Boy Scout Unit 305 convened the Eagle Court of Honor at St. Stephen’s Church in Kearny Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, to celebrate the accomplishments of three Eagle Scouts. In order of earning the highest rank in scouting, Corbin Titus Rakauckas, John Peter Kubowicz and Joseph William Drefko, were praised for their hard work, dedication and example of how to live the Scout Oath and Law. Each shared personal remarks in a thoughtful reflection of their individual journeys and expressed gratitude for assistance along the way. They were challenged further to accept the Eagle Charge to reaffirm their commitment to the ideals of scouting.
The three honored Eagle Scouts are all recognized leaders within their schools, parish and pack/troop. Over their years in the unit, the three have had more than 11 leadership positions and are all graduates of the prestigious National Youth Leadership Training program.
During their Trail to Eagle, they earned a total of 104 merit badges, advanced 21 ranks, directed three service projects, summited New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in a high-adventure trip and contributed hundreds of hours to the service work performed by their fellow scouts.
The Kearny community has benefited from their projects. Working alongside their fellow scouts, leaders and families, these young men:
- Provided a much-needed facelift to the façade of the Kearny Elks Lodge.
- Constructed a contemplative prayer garden for all to pray the Stations of the Cross.
- Refurbished the monument to the Four Chaplains at St. Stephen’s Church.
The journey of service continues for the three newest members serving as the current Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Troop Guide. They will be active examples as they guide fellow scouts in pursuit of scouting’s highest rank.
Unit 305 Robert Maidhof, Councilman Jerry Ficeto, Amy Connolly, John Kubowicz, David Nelson, Mayor Alberto G. Santos, and the Rev. Joseph Mancini for their professional contributions leading to this day.
Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is one of the most challenging aspects of Scouting. Only approximately 4% of all Scouts merit this prestigious recognition. In addition to earning a minimum of 21 merit badges, including 13 required ones, scouts must complete an extensive community-service project that benefits an organization other than the Boy Scouts of America.
The candidate is expected to plan, fundraise, secure materials and oversee the execution of a completed project, including managing Scout leaders and fellow scouts in leadership activities throughout the endeavor.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.