In an extremely rare case of achievement, two Scouts BSA troops from the Chandler area were recently able to celebrate five Scouts achieving the coveted rank of Eagle — all at the same time.

Troops 280 and 3280 announced a combined five Scouts achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Scouts BSA. The rank is the pinnacle of achievement in scouting, with only 6% reaching that esteemed level.

Troop 280, a boys’ troop, recognizes Eli Moore, Brian Lin, and Josh Rziha. Troop 3280, a girls’ troop, honors Daphne Lin and Jocelyn Engelhardt.

It’s rare for even one Scout to achieve the milestone of Eagle. Some large troops have been in existence and prominence for decades with no Eagle Scouts honored.

The rank requires extraordinary dedication, leadership, and a commitment to community service.

The five Chandler-area Scouts were inducted at a special Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at Epiphany Lutheran Church on July 21, celebrating their achievements and officially welcoming them into the coveted rank of Eagle.

Scouts must design, plan and lead a community service project as one of many aspects of qualifying for the Eagle rank.

Moore’s project involved building and installing planter boxes and trellises for his school’s horticulture club and creating a rock path for a new cactus garden at his school, Arete Preparatory Academy-Great Hearts in Gilbert.

Brian Lin constructed, painted, and installed “little free library” book boxes at various parks in Gilbert, where community members can take a book to read and leave a book to share.

Rziha’s project, at McDowell Mountain Regional Park, took a month of planning and more than 20 volunteers, where he used rocks to create an interpretive stone structure to highlight local mountains for visitors.

Daphne Lin’s project, at the Phoenix Herpetological Society, involved replacing defective fencing to ensure the safety of the public, staff, and animals.

Engelhardt’s project was to revitalize a softball field at Chandler High School by repainting the dugouts, press box and batting cage walls and installing wooden panels in the batting cage.

All five Eagles said they have college plans and learned important, specific lessons about leadership and follow-through from their service projects.

The Court of Honor included formal presentations of the Eagle Scout medals and certificates, speeches, and a reception with food and drinks, with family, friends and the community invited.

More can be learned about the troops’ activities can be learned here and here.

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