Oceanside Eagle Scout vies for top county honor

Most people had tucked themselves inside, away from the oppressive heat, as New York faced a five-day heat wave set to shatter records in August 2021. James Keeney, on the other hand, a member of Boy Scout Troop 230 in Oceanside for 13 years, was out in the sun, working hard on the final project he needed to complete to achieve his Eagle rank, which earned him a prestigious nomination as the top Eagle Scout in Nassau County by the Oceanside Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5199.

For his Eagle project, Keeney had chosen to give back to St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside, which he had been attending for 10 years, including two as a religious education teacher. He had noticed the preschool’s playground was looking a bit run-down and was in need of a makeover.

Keeney, alongside his father, brother and a few other members of his scout troop, repainted the wood trimming alongside the St. Anthony’s playground, power-washed all the metal structures and completed a few other refurbishing tasks that were well overdue. Keeney directed the project from start to finish, including the fundraising before it began.

Only an average of 5 percent of all Boy Scouts make it to the pinnacle of the scout rankings,  becoming an Eagle, the highest rank a scout can earn. The requirements are not easy, including earning at least 21 merit badges, holding a number of leadership positions in a troop and completing a final project that serves to better the community.

Keeney had gone above and beyond, earning over 35 merit badges and holding several leadership positions, including patrol leader, chaplain aide and troop quartermaster, but he hadn’t realized how close he was to becoming an Eagle Scout until it was almost too late. 

All he had left was his Eagle project, in which he chose to refurbish the preschool playground at Saint Anthony’s.

“I started in the Boy Scouts when I was very young, and since then I’ve looked up to the Eagle Scouts and I always wanted to become one myself,” said Keeney, who officially became one in May of 2022. “It was a huge accomplishment for me.”

Each VFW post can nominate only one Eagle Scout, and the winner of Nassau County will be able to go on to compete for the top spot of Long Island and then all of New York.

Recently, the post honored Keeney at their community barbecue event on July 2. It was stated that they received great recommendations for the spot but had chosen Keeney for his extensive volunteer work with his school, troop and within the community.

“He’s somebody who’s very involved with our VFW and we’re very proud to have a young man like this representing us,” said Commander Mike Wetherell at the barbecue. “We read through his application and noted all things he does for his school and local community and that’s what motivated us to recognize him today.” Troop 230 of Oceanside, Keeney’s troop for the past seven years, is well-known in the community as they participate in many food drives, clean-ups and other volunteer work. They are often recognized by the black shirts they wear that say “230” on them.

“This is a whole troop of kids that are doing everything they can to give back to the community,” said Steve Xuereb, scoutmaster of Troop 230. “That’s what scouting is all about and that’s what we’re trying to teach to the little guys. James is an example for those little kids that are looking up to him and thinking they can be like that too one day.”

Xuereb had been Keeney’s scoutmaster since he was 13 and said it is a great thing to be able to watch the growth of the scouts as they go from young Boy Scouts to the high school graduates that had just finished an Eagle Scout project.

“I think it surprised James that he was as close to an Eagle Scout as he was,” said Xuereb. “There is nothing more frustrating than being almost there. Quitting would have been the easy thing to do, but he stuck to it, and it was that perseverance that really impressed me.”

When the project was finished, the playground was safer and more enjoyable for the preschoolers. A plaque sits attached to the fence that recognizes Keeney and his troop for the hard work put into the restoration of the playground.

“It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It felt great being able to help the church out, and help myself out on finally becoming an Eagle Scout,” said Keeney.

Keeney’s family and troop members have expressed how proud they are of his completion of the final rank. Keeney has also stated how grateful he is toward the Oceanside community for the continued help he received during his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout. In the fall, Keeney will be off to college as he will be attending Saint John’s University in Queens for Finance.

“There’s a lot involved (in becoming an Eagle Scout), said Keeney’s Father, James Keeney. “For a young kid to make up his mind and accomplish this, it’s pretty amazing. His mother and I are very proud of him. He had a goal and he met it and hopefully he keeps doing that in life.”