Local Scouts receive Eagle Scout rank

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photo Eagle Scouts at Troop 1780’s recent Eagle Court of Honor were William Buntz, left, Christopher Adams, Peter Cangelosi, and Jackson Byrd. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

H. Jackson Byrd, Christopher Adams and Peter Cangelosi are the 53rd, 54th and 55th Eagle Scouts, respectively, of Troop 1780.

William Buntz was honored at his Eagle Court of Honor in September 2007 as the 52nd Eagle of Troop 1780.

All four Scouts have been in active in Scouting while working toward the Eagle award, the highest award in Scouting, since they each joined Cub Scouts in 1996 in Den 10 of Pack 1771 at William B. Wade Elementary School.

The late Dave Buntz, William’s father, was the den leader for their Cub Scout den from Wolf through Webelos, and from the original den of six Cub Scouts, four have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Each of the four Scouts earned the Arrow of Light in 2001 and joined Troop 1780 in March 2001.

William’s Eagle board of review was April 3, 2007, and he became Troop 1780’s 52nd Eagle Scout. The boards of review for Jackson and Christopher were each March 6 when they became the 53rd and 54th Eagle Scouts for Troop 1780.

Peter Cangelosi’s Eagle board of review was May 6 at which time he became the 55th Eagle Scout from Troop 1780.

To earn Scouting’s highest award, a Scout needs to earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, serve as a leader in his troop and lead and complete a major community service project.

Jackson’s Eagle service project included building two pavilions for Eutaw Forest Archers Club. In addition to the pavilions, Jackson built a swingset for the member’s kids to play on.

Christopher’s Eagle service project was to create wooden overhangs over the six dugouts on three baseball fields at Dorsey Park in Leonardtown for St. Mary’s County Recreation and Parks by providing players and organizations who use the park with protection from the elements.

Peter’s Eagle service project was at Hampshire Neighborhood Community Center, building a family picnic area including assembling and installing two grills; building, staining and anchoring two picnic tables; building and installing a fence and repairing the playhouse and shed.

William’s Eagle project was creating an outdoor classroom at Wade that involved making 21 split-log benches and landscaping the area with trees, bushes, and flowers.

Christopher earned 27 merit badges, and has served many leadership positions including troop guide, patrol leader, assistant patrol leader, senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, and is a brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow.

He received advanced leadership training at the Goshen Scout Reservation and has attended the 2004 Lenoksin’s High Adventure in Goshen, the Maine high adventure base, Florida Seabase, Philmont Scout Ranch and Chesapeake High Adventure Sailing Experience and summer camps at the Goshen, Rodney, Henson and Powhatan scout reservations.

Christopher is an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 1780. He excelled at Leonardtown High School from which he graduated in June, and received the President’s Fellow Award Scholarship and will attend the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall.

Peter earned 26 merit badges and served as senior patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant patrol leader, bugler, den chief, and quartermaster, and is a member of the Order of the Arrow.

Peter attended Philmont, Me., and Seabase (twice) high adventure camps. One of his favorite camps was New River White Water Adventure where he rafted white water and completed the COPE course.

Peter attended Westlake High School in the scholars course of study. He was on the football team two years and wrestled for four years. Peter excelled academically and earned several awards at Westlake High School, from which he graduated in June.

Peter was selected as a Meyerhoff Scholar, and began the program at University of Maryland, Baltimore County on June 7.

Jackson earned 22 merit badges, and served as historian, patrol leader, and junior assistant scoutmaster. He attended Sea Base in Key West, Fla., and Camp Rodney in Northeast.

Jackson excels academically and in the arts at La Plata High School where he received many awards and graduated magna cum laude in June. He received a scholarship from the Arts Alliance of Charles County and has participated in several local art shows. This fall he plans to attend Towson University and study ceramic sculpture with a minor in education or graphic design.

William earned a total of 37 merit badges and his Silver Palm, and is a member of the Order of the Arrow.

He served as senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leader and chaplain’s aide, among other positions. He attended Philmont and sea base high adventure camps, as well as base camps at Camp Rodney and Camp Powhatan.

William is a 2008 graduate of Westlake High School where he was on the varsity baseball team, in the orchestra and from where he graduated summa cum laude. In the fall he plans to attend Grove City College, in Grove City, Pa., where he will major in mechanical engineering.

Troop 1780 meets at and is sponsored by Good Shepherd United Methodist Church on Thursday nights. Youth interested in Scouting can go to www.bsa1780.org.