Two St. Patrick Scouts earn Eagle rank
Submitted by Boy Scout Troop 10
Boy Scout Troop 10 recently held an Eagle Court of Honor Ceremony at St. Patrick Catholic Church in St. Charles for two new Eagle Scouts.
Ÿ Grant J. Markowicz is the son of David and Jo, and the older brother of Max. His scouting career began when he joined Cub Scout Pack 110 at St. Patrick Catholic Church as a Tiger in first grade. He moved up through Cub Scouts and earned the Arrow of Light Award as a Webelos II. He then crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 10. Over the years, Grant served in many leadership positions including: Quarter Master, Patrol leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader and many others. He earned 27 merit badges. Over the years, he participated in various campouts and attended six weeklong summer camps. Grant has enjoyed many different campouts and experiences with Troop 10, including the experiences of wilderness survival, climbing, skiing, canoeing, and biking. He also participated in High Adventure trips to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Isle Royale in Michigan. Scouting has provided Grant with many years of learning, leadership, organization, adventures and friendships.
For his Eagle project, Grant renovated a decades-old, 200-square-foot chicken coop for Garfield Farm Museum in Campton Hills. This project took 123 working hours. Grant showed great leadership in managing the materials, the labor, and the implementation of this project. Grant credits the successful completion of his project to the generous outpouring of support he received from his fellow scouts, family, friends, and the local businesses.
Grant recently graduated from St. Charles North High School. While in high school, he participated in Peer Mediation, DECA, and Key Club. He was team captain of the cross country team (state qualifier 2 years and All Conference 1 year), captain of the track team, and the recipient of an Athletic Leadership Award and Scholarship.
This fall, Grant is attending Illinois State University and majoring in business.
Ÿ Matthew J. Zmuda, the son of Ted and Marian Zmuda, began his scouting career in first grade as a Tiger Cub in Pack 165 at Ferson Creek Elementary School in St. Charles. He advanced through the ranks of cub scouting from Tiger Cub to Webelos and earned the Arrow of Light Award. From there he would join St. Patrick Troop 10 in 2005 where he served in various troop positions as Patrol Leader of the Falcon and Beaver Patrols, Troop Guide, Quartermaster, and Librarian. As an active participant he attended seven summer camps and regularly attended campouts and weekly meetings. He also enjoyed canoeing, fishing, hiking, and backpacking on his High Adventure trip to Isle Royale.
Matt earned the Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII religious awards and attended the annual Cathoree. He regularly participated in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Day services as well as the Troop 10 Silver Glen Roadside cleanup. Matt also completed his Order of the Arrow Ordeal in 2010. After earning 32 Merit Badges and the rank advancements of Tenderfoot through Life Scout, Matthew became an Eagle Scout on May 3.
Under the mentorship of Matt Bales, Matt was able to complete his Eagle Scout service project that benefited the Fox Valley Pregnancy Center in South Elgin. After spending many hours seeking materials and monetary donations from local businesses as well as relatives and friends, he led his volunteers in patching and seal coating the center’s parking lot and replacing landscape ties surrounding the planting beds adjacent to the parking lot. He was able to get the parking lot lines and handicap symbol painting donated by a professional striping contractor.
Music has consumed most of Matt’s school years. He played piano from second grade through 10 and various types of saxophones since fifth grade. As a saxophonist in two of the capstone jazz and concert bands at St. Charles North High School, he performed at the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, the International Midwest Conference in Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Center with the Wind Ensemble, and fundraising and performance events at the Chicago Jazz Showcase. He and a group of his friends formed a jazz combo called Dominant Six who play at fundraising events for their school and local churches. He auditioned and was selected for the District IX Illinois Music Educators Association Jazz Festival.
Matt graduated from St. Charles North High School in 2012 and is attending Elmhurst College with a major in music education and a minor in jazz saxophone studies.