LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Moraga Troop 234's new Eagle Scouts


From left: Benjamin Hinchliff, Nicholas Faoro, Alex Mangoba, Mason Roesch, Stephen Chilimidos, Jack Saroni, and Andrew Babson. Photo Jim Babson

Moraga Boy Scout Troop 234 honored seven new Eagle Scouts at its Eagle Court of Honor April 13 at St. Monica Catholic Church. Eagle is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America, and one that is reached by fewer than 4 percent of Boy Scouts nationwide. The road to Eagle involves resiliency, responsibility, community service, and leadership. Scouts progress from the initial rank of Scout, to Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life, which entail mastering new skills and successfully completing requirements for each rank; additionally, the scout must participate in service projects and hold positions of responsibility within the troop.

To achieve Eagle, the scout must meet these foundational requirements and earn at least 21 Merit Badges in the areas of Leadership, Outdoor Skills, and Community Service. Additionally, the Eagle candidate must hold a leadership position for at least 180 days after achieving Life rank, as well as develop, direct, and execute a community service Eagle project. Each of these Eagle Scouts, who all attend Campolindo High School, have not only met the national scouting requirements, but have been active leaders in building the camaraderie and unity that exemplify Troop 234, which is led by Scoutmaster Jeff Price.

Andrew Babson, a senior, power-washed, sanded, and finished the benches and planters at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, as well as replaced the planter bedding.

Senior Stephen Chilimidos collaborated with Soles4Souls, Inc. and organized a shoe drive, where he collected new and gently-used shoes over a three-week period; he received about 400 pairs of shoes that ultimately were shipped to Haiti.

Nicholas Faoro, a junior, located an old wooden rowboat in Sonoma that he refurbished into a sandbox, which required scraping off the old paint, replacing damaged parts, sanding, priming, painting, and then filling the boat with sand and toys for St. Mark's Preschool in Orinda.

Sophomore Benjamin Hinchliff resurrected and repaired approximately 60 music stands for Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, clearing the unusable stands in the practice rooms, and renovating the aging stands, before assembling a repair kit to enable continued maintenance by the students.

Alex Mangoba, a senior, created 10 full-sized signs for the Lafayette Reservoir, by sanding, cutting, assembling, then digging, planting and cement-mixing them along the Rim Trail.

Senior Mason Roesch removed an old shelving structure in the Oakland hills and built a new shed in its place, which included using gravel as a water drainage system in order to increase the shed's resistance to the elements; this project benefited Friends of Sausal Creek.

Jack Saroni, a senior, built a large drop-box designed to hold three book carts that will be used to receive book donations when the Moraga Library is closed; the project was done through the Moraga Parks and Recreations department for the library.