Five Eagle Scouts emerge from one troop

Congratulatory letters from some of the country's most accomplished men - President Barack Obama, John Glenn and Tom Clancy, to name just a few - have been pouring into Palatine in recent months.

That's because the five most senior members of Troop 182 all earned the Boy Scouts of America's Eagle rank, a rarity given less than 5 percent of Scouts.

Now wearing the Eagle Scout medal - along with uniforms covered in merit badges - are Justin Olson, Matt Bartolameolli, Eric Rodriguez, Michael Soderstrom and Kevin Setze. The Palatine High School graduates say they're leaving for college with not only prized memories and an appreciation for the outdoors, but a set of life skills that will carry them through adulthood.

"You don't really realize the value of what you're doing until after it's all over," said Olson, who's headed to Carthage College. "I can absolutely say it's been worth all the work."

A few guys dropped out over the years, but the remaining five were determined to see the process through.

"The five of us were always pushing each other," said Bartolameolli, who will attend Loyola University in Chicago. "It was almost a competition to see who could get the next rank first."

To become an Eagle Scout, each boy was required to earn at least 21 merit badges ranging from archery to woodwork. They had to lead a service project consisting of at least 100 hours of volunteer work, serve in a troop leadership role, attend a Scoutmaster conference and pass a board of review.

"There were definitely times when school or sports made scouting very difficult, but I'd be filled with regret had I stopped," Setze said from Illinois State University's campus. He worked as a counselor all summer at Napowan Adventure Base in Wild Rose, Wis.

For his service project, Rodriguez, who will study aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois, helped build a 40-foot-long walkway over a muddy path at Stillman Nature Center in South Barrington. Bartolameolli created a informational brochure for the Palatine Township Food Pantry and organized a schoolwide food drive.

For Olson, the decision to go for Eagle Scout was almost expected. His dad, grandpa, uncle, great uncle and cousin all earned the advanced rank. His medal now hangs in a glass case next to his dad's and grandpa's.

"It's a tradition that's been in my family for a long time," Olson said. "It was my choice, but the disappointment of me not doing it would have been huge."

Soderstrom, also at ISU, said years of learning the outdoors have prompted him to want to be a geography teacher.

"I never thought all those camping trips and outings would point me toward a career," he said. "I guess I was inspired."