Shane Blundell, 17, Boy Scouts of America Troop 396 completed his Eagle Scout Project at PS 277 on Gerritsen Avenue, Brooklyn NY. The community as well as the school will certainly benefit from the improvements he and his volunteers have made.

Shane and his small crew took down and cleaned up the old seahorse planting that used to be at PS 277.  They then set up a whole new area with low-maintenance patterned brick replacing the rocks chips that were in place. They then topped it off with new molded cement in the shape of PS 277 and a seahorse.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America. A scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life, thus giving rise to the phrase “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.”

The St. Edmunds High School Junior joined cub scouts in the first grade and became a boy scout in the fifth. He has earned a total of 38 merit badges, 17 more than the minimum 21 required towards becoming an Eagle; they include the National Conservation Badge, Mile Swim, Wilderness Survival, and the 2010 Historic Merit Badge which was only released for one year for the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts. Four vintage merit badges were released for the centennial celebration, Carpentry, Pathfinding, Tracking, and Signaling (i.e. Make a device and demonstrate the ability to send and receive a message in the International Morse Code with a complete message of not less than 35 words, at a rate of not less than 35 letters per minute.)

The idea for the project arose from discussions with his family and the PS 277 staff whom Blundell approached with the suggestion for this project. The school was all for the project – as it as it would cut most – if not all of the maintenance.

Blundell, has spent about six months working on this project but only because the brutal winter and recent weather held him back. Preparation started back in November and entailed a detailed, page plan covering all aspects, meetings with the 277 administration and local mason, Kerry Ecock. “I feel as though this project is the biggest accomplishment of my life. This project has helped my existing communication, and planning skills. The advice I have received from my Scout Master Mike Bianco has been amazing because he is always on top of things.” said Blundell.

“In 20 years, hopefully it will still be here and I will be able to look back knowing how much I accomplished,” he reflected.

The 17 year-old plans on attending SUNY Maritime in the Fall to major in Marine Engineering.

For more information about scouting, visit www.scouting.org. Alternatively within our area contact Mike Bianco or stop by the Resurrection Church basement any Tuesday night at 7:30pm