Newest Eagle Scouts soar to new heights

BSA Troop 45 in Warwick proudly welcomed four new Eagle Scouts on March 11, 2023. They are Sebastian Joseph Brand, Andrew Edward Finnerty, Jackson Sukki Frommeyer, and Joseph Thomas Rodrigues.

The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest achievement attainable in the Scouts BSA Program. Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank, which involves years of preparation and advancement, culminating in the planning and execution of their Eagle Scout Project.

Maps for walking paths

For his project, Brand constructed informational boards and created maps for the walking paths around Wickham Woodlands Park.

“The project as a whole taught me communications skills beyond what school could have ever taught me. It has shown me how to effectively communicate with people who are both more knowledgeable and less knowledgeable in certain fields than I am,” Brand said. “It has given me a clear view into the amount of planning that goes into even small service projects.”

Brand is an Honor Roll Student at Warwick Valley High school who is involved in Varsity Competition Trap Shooting and is the co-founder of the Mountain Biking Club. He is also lifeguard who is AED and CPR certified. In the fall, Brand plans to go to college for cybersecurity.

Helping teach history

Finnerty said the idea for his project developed after an email exchange with the Warwick Historical Society. From it, he found a project that not only aligned with his interests and skills, but would impact the local community.

“The WHS needed help building a 1700s-style family cemetery behind the Shingle House on Forester Avenue,” Finnerty said. “I leveled out a big dirt mound full of rocks and debris and then put six tombstones and two footstones in the ground. The results of my Eagle Scout project will become part of fourth grade field trips that teach kids about life in the 1700s.”

Outside of the Boy Scouts, Finnerty is a High Honor Roll student at S.S. Seward Institute who is involved in the National Honor Society, JV Soccer, Golf Club, and Spanish Club. He is also involved in Night to Shine. In the fall, he plans to attend college for finance.

Helping kids in need

When his troop organized a clothing drive, Frommeyer said he learned that there were kids in the community in need of basic clothing and about the work of the local clothing outreach program Four Seasons Kids.

“I knew I wanted my Eagle Scout Project to benefit this organization,” Frommeyer said. “We renovated their existing closets, removing old hooks and adding hanging racks, to better store coats and other clothing. We also custom built four large, wooden tables to fit above their existing carts to maximize their limited workspace.”

Four Seasons executive director Audra Schlesinger said the renovations helped the program increase the number of kids they served over the past year by 25%.

An Honor Roll student and NYSPHSAA scholar athlete at Warwick Valley High School, he is also involved in the National Honor Society, track and wresting teams, Future Business Leaders and Investors Club, and Melting Pot Club where he serves as vice president. Frommeyer is also a certified lifeguard, a Server at Warwick Thai, and a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo. In the fall, he plans to pursue a degree in supply chain management and finance and participate in Air Force ROTC.

Refurbishing history markers

After meeting with Sue Gardner and Nora Gurvich at the Warwick Historical Society, Rodrigues said they asked if he would refurbish the cast-iron historical marker signs around Warwick. Created in the early part of the 20th century to designate locations of historical and/or cultural significance, they had began to deteriorate.

“The mission of the Warwick Historical Society is to preserve and celebrate the history of the Town of Warwick and its people and to help the community to learn and appreciate our unique history,” Rodrigues said. “Restoring these signs does more than simply restore a monument; it helps to inform and educate people, people like me who live here, and people who visit Warwick that don’t know of our rich history.”

An Honor Roll Student and NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete at Warwick Valley High School, Rodrigues is involved in the Varsity Crew Team, WVHS JV Baseball as Captain, National Honor Society, WVHS Wind Ensemble, WVHS Concert Band, Hudson Valley Honors Band, Interact Club, and is also a SADD member. He is also a drummer in a band with The Rock Underground, a snowboarder, a certified lifeguard at Camp Warwick and Horizon Farms, a ShopRite cashier, and an employee at Miller Ski Shop. In the fall, Rodrigues plans to attend college to study finance and actuarial science.

For more information about scouting, email BoyScouts@troop45warwick.org.