Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State L.A. and Cal State Long Beach, pursuing majors in engineering, biology, fire science and communications. Troop 2 is currently recruiting for its next generation of Eagle Scouts. Young men in grades 5-10 are invited to join. For details, call Tom Foskarino at (213) 627-5307.

********** Published: January 24, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 41