Boy Scout reaches a new height

Boy Scouts are known for their love of the outdoors. Wantagh’s Kyle Rhodehouse is no exception.

During his seven years in the scouts, Rhodehouse participated in numerous outdoor activities in all sorts of conditions from the coldest days of winter to the sweltering heat of the summer. The 17-year-old Wantagh High School senior has seen his hard work in the scouts pay off, as he recently earned his Eagle rank, the highest honor in Boy Scouts.

Rhodehouse officially became an Eagle Scout on Nov. 16 during a Court of Honor ceremony at Christ Lutheran Church. About 130 people, including friends, family, fellow scouts and local dignitaries, were on hand. “It was really humbling that there were so many people that we were willing to do that for me,” he said.

He got his start in the Cub Scouts with Pack 191, then moved on to Boy Scout Troop 656. Rhodehouse became the third member of his troop this year, and the 11th since 2012, to become an Eagle Scout.

Earning the rank has been a goal for Rhodehouse since his early days in Troop 656. Seeing older scouts attain the honor inspired him to do the same. Only 5 percent of boys who enter the Scouts become Eagles, a rank that will stay with Rhodehouse for the rest of his life.

To be eligible for the rank, a scout must complete a community service project. He built 15 sign posts for the new outdoor exhibit at the Tackapausha Museum and Preserve in Seaford.

The project was completed in 2013. Rhodehouse supervised as his group of volunteers cut, assembled and coated the wood over two weekends last September. The completed posts were then delivered to Tackapausha.

“It’s really nice to give back and help the museum,” he said, adding that he wants to visit when the new exhibit opens. The posts will be used for signs with descriptions of the animals.

Rhodehouse did a fundraiser with Wendy’s and also held a bottle and can drive to raise money for the materials, which he got at a discounted price from Home Depot.

Eagle Scouts must also earn 21 merit badges. Rhodehouse picked up 76. His favorites were bird study and geocaching, a treasure hunt using a GPS.

Getting so many merit badges was easy, he said, because he participated in so many activities through the scouts. “It was really more just a side effect of that I was really involved and loved what I was doing,” he said. “It’s something I’m proud of.”

Rhodehouse enjoys hiking, and said he particularly enjoyed cold-weather hikes where he and his fellow scouts would build and then sleep in igloos. In 2011, he lived on a sailboat for a week in the Florida Keys, and in February 2013, he took a trip to the Northern Tier Musher Camp where he went on dog-sledding excursions over frozen lakes. One night, he slept outside when it was 30 degrees below zero. He described those trips as “clearly unique experiences that I’m grateful I had.”

Every summer, Rhodehouse would spend two weeks at the Onteora Scout Reservation upstate. He loved it so much that this past summer, he worked there for seven weeks. Rhodehouse was assigned to the Nature Lodge where he taught environmental science and chemistry classes for other scouts.

He said he has always had a very scientific mind. At school, he is captain of the Science Olympiad team and a member of the Rube Goldberg team. He said he loves gaining an understanding of how the universe works.

In attaining the Eagle rank, Rhodehouse credits the teachings of his former scoutmaster, the late Chris Greaker. Now that he has earned the Eagle rank, Rhodehouse said he plans to continue to attend troop meetings as his schedule permits. He is currently applying to colleges, and plans to study biology.

Being a member of the Boy Scouts is an experience that Rhodehouse says he truly values. “It’s really a fantastic way to meet new people,” he said. “I made a lot of friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”