March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 47 F

Six Odenton Area Scouts Earn Eagle Scout Award

Six members of Boy Scout Troop 769 were recognized by local officials as they received their Eagle Scout Award at a Court of Honor ceremony at Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church in Odenton April 17. Back row, from left: State Delegate Michael Malone, Keith Verdin, Drew Mourog, and Anne Arundel County Councilman Andrew Pruski. Front row, from left: Joshua Haley, Neil Gulmert, Nate Hohensee, and Justin Cuozzo. Photo by Michelle Garwo.

Boy Scouts of America Troop 769 in Odenton conducted a Court of Honor Saturday, April 17, at Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church as six local Scouts achieved their Eagle Scout Award, the highest advancement rank in Scouting. Maryland Delegate Michael Malone and Anne Arundel County Councilman Andrew Pruski, both Eagle Scouts themselves, attended the event and delivered remarks.

Keith Verdin, Justin Cuozzo, Neil Gulmert, Nate Hohensee, Joshua Haley, and Drew Mourog received their Eagle Scout badges and certificates during the event, which was live-streamed to family and friends across the country. On average, just five percent of those who start in Scouting achieve the Eagle rank.

Delegate Malone, who represents District 33, Anne Arundel County, noted how this latest group of Eagle Scouts will impact the community for the better. “Councilman Pruski and I wouldn’t have nearly as much to do in government if we just had more people like these young men and their families,” he said. “This is what improves our community. I congratulate all of these young men, their families, and the leadership of Scout Troop 769.”

Councilman Pruski, who represents Anne Arundel County District 4, called attention to the lasting positive benefit provided by each Eagle Scout’s service project. “The projects they’ve done are not just a one-time thing. They are actually going to be there for a long time,” said Pruski. “They deserve a round of applause, not just for the work they’ve put in, but for the continued public service that’s going to go on and continue for a lifetime.”

To earn the Eagle rank, Scouts demonstrate proficiency in leadership, service, and outdoor skills. A minimum of 21 merit badges, time in leadership positions within the troop, and a service project are among the requirements. For the project, a Scout plans, develops and leads others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, school or community. Each of the six honorees Saturday has met these requirements, and their accomplishments have been recorded by the Boy Scouts of America.

Verdin, who is currently attending Anne Arundel Community College, completed his Eagle Scout project at the Anne Arundel Radio Club where he led the construction of a presentation podium to assist in teaching classes. After earning his associate degree in cybersecurity, he plans to transfer to the University of Maryland Global Campus to complete his bachelor’s degree.

Cuozzo, a senior at Arundel High School, has earned more than 50 merit badges. He completed his Eagle Scout project by building a walkway to connect the public street to the ranger station at Patuxent National Wildlife Research Refuge North Tract in Laurel, Md. He plans to study engineering and architecture at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Gulmert, a senior at Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, led a team in constructing six bee boxes, each a home to more than 36,000 honeybees, which were donated to the Honeybee Rescue of Southern Maryland in La Plata, Md. In the fall, Gulmert will attend the University of Pittsburgh where he will major in Environmental Studies.

Hohensee, a senior at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, completed his Eagle Scout project at Anne Arundel Radio Club where he provided the organization with safer storage for outdoor propane tanks. This fall, he plans to attend High Point University where he will major in international relations and/or political science with a minor in Spanish on a pre-law track.

Haley, who earned 40 merit badges, is also a senior at Archbishop Curley High School and is planning to attend Anne Arundel Community College this fall. His Eagle Scout project was to provide a heavy-duty workbench for the Anne Arundel Radio Club to hold a metal brake, a tool that bends sheet metal.

Mourog, a senior at Old Mill High School, completed his Eagle Scout project by building a fire pit for the Delmont United Methodist Church in Severn, Md. He plans to work in the restaurant industry after high school and will study business and culinary arts at Anne Arundel Community College this fall.

Each new Eagle Scout received a Maryland state flag that flew over the capital, citations from local officials, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and their Eagle badge and certificate.

Chartered by Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church in Odenton, Boy Scout Troop 769 is part of the Baltimore Area Council. Since its founding in 1967, 104 Scouts from Troop 769 have earned the Eagle rank. For more information about Scouting and Boy Scout Troop 769, please visit: http://troop769.com/wp/.

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