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Health & Fitness

Six New Eagle Scouts from Simsbury Troop 175

Late last year, Simsbury’s Boy Scout Troop 175 held a National Eagle Scout Court of Honor to present the rank of Eagle Scout to six young men. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in scouting.

Requirements for obtaining the rank of Eagle include demonstrating scout spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and Law, demonstrating leadership and service to the community.

There scouts receiving this honor are Eric Michael Barch, Joseph Walter Dunn, Justin Patrick Farrell, Michael John-Paul Ryan, Kirk Patrick Osinga Scully and Drew Nevill Veltrop.

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Eric Barch

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Eric Barch, 17, joined scouting and as a fifth grader attending Central Elementary School, crossed over from Cub Scouts and joined BSA Troop 175 in Simsbury. His record for leadership in the troop includes the roles of Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Den Chief, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader. He now serves as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He also served as Chief of the troop’s Immortals High Adventure Group.

Eric’s love of the outdoors was fostered through the many trips, hikes and activities of Troop 175. He was part of the team that set a Scout Record for hiking the Presidential Traverse, and part of the Philmont Scout Ranch Crew of 2011. He has been on winning teams of the Troop 175 Adventure Race multiple times, and has participated in over 60 outings. One of his favorite Scout memories is camping out in -20 degree weather with the Immortals.

Being in Scouts has allowed Eric innumerable community service opportunities including annually supporting the St. Mary’s Carnival, the Simsbury Fly-In, and the Iron Horse Half Marathon. He is most proud of working with two fellow Scouts to create Logan’s Circle of Love, a successful fundraising effort to offset medical bills for a Simsbury family living with pediatric cancer.

Eric’s Eagle Project was to plan and construct a boardwalk in a wetlands area at the Community Farm of Simsbury. This project was meaningful to him because it reflects his interests in the environment and sustainable agriculture, in addition to benefiting the farm’s educational and outreach goals by allowing wetland access and observation.

Eric is currently a senior at Simsbury High School where he has been a four-year member of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams, and was a Cross Country captain this Fall. He is also the current president of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. In his free time he enjoys music, playing both piano and guitar, and working on his car, which is usually in need of repair.

 

Joseph Dunn

Joey’s scouting career began when he was in the first grade and joined Pack 76 as a Tiger Cub Scout. In fifth grade and at the age of 10, he joined Troop 175 with many of my Cub Scouting friends. 

As a boy scout, some of the most memorable trips he has attended include: The trip formerly known as The Vermont Long Trail Trip, more commonly known as the “Black Fly Trip” and Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico where he hiked in the backcountry of New Mexico with nine fellow scouts and two adult leaders. Most recently, the Immortals took a trip to The Forks, Maine where they did some hardcore, class V, white water rafting on the Kennebec River.

Joey is part of a long line of Eagle Scouts in his extended family and his cousin Justin Farrell to receive Eagle from Troop 175. Joey also has two younger brothers, Sean and Michael, who are active members in the troop.

Joey’s Eagle Project involved re-landscaping the picnic table area and rebuilt the picnic tables at Memorial Park Field 5. The project meant a lot to me because I played baseball up until my freshman year of high school and I have been an umpire since 6th grade. The area is now accessible to families and safe for picnicking while watching Little League baseball games.

He is currently a senior at Simsbury High School. When not in school, you can find him in the Meat Department of Kane’s Market wrapping meat, teaching Religious Education to first grade students at St. Mary’s, attending a Future Business Leaders of America meeting, or mowing a neighbor’s lawn. I also enjoy long walks on the beach.

           

Justin Farrell

Justin was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Connecticut as an infant where he and his family lived in Granby until he was 7. In first grade he started his scouting career as a Cub Scout in Granby.

He moved to Simsbury and joined Troop 175 in sixth grade. Justin was part of Troop 175’s 2011 expedition at Philmont Scout Ranch. He loved the high adventure aspect of the trip as much as he liked bonding with the other scouts in his crew.

For his eagle project, Justin repaired and landscaped the Laurel Hill trailhead in Tariffville. He also built and installed a kiosk, where hikers can learn the history of the trail.  Justin used his musical ability to raise some of the money for his project.

He is presently a senior at Simsbury High School, where he is active in the drama and music programs and is looking forward to attending college in the fall, studying music education and vocal performance.

 

Michael Ryan

Michael Ryan has lived in Simsbury his whole life with his mother and father, two sisters and a brother.  Michael began scouting as a Cub Scout in second grade and crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 175. Michael held many leadership positions within the troop. He started off as a Quartermaster, then a Patrol Leader, Leave No Trace trainer, and is currently the Troop Bugler. He is also a member of the Immortals Adventure Group. 

For his Eagle Project, Michael raised $3,000 dollars. He created and erected a new sign for St. Bernard’s Church in Tariffville.

Along with Scouting, Michael also enjoys sports and music. He has played baseball since he was four years old. He has played in Simsbury Little League, Babe Ruth, High School, and American Legion teams.   He also enjoys wrestling for the Simsbury High School Wrestling team and throws javelin for the Simsbury High School Track team.

 In addition, Michael is a percussion enthusiast and has been playing drums since fifth grade. He has participated in several Northern Regional Band concerts. Throughout his high school career he has played percussion for the Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Pep Band, and his favorite, the Simsbury High School Jazz Ensemble. With the Jazz Ensemble, Michael has had the opportunity to perform at Berklee College in Boston and Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT.  Not only does he play drums, but he taught himself how to play guitar and ukulele.  Additionally, he has played in the Simsbury Battle of the Bands with his scout friend, Erik Koontz.

Michael is currently a senior at Simsbury High School and would like to attend college and pursue the career of nursing. 

 

Kirk Scully

Kirk was born in Cologne, Germany and moved to West Simsbury, Ct to start 3rd grade.  Kirk began as a cub scout in Germany, and upon moving back to the U.S. transferred to pack 276 and received his arrow of light award. He crossed over into troop 174 where his two older brothers William and Brendan were already boy scouts. When his brothers became eagle and went off to college, Kirk transferred to troop 175, to be with some of his friends from school.

Kirks most vivid memories in boy scouts were placing 2nd in the Adventure race with his two older brothers, going to Block Island every year with both troop 174 and 175, getting his scuba certification with Nick Civitillo, and going Scuba Diving in Honduras.

For his eagle project, Kirk erected a flagpole at the Simsbury Historical Society, with a small patio and compass rose at the base. He raised around $650 through having a bake sale at Henry James Memorial School on Election Day last year.

A senior at Simsbury High school, Kirk enjoys spending time with his friends, is an active member in his church youth group, loves the outdoors, enjoys playing music, and is passionate about skiing. He attended Mount Snow academy last winter, a school dedicated to skiing, and plans to do so again this winter.

Drew Veltrop

Drew is a lifelong resident of Connecticut. He started is scouting experience as a Cub Scout and feels he truly became a scout when he joined Troop 175. He joined scouts because of the high adventure trips and the promise of learning how to survive in the wilderness, though it was the people he met that made the journey great.

An active member of Troop 175 and a participant on many high adventure trips, Drew feels his greatest scouting experience was participating on the 2011 crew who traveled Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico. He feels it’s something everyone should experience at least once in their life.

Drew began his high school education at Simsbury High where he was a member of the cross country and track teams. For his senior year, he transferred to another school in Vermont.
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