Eddie Bedell, 18, has officially been part of the scouting world since he was in first grade. He started in a troop in Riverhead that his mom, Emily, led before heading to Wading River and East Hampton, ultimately finishing his scouting tenure with a troop in West Islip. Despite what the paperwork may say, Mr. Bedell was truly a scout from birth. He was meant for this — it was in his blood.

“My family has always been big into scouting,” Mr. Bedell said. “My mom got the highest rank in the Girl Scouts. My grandpa was a pack leader in East Hampton. All my uncles were in scouting. It was inevitable that I would follow in their footsteps.”

Over the years, Mr. Bedell worked hard to earn badges every time he attended a camp. Attaining Eagle Scout wasn’t always something he desired, but as the badges started to pile up and he grew older, it became apparent that the highest rank was within reach.

There are numerous requirements to be considered an Eagle Scout. One of them is that a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges in total, with 14 of them specifically tied to Eagle Scout requirements. Some of these required badges include personal fitness, communication, family life, first aid and even cooking. During his time with the scouts, Mr. Bedell earned 34 badges.

“The badges are really geared towards your interests, which I thought was super cool,” he said. “But the required badges definitely challenged me, including the one that had me conquer my fear of public speaking. Everything you do in Scouts translates to the real world. You learn so much and truly become a well-rounded individual.”

A scout also has to serve in a leadership position for at least six months, demonstrate Scout Spirit, attend a Scoutmaster conference, complete a significant community service project and then take part in a final Eagle Scout board of review.

Mr. Bedell took his time deciding what to do for the community service project was something. His intention was to leave a lasting impact on the town he grew up in.

“I wanted to do something at Aquebogue Elementary School,” Mr. Bedell said. “I had so many great memories there as a kid. Some of the best teachers I ever had were in that school.”

His first idea was to create a raised garden bed, but that was shut down because of it being a potential tripping hazard. While walking around the playground at Aquebogue, Mr. Bedell noticed that the picnic table by the trees that was there when he was a child had become dilapidated. Creating a new table became the first part of his contributions to Aquebogue.

“I wanted something that would last long, so I used composite,” he said. “I also made it wheelchair accessible because I feel like people with disabilities aren’t seen enough. I made it octagon-shaped, so now they can pull right up to the table and have someone to the left and right of them.”

Mr. Bedell was also inspired to make a bench in commemoration of his favorite teacher, Keri Stromski, who was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer and passed away at age 48 in 2021.

“I was always very close with the Stromskis,” he said. “She was a teacher in Aquebogue, but I was also in Troop 161 with her son. I wanted to honor her. She loved Winnie-the-Pooh in her classrooms, so I chose a Winnie-the-Pooh quote.“

Mr. Bedell’s bench that sits by the back of the school reads, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” 

It’s a quote that he took and held on to his entire life.

Eagle Scout has to be reached before the scout’s 18th birthday. Mr. Bedell got all the requirements completed a week before he turned 18.

“It was a long road with a lot of steps and paperwork, but I’m glad I stuck with it and reached Eagle,” he said. “It’s a major achievement, and I’m proud to be able to say that I did it.”

The post Riverhead teen Eddie Bedell earns rare Eagle Scout rank appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

On Jan. 19, the Riverhead High School senior became an Eagle Scout, the highest rank a Boy or Girl Scout can attain. Jonathan, 18, is the middle child among three siblings, all of whom dedicated their formative years to Scouting. His older brother, Michael, now 21, made Eagle Scout four years ago, and his younger brother, Timothy, 15, is following suit.

The accomplishment is no easy feat. Fewer than 10% of 2.2 million Boy Scouts nationwide reach the rank, according to the Boy Scouts of America. Certification requires completion of a final project that takes months of planning and development and showcases a Scout’s leadership abilities and commitment to community. For Eagle Scout eligibility, the project and all accompanying paperwork, from planning proposals to final reports, must be submitted before a Scout’s 18th birthday.

“It’s been an emotional ride,” said Jonathan’s mother, Tammy Furio, who was a committee chair for 11 years with the Cub Scouts. “There’s been times things have been going really great and everything is wonderful, and there were times when things were very stressful and there were deadlines to meet or events Jonathan had to go to … But watching him grow from this little Cub Scout, this little tiger cub, all the way up is huge.”

For his final project, Jonathan decided to build eight bat houses to provide shelter to the creatures who help cut down on the mosquito population. After about 25 hours of research, Jonathon said he came up with a design and a location to install the bat houses along the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail. 

“The bats like to be in more of an open area that has some trees around,” he said. “They don’t like a lot of noise and when I was on the Setauket side [of the trail], there was a lot more noise pollution, there’s houses close to the trail. But on the Port Jefferson side, you have a lot of trees, then a little field, and more trees again. The bats would like that setting.”

To execute his vision, Jonathan devised a four-station assembly line in his driveway: His father, Keith Furio, and another adult Scout leader cut wood with a circular saw at the first station while some of Jonathan’s fellow Scouts assembled the side boards, slanted roofs and mesh gutter guards before caulking and painting the assembled houses.

“Scouting is about leadership; the ultimate test of leadership is running this project,” Mr. Furio, a current scoutmaster, said. “And watching him do that and using those skills, it’s hard to put into words as a father to a son, but it’s pretty awesome watching him get it.” 

“You’re not supposed to be too hands-on with your project,” Jonathan explained. “They want the kids to do it, this way they can get the hours for community service, environmental service.”

Throughout his formative years, Jonathan ping-ponged through various extracurriculars. In addition to academics, he split his time between exploring his love of nature with the Scouts and his athletic aspirations, practicing martial arts from ages 10 to 16 and running track and cross country since seventh grade.

As a Scout, he went on two High Adventure trips, unique weeklong experiences that immerse Scouts in challenging environments. His first, at age 14, was a 60-mile hike through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the Rockies, part of Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Last summer, as a 17-year-old Life Scout — one level below Eagle Scout — Jonathan served as a crew leader on a High Adventure trip at the Boy Scout’s Sea Base in the Florida Keys. The experience sharpened his leadership skills and style, but perhaps more importantly, solidified his passion for nature and paved a clearer course for his future.

“You get to see all different aspects of nature down there and it really, really touched my heart,” he said. 

Observing the coral, estuaries and mangroves in Florida made things clear to him, and he has committed to studying marine biology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. this fall.

Although he’ll be away at school, Jonathan will not forget the local Scouts. He plans to volunteer as a scoutmaster when he is home on breaks.

Before he begins his freshman year at NSU, he hopes to return to New Mexico for this year’s High Adventure trek through the Rockies, this time as a scoutmaster.

“I’ll definitely still be involved in Boy Scouts,” Jonathan said, “but now I’m an adult leader, and my kid chapter is closed.”

The post Riverhead Boy Scout builds bat houses along Greenway Trail for Eagle project appeared first on Riverhead News Review.