Troop 132 member is youngest ever to earn Eagle Scout rank

Boy Scout Troop 132 of Arlington Heights has a long history of building character for young people through adventure, responsibility, citizenship and personal fitness.

Boy Scout Troop 132 recently awarded its youngest ever Scout, Dominick Pawlak, age 13, with the highest honor in Scouting - the Eagle Award.

Nationally, only four percent of eligible Scouts earn this rank, and Troop 132 has approximately 15% of its members achieve Eagle.

First awarded in 1911, requirements for Eagle Scout include earning 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout spirit, service and leadership. This includes an extensive service project the Scout plans, organizes, leads and manages.

At the Eagle ceremony, Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes, a West Point graduate, presented Pawlak a citizenship pin, commenting that Eagle Scouts are dedicated to the West Point ideals of Duty, Honor and Country.

Mayor Hayes noted that he has been present at 30 Eagle Scout ceremonies and that Pawlak was the youngest Scout.

Additionally, Marine Corp spokesman Woody Hughes presented Pawlak with a K-bar knife, a Marine's most valued possession; the Scouts, from oldest to youngest, cut a cake with the K-bar knife to symbolize the passing of knowledge and wisdom. The youngest Scout joked Pawlak would have to finish the cake himself.

Pawlak addressed the audience and said he joined Scouts because his father, who is also an Eagle Scout, was involved and he thought the "outdoor stuff and camping sounded fun."

Pawlak noted his most memorable experiences as a Scout was learning to start a fire and making cobbler in a Dutch oven, while his most memorable activities were biking 90 miles, camping overnight on a Navy Base (Pawlak plans to join the military), lugeing and Boundary Waters.

As a Scout, he has learned how long it takes eyebrows to grow back after a "propane incident."

In order to earn his Eagle, Pawlak planted a 1,700-square-foot pollinator garden at Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary School, managing 38 volunteers, who supplied more than 400-man hours.

Pawlak was motivated to earn Eagle early because, as a high school freshman, he plans to be in marching band, NJROTC and be on the water polo team. He recognized these extracurriculars, combined with a normal course load, would leave little time for the work required to earn Eagle.

Pawlak said designing, planning and executing an Eagle Scout project helped his executive functioning and organization skills. Pawlak ended his remarks by thanking his parents for spell checking his emails and digging in the mud.

Troop 132 is dedicated to helping young people reach their full potential through a variety of activities and outings. Troop 132 can be found on Facebook and at www.troop132.nwsc.org.

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