All in the Family: P’ville Teens Follow Path to Eagle Scout
Reaching the rank of Eagle Scout is dependent on the perseverance of the young man and the support of family, friends, scout leaders and troop peers.
Christopher Doerr and Andrew Steinbeck had plenty of examples to look up to not only at Troop 12 in Pleasantville but in each of their own families.
The two teens were honored Sunday afternoon at the Pleasantville Presbyterian Church for becoming Eagle Scouts, the highest rank a scout can achieve. In doing so they were the latest member of their families to make their mark in scouting.
Doerr’s father and two uncles are Eagle Scouts and his paternal grandfather earned the Silver Beaver, the highest award for an adult. Steinbeck’s father is a Troop 12 assistant scoutmaster and his grandfather is on the council of the Boy Scouts of America in Connecticut.
At a time in their lives when heavier school workloads, sports and other interests can distract even the most motivated scout, Doerr and Steinbeck stayed focused to complete their projects.
“Support from everyone kept me motivated, just having all of my family members who were Eagle Scouts,” said Doerr, 16, a junior at Pleasantville High School, who has been a scout since 2004. “I looked up to them my whole life and I always wanted to be an Eagle Scout. Once I set my goal I just wanted to go for it.”
Steinbeck, a 17-year-old Pleasantville High School senior, said from early in his scouting career, he had his sights set on Eagle. Steinbeck became a scout in 2003 and joined Troop 12 in 2006.
“When I got closer to Eagle Scout, I realized how much of an honor it is and I wanted to reach that,” he said. “My first or second year when I helped out on a project, I said I wanted to do this.”
For his project, Doerr built a duck hutch for Westchester Hills School 29 in Yonkers where his mother works. The school’s students care for more than a dozen ducks that hatched as part of the special education curriculum and the previous hutch was unsafe for the students and animals and was difficult to clean.
Doerr, who spent more than 115 hours on the project, also built a gate for the students to enter and exit.
Steinbeck refurbished the Sunday School room at the Pleasantville Presbyterian Church, which has sponsored the troop and hosts its meetings. Steinbeck said he approached Pastor Debra Bronkema about his plans to plaster and paint the walls, construct new shelves, reorganize the toys and supplies and replace ceiling tiles. It took him 83 hours to complete.
Troop 12 Scoutmaster Nick Stolatis said he’s proud of Doerr and Steinbeck and the recent accomplishments of the troop. Within the past two years, they are the ninth and tenth members to become an Eagle Scout. Two more are on target to be honored before the end of the year.
Stolatis said the troop’s success is a reflection of the youngsters’ dedication, and that of their families and assistant scoutmasters who play key roles in shaping their lives.
“It’s a great bunch of kids,” he said. “The boys have really done a lot of work. I’m just so proud to be part of it and I’ve literally seen them grow into men. It’s a wonderful thing.”
The hour-long ceremony also included salutations from various elected officials. State Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti, who said he has enjoyed attending Eagle Scout ceremonies for the past 20 years as a county legislator and now a state lawmaker, lauded the pair for showing perseverance and leadership qualities that are required to be successful.
He also complimented community members who took time out on a Sunday afternoon to honor teens who were recognized for the best reasons.
“All of you who turned out today is sending the right message, is sending a thank you to these young men,” Abinanti said. “Word will get out that the community appreciates it.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
