CENTRE HALL — Timothy Breon and Tyler Eberly, members of Boy Scout Troop 20 in Centre Hall, were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a Court of Honor held at St. Luke Lutheran Church on May 7.
Breon, the son of Jeff and Corena Breon, began his Scouting career with Cub Scouts in 2006, advancing to Boy Scouts in 2010, and has participated in many summer camps, Camporees and Klondike Derbies. He attended camps at Heritage Reservation in Pittsburgh and Bayport Scout Reservation in Virginia, as well as many hiking trips, campouts and canoe trips. He has helped in community service activities such as roadside and Cleveland Trail cleanups, and has assumed many leadership roles during his years as a Scout.
Breon’s Eagle project provided benches and a memorial for six veterans buried in Union Cemetery in Farmers Mills who do not have headstones. Breon discovered that one soldier from the Revolutionary War, one from the War of 1812 and four from the Civil War are interred there without markers. He enlisted the help of retired Penns Valley High School history teacher and Civil War historian Jeffry Wert to help him find data on the occupants of the six unmarked graves. The memorial consists of two granite benches with the soldiers’ names engraved in them mounted on a triangular brick patio, along with a large American flag flanked by six smaller flags.
Breon raised more than $7,000 for the memorial via a fundraiser and donations from local businesses, friends and supporters. The memorial was dedicated at a ceremony on May 16, 2015.
Breon is a junior at Penns Valley High School, and plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy or enroll in the ROTC program at Penn State University.
Eberly, the son of Stacy and Carol Eberly, also started as a Cub Scout, advancing to Boy Scout Troop 20 in 2007. Over the years, he attended campouts, Camporees, Klondike Derbies and Boy Scout Camps. He hiked through trails at the Gettysburg Battlefield and around Mount Nittany, and participated in several community service projects. He was involved in many popcorn and hoagie fundraisers, and has assumed leadership roles throughout his Scouting career.
For his Eagle project, Eberly decided to help the Sprucetown United Methodist Church by building Bible racks on the backs of the church pews. Church members say the results were outstanding.
Eberly is a student at South Hills School of Business and Technology in the engineering technology program, and hopes to become an automotive designer.
The Court of Honor began with presentation of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Jeff Mugridge provided an invocation, then Angelo Nicosia welcomed the group of about 50 guests to the ceremony. He noted that only 2 to 4 percent of Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout.
Scoutmasters Sal Nicosia and Jeff Kozar presented remarks regarding the meaning of the Eagle emblem. Kozar called the Eagle candidates’ parents forward, and they presented the Eagle awards to their sons.
The new Eagles spoke next, with Eberly thanking his parents, leaders and friends for their encouragement in attaining the Eagle rank.
“When I first joined Scouting, I didn’t truly know what lied ahead of me. I just wanted to do what everyone else was doing — to be part of the group. I wanted to have fun,” he said. “I knew if I wanted to feel good about myself, I had to get up and be involved, and Scouting provided that.”
He explained the many life lessons he learned in the Scouting program, which he said have prepared him for the adult world.
Breon lauded theSscouting values of courage, hard work, loyalty, service and leadership.
“Scouting has taught me many things that helped shape me into what I am today,” he said, “and they will continue to shape me in my future.” He thanked his parents, teachers, coaches and Scout leaders for their help and encouragement in his quest for the Eagle rank.
Numerous awards were presented to the new Eagle Scouts by representatives of the Centre Hall Lions Club, American Legion Post No. 779 (Old Fort), the Daughters of the American Revolution, Centre County Sheriff Bryan Sampsel, Centre County commissioners Michael Pipe and Mark Higgins, and U.S. Congressman Glenn Thompson, R-Bellefonte.
