Lucas Oesterlin of Boy Scout Troop 10 to earn Eagle Scout rank June 17

Boy Scout Troop 10 will recognize three local Scouts for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout at an Eagle Court of Honor on Sunday, June 17, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, off Crane Road in St. Charles. The Scouts are: Lucas Oesterlin, Connor Jacobs and Amaan Mohammad.

Lucas Oesterlin began his Scouting adventure as a Tiger Scout in St. Patrick's Cub Scout Pack 110. Like most boys, he enjoyed the Pinewood Derby and Rain Gutter Regattas most. He won gold medals in design twice and earned two religious awards while advancing through the Cub Scout ranks. He completed Cub Scouts with his Arrow of Light and all four compass points. Crossing over to St. Patrick's Boy Scout Troop 10, he earned his First Class Scout Rank in only 9 months.

Throughout his time in Troop 10, Lucas has been Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, Chaplain's Aid, Quartermaster, Troop Guide and Troop Instructor. Lucas attended many campouts, including 4 High Adventures where he backpacked the beautiful bluffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and canoed the Wisconsin River. He traversed the beautiful mountain ridges and hollows of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, and he took on class 5 rapids on the New River. He also camped amid the frozen glaciers of Grand Teton National Park.

Lucas graduated with superior honors from Marmion Academy in Aurora this May. While enrolled in the United States Army Cadet program, Lucas earned the rank of Cadet Staff Sargent. Lucas is a member of the National Honor Society, he played Lacrosse for two years and he was a member of the state champion Bass Fishing team. As a leader in Marmion's Peer Ministries he helped lead religious retreats for junior and high school students. With a natural talent for math and engineering, Lucas became a Certified SolidWorks Associate as a sophomore and won design competitions for several corporate projects.

This fall, Lucas will be attending the University of Dayton on a scholarship where he will be studying mechanical engineering.

Lucas's Eagle project was for the benefit of Garfield Farm Museum in Campton Hills. The project, repair of a turkey house foundation, involved removing the house from a rotten and collapsed floor, then excavating and laying a new flag stone foundation. The new foundation and floor are raised above the ground to prevent future rot and flood damage. The project took two weekends to complete and a total of 295 man-hours. Despite the snow, frost, rain and ridiculous amount of mud, the project was completed and the turkey house will stand strong, dry and level for many years to come.

Lucas would like to thank the Troop 10 Scouts and leaders for all their help. A special thanks to his Eagle Mentor Jeff Johnson, without whose guidance, skill and knowledge, this project would have been immeasurably more difficult. Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Dave Markowicz, whose dedication to Troop 10 has been the driving force to Lucas achieving the Eagle Scout rank.