The Boy Scouts of America is one of the biggest scouting organizations in the United States with around 1 million participants each year, according to Aaron on Scouting, the official site of Scouting Magazine. But only 6% of all BSA scout members get to call themselves Eagles.
Despite these odds, four hardworking Brentwood seniors, Tristan Whittaker, Angel Rojas, Jayson Castro, and Rudy Papa, have earned the impressive distinction. All four have been involved in Troop 371 Brentwood for many years. Papa first joined the scouts in 1st grade, Rojas in the 6th grade, and Castro and Whittaker in the 5th grade.
According to Scoutmaster Jason Klosowicz, the leader of Troop 371 Brentwood and a veteran scouter of over 30 years, the BSA has a specific set of requirements to gain each rank. The requirements can be completed in any order, but the ranks must be earned in order.
In order to earn an Eagle Scout rank, scouts must be above the age of 13, active in the troop for a minimum of six months, earn a total of 21 merit badges (14 required and 7 elective), hold a leadership position, organize a service project, and pass a Board of Review. Many don’t achieve the Eagle Scout designation before the age of 18.
“As you progress through the ranks, the first four are about acquiring knowledge,” Klosowicz said. “They get more involved as you get older because you are now putting what you learned into practice.”
Scoutmaster Klosowicz is an alumnus of Brentwood High School Class of 2002 and a permanent substitute teacher in the school district. He joined BSA in first grade as a cub scout, progressed through high school to become an Eagle Scout, and continued to participate as an Adult Leader throughout college.
Many scouts seeking the prestigious Eagle Scout rank select projects to connect with the community, but these projects can take time to arrange and months to complete. This year’s projects included building a display of a 100+ year old tree for Suffolk Community College (Whittaker), hosting a clothing and toiletry drive for Homeless Veterans (Papa), building storage containers for North Middle School (Castro), and creating a new “Welcome to Brentwood” town sign (Rojas).
The Brentwood seniors encountered hardships and roadblocks along the way to completing their projects. Some said it became stressful during the planning and execution phases.
“I feel like my project was difficult in a sense since I had to talk to a lot of people,” said Rojas. “I had to network…I had to talk to multiple politicians and reach out to multiple community organizations and groups.”
Despite these hurdles, Rojas says completing his project allowed him to reflect on his own strengths and weaknesses.
“My Eagle Project made me realize that I needed better time management,” Rojas said. “I feel like that is a thing people need to learn for themselves.”
Rojas points out that some people may choose projects that are simpler and involve less steps or work, just to rush through the process of becoming an Eagle Scout sooner. According to Rojas, these scouts miss out on the critical opportunity to challenge themselves.
“When you speed it up, you do not really enjoy the experience,” Rojas said. “I feel that when you take your time, you grow as a person. You learn your weakness and reflect on what you can get better at.”
Other Brentwood alumni who have recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout include Anthony Cortes, class of 2020, who recently graduated from Johnson and Wales University with a degree in Culinary Arts, and Daniel Castro (Jayson’s brother), class of 2021, a current college senior enrolled in Adelphi University’s Nursing program.
In BSA, members learn about nature, survival skills, woodcraft, citizenship, communication, and leadership – all skills that can be later used in life. The younger scouts learn a basic set of skills at the earlier levels and learn to put them to use as they advance. But according to Klosowicz, the most valuable skill a scout can learn is first aid.
“It’s going to be the one thing you’ll always use in life,” Klosowicz said.
First aid teaches a scout how to deal with various ailments, from small cuts and scrapes to serious injuries. The scouts learn techniques that can help save their own life or someone else’s.
“You just learn and have so much fun,” Klosowicz said. “You get to do things not every other kid is going to do. Scouting is a great way to go away each month for minimal charge.”
“My favorite memory from the scouts is probably camping in the summer,” said Rojas.
Becoming a scout can allow someone to try a whole host of new activities they wouldn’t normally try. These activities, part of the “High Adventure” program, can include horseback riding, zip-lining, rock climbing, rifle shooting, archery, canoeing, white water rafting, spelunking, snowboarding, and hiking, among many others.
“Do you know how to chop down a tree?” said Whittaker. “If you gave me a map or compass, I could get you to your destination. Also, star navigation…It’s been a while, but I’ve gotten to learn a lot.”
But it’s not all about learning how to start fires or tie knots. Along with all the adventures come the responsibilities. As they get older, they become responsible for passing on these skills to younger scouts as teachers and leaders.
Truly connecting themselves to their communities and their surroundings and finding ways to help is a crucial part of the scout experience. Papa feels that becoming a scout has changed his outlook on life and made him a more conscientious person.
“A year into the troop, I learned how important the world and other people are,” Papa said. “I’ve always wanted to help out the people I can, especially people who are in need.”
According to Jayson Castro, becoming an older scout teaches lessons in “leadership” and “how to handle kids.” Of all the skills he has developed with the scouts, Papa also claims that “social skills” were the most valuable.
Colleges and military academies recognize the dedication and commitment that goes into becoming an Eagle Scout. Because scouts have specialized skills that are uncommon to most, they have better admissions and scholarship opportunities.
“It’s worth becoming a scout,” Whittaker said. “Colleges really do prefer that; they can see it on your transcript and will give you money or aid just for putting the BSA on it.”
According to Klosowicz, Eagle Scouts also receive higher ratings in the military and in law enforcement recruitment. The rank is also a qualifier for Officer Candidate School (OCS).
“Eagle Scout is a lifetime achievement and will be on every resume and application they fill out,” Klosowicz said.
According to Klosowicz, Brentwood used to be a “mecca for scouting with dozens of different units, now all gone.” Troop 371 Brentwood is the only troop left – but it is over 50 years old and was the first troop to bring girls into the program in 2019.
Lorena Rojas, the senior patrol leader and a high school junior in Brentwood, and Angel’s sister, will start her Eagle Scout project in the fall of 2024.
Through rigorous projects and unwavering dedication, the Eagle Scouts of Brentwood Troop 371 have become empowered to recognize community hardships, identify solutions, and implement real changes. They have learned to be resilient against setbacks because of their commitment to serve others, whether it be their younger scouts or the members of their local community. And more than that, they have developed deep friendships that will last a lifetime.
“It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” Papa said.
