Troop 34 recognizes 11 Scouts with Eagle rank

Boy Scout Troop 34 of St. Michael's Church in Wheaton, chartered in 1921, is not only the oldest continuously chartered troop in Illinois but also one of its most successful. This year 11 of its Scouts attained the rank of Eagle, a repeat of 11 in 1989.

What inspires a large group of young men to develop the skills necessary to attain the highest Scout rank offered?

Perhaps it started in Cub Scouts.

"Way back in '95 and '96, Cub Scouts was hot," said Barbara Szeszycki, former Cub Scout Pack 134 leader and mother of Eagle Scout David. "When the boys crossed over into Boy Scouts, everyone in my den became an Eagle."

The troop also has a lot of active fathers and volunteers.

"We have some dynamic people who think this is really important," Szeszycki said. "It's also very organized so that if someone wants a leadership position, he can get it."

Scoutmaster Randy Pfeifer said, "We have a large group of Scouts who like each other, who hang together and who like to camp. (Attaining the Eagle rank) becomes infectious. There's a degree of reciprocity with the boys helping each other."

Pfeifer also said he and perhaps other parents have become involved.

"I always loved the outdoors," he said. "When my older son got interested, I went along on a campfire. As I got deeper and deeper involved, what I got out of it was a distraction from an extremely stressful career."

Pfeifer said that after completing all the requirements for Eagle, each boy must go before a board of review.

"This group of adults evaluates the candidates," he said. "Do they have the character of an Eagle Scout and is it ingrained deep enough that it will last all of their lives?"

The following Scouts in Troop 34 earned their Eagle rank during 2007 with these projects:

• Kevin Johnson, a freshman at Northern Illinois University and son of Janice and Marty Johnson of Wheaton, built and installed a firebox that benefited the Downers Grove Park District for campfire programs at Lyman Woods.

• Robert Olp, a senior at Benet Academy and son of Ellen and Tom Olp of Wheaton, benefited 25 needy families in Hopkins Park, Ill., by collecting cleaning supplies and paper products from his cross-country team, his Scout troop and St. Michael's parish.

• Luke Szczepaniak, a junior at St. Francis High School and son of Joe Szczepaniak of Wheaton, collected new and used children's books for the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago Society's "Reading Fiesta."

• Nate Kinkley, a senior at Wheaton North High School and son of Marianne and Michael Kinkley, helped in the restoration of the Wheaton Grand Theater by scraping and painting an outside brick wall and two side doors.

• Matt Waldersen, a senior at Wheaton North and son of Marge and Bruce Waldersen, benefited the DuPage Community Clinic by distributing 1,000 flyers requesting non-food supplies.

• Jeffrey Reinders, a sophomore at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School and son of Michelle and Alex Reinders, transplanted 10 Northern Red Oaks from a nursery at Seven Gables Park to Lincoln Marsh in Wheaton, thus restarting the woodland cycle. This one-day project involved 51 volunteers and 197 hours.

• Grant Deliberto, a senior at Glenbard South High School and son of Julie Deliberto, made a video for and about the Family Self-Sufficiency program that provides many social services to DuPage residents.

• Patrick Boyle, a senior at Geneva High School and son of Sue and Terry Boyle of Geneva, helped the Geneva Park District by rebuilding, repairing and cleaning 15 birdhouses designed for Eastern Bluebirds for Peck Farm Park.

• Alexander "A.J." Jeffay, a senior at Glenbard South and son of Debbie and Randy Jeffay, and his volunteers spent 150 hours building and painting shelving for the pre-school at the First Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn and built a child-sized unit with 17 coat hooks.

• Tony Carter, a senior at St. Francis and son of Rita and Frank Carter, benefited Milton Township by stenciling the words "Drains to river" on every storm drain in a large area of north Wheaton, thus protecting the eco-system of the river's drainage basin.

• David Szeszycki, a senior at Wheaton North and son of Barbara and Ron Szeszycki, benefited the Morton Arboretum by removing the invasive species of honeysuckle, buckthorn and multi-flora rose from the Natural Woodlands area of the East Woods.

For details, visit www.Wheatontroop34.org.