An Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held at Elks Lodge No. 6 on Aug. 29. The following young men were presented with their Eagle Scout award: Andrew Fong, Mason Kassis, Hyun Cheol Kim Randall Plant, Andrew Shirley, and Michael Signorotti.

New Eagle Scouts. These young men received their Eagle Scout award on Aug. 29. Left to right, left to right, Andrew Fong, Randall Plant, Andrew Shirley, Mason Kassis, Hyun Cheol Kim and Michael Signorotti. / Photo courtesy of Craig Fong

Each Scout completed an individual Eagle Project and participated in numerous school and community activities.

Fong dismantled a large set of bleachers at the Park Terrace Swimming and Tennis Club and refurbished and rebuilt them at C.K. McClatchy High School’s pool. During the process, he made repairs and improvements. The two bleachers now provide poolside seating for spectators during water polo and swimming events.

Kassis worked with Safely Out, a project of Citizen Voice, to distribute emergency evacuation kits to 250 low income, senior residents at the Natomas Apartment Complex. He held an information session and a reception for the seniors.

Kim’s Eagle Project involved re-painting multiple parking lots at the Ark Mission Church of Carmichael. This project involved a lot of detailed cleaning of the old asphalt and removal of cracked paint before new paint could be applied. In addition to repainting the parking lots, Kim also added designated parking for buses.

Plant’s Eagle project involved organizing the planting of 27 trees at Fire Stations 21 and 23 in Citrus Heights. He worked with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District to select trees that would lower the energy costs of the buildings by providing shade, as well as trees that would screen unsightly training yards and equipment areas from the rest of the neighborhood. He coordinated the donation of the trees, mulch and volunteer help to plant the trees.

Shirley’s project was to build a garden in front of Sam Brannan Middle School. This involved breakup and removal of a large slab of concrete before an improved sprinkler system could be installed and trees and flowers could be planted. The area was then mulched with woodchips.

Signorotti’s Eagle project was the re-landscaping of the 440 square foot patio at St. Anthony’s Parish. He removed 26 cubic yards of river rock and replaced 25 cubic yards of top soil. He planned new landscaping and an irrigation system. Signorotti organized some 40 volunteers to complete the project, contributing approximately 240 total volunteer hours.

According to the Boy Scouts of America’s website, the fact that a boy is an Eagle Scout has always carried a special significance not only in Scouting, but also as he enters higher education, business or industry, and community service. The award is a performance-based achievement in which standards have been well-maintained over the years.

Not every boy who joins a Boy Scout troop earns the Eagle Scout rank; only about five percent of all Boy Scouts do so. The goals of Scouting – citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness – remain important for all Scouts, whether or not they attain the Eagle Scout rank.

Last year, some 52,470 boys were awarded the Eagle Scout rank. Since the founding of the organization, there have been over 2,043,375 Eagles awards.

susan@valcomnews.com