St. Edward sophomore earns Eagle Scout ranking

Epworth United Methodist Church Boy Scout Troop 128 presented Tommy A. Havemann the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America on Jan. 26 at a special Court of Honor. Tommy is the son of Mark and Lori Havemann of Elgin.

Tommy began his Scouting journey in Cub Scouts as a Webelos Scout, earning his faith’s religious emblem, and achieving Cub Scout’s highest award, the Arrow of Light, before crossing over into Boy Scouts. Once joining Boy Scouts, he succeeded in proceeding through the ranks toward his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout, which he officially earned on Oct. 24 at his Eagle Scout Board of Review.

With this achievement, Tommy joins an elite group of young men who have earned the Eagle Scout award. The first Eagle was awarded in 1912, which means that Tommy achieved Eagle in the 100th anniversary of this prestigious award. Only about four percent of Scouts achieve Scouting’s highest honor. The list of famous Eagles over the last century includes astronauts, senators and congressmen, army colonels, doctors, professors, CEOs, U.S. Presidents, famous sports figures, authors, and actors.

Throughout his memorable time in Scouting, Tommy has held numerous leadership positions within the Troop including Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader, and Chaplain Aide. He has earned 28 Merit Badges ranging from Camping and Canoeing to Communications and Engineering along the trail to Eagle, including one 100-year anniversary Historic Merit Badge of Tracking. Tommy was chosen by his troop to attend the National Youth Leadership Training program offered by the Boy Scouts of America, and was invited back to staff at the camp the next year. He was elected by his fellow Scouts to the Order of the Arrow, the national Boy Scout honor society.

He has participated in an array of weekend campouts and weeklong camps throughout his scouting career. He has also attended a weeklong high adventure camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan called the Sylvania Wilderness, where he and his fellow scouts spent many hours paddling on its waters. Each left him with memories and friends that he will never forget. These campouts also allowed Tommy the opportunity to learn new skills that will help him in his everyday life.

For his Eagle Scout project, Tommy led a group of fellow Scouts, family, and Scout leaders in the installation of a much-needed 6-foot high, ornamental fence for St. Thomas More Catholic School in Elgin. This assisted the school in keeping the enclosed area safe and turning it into an outdoor education area for its students.

Tommy, 15, is a sophomore at St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin, and is currently taking numerous Honors classes while being active on the sophomore boys basketball team, junior varsity boys volleyball team, the National Honors Society, and Spanish Club. In the past, he has also participated in baseball, soccer, football, and swimming.

He has maintained straight A’s throughout middle school and freshman year, and continues to be a high honor student. Tommy was also a valedictorian of his eighth-grade class. During eighth grade, Tommy was sent to Washington D.C. because his History Fair exhibit on “The Cuban Missile Crisis” advanced to the national level. He plans to further his educational studies by attending college to study Automotive Engineering and Design.

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest youth development organizations. Its programs are designed to build character and leadership capabilities, teach principles of active citizenship, and encourage personal fitness through a program of outdoor adventure.

Boy Scout Troop 128, chartered by Epworth United Methodist Church, meets in the Elgin church’s gathering space at 7 p.m. Mondays. Troop 128 maintains a very active schedule year round, with a campout every month of the year. In the summer, meetings are held at Voyageur’s Landing in Elgin and the Scouts canoe for the entirety of the meeting. Since the troop’s formation in 1997, 15 of its Boy Scouts have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. For details, contact Jeri Hofinann at (847) 809-0704 or jerilynhofinann@sbcglobal.net.