At just 15 years old, Thomas Stavola is the youngest scout in Boy Scouts of America Troop 93 to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Before him, only one other scout achieved the high-status rank at such a young age Nick Stavola, his older brother.
According to their scoutmaster of six years, Robert Murawski, becoming an Eagle Scout is no easy task.
“It’s extremely difficult,” Murawski said. “It’s a prestigious position.”
Murawski said roughly four percent of scouts reach the Eagle rank, a status which requires 13 merit badges in skills such as first aid, cooking, camping, swimming, and citizenship. Then, he said, scouts must earn an additional nine badges and complete an Eagle Scout project that serves their community.
Nick, now 17, said he dedicated his project to building shelves for a church’s food pantry and stocking them with food. Thomas said he dedicated his project to collecting money and food donations and giving them to a local senior center.
The Stavola boys said it took close to 500 hours to complete everything they needed to finally achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
“I think it’s really up to you to become an Eagle Scout,” Thomas said. “It’s all about determination and focus. It takes up a lot of time.”
After completing the project, prospective Eagle Scouts must stand before a scout board for what Bridget Stavola, the boys’ mother, likened to an interrogation.
“You sit in front of a board that just kind of fires questions at you,” Bridget said.
Murawski said the board consists of three to five scout board members who drill them on three areas of questioning their Eagle project, their scout career and scout history.
In addition, Nic Stavola, the boys’ father, pointed out that scouts are only eligible to become an Eagle Scout before they turn 18.
“All the boys would always say to the next one, ‘Don’t put it off,’” Nic said.
He said his son Nick was the first one to listen. And Thomas, who he said is competitive in nature, followed in his brother’s footsteps.
The Stavola brothers both started out as cub scouts, eventually “bridging over,” as the scouts say, to the regular scout troop when each reached the age of 10.
According to the Boy Scouts of America website, there are more than 135 merit badges that scouts can earn. Nick currently has 45 merit badges, and Thomas has 38. Nic and Bridget said it could take as little as a day or as long as a few months to earn a badge depending on what type of skill it is.
Murawski said these badges are meant to open up the kids to possible career opportunities and teach them the skills they need if they were to pursue them professionally in the future.
“These skills will get them places,” Murawski said. “It will open doors.”
Thomas said his late grandfather, whose dad was a drill sergeant, instilled in him a sense of honor and pride in wearing the scout uniform. Thomas said the lessons his grandfather taught him are one of the largest contributing factors to his character development in the troop.
“He would always say, even when I was a child, no matter what job you’re working at or what uniform you’re wearing, wear it with honor, because not as many people are as privileged as you are to wear a uniform,” Thomas said.
Nick said he’s gone through a dramatic character transformation since he first started as a cub scout.
Murawski said he remembered how shy Nick was at first. But, he said, Nick quickly gravitated toward the older boys.
“We had to keep reminding him to stay in his lane,” Murawski laughed. “But he did well. And now, younger kids look up to him.”
Nick recalled his first camping trip on which his mother called him crying and worrying if he was going to be okay.
“I thought I’d be fine. And I was,” Nick said. As it turns out, Nick was so comfortable that he earned a reputation for how talkative he was.
“He was completely different. We were like, ‘Who’s this kid?’” Bridget laughed.
According to Nic, this is exactly what the scouts program does for kids. Nic, who became a scout committee chairperson after the coronavirus pandemic, recalled a meeting he had with a then 17-year-old scout who was about to achieve Eagle rank.
“I was blown away by his presence, his speaking ability, his maturity,” Nic said. “And I said to myself, if this is what my kids are going to become, then I know I’m in the right spot for them.”
Thomas said being in the troop had given him a voice he didn’t know he had.
“In he beginning, I was really, really shy,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t speak loud at all.”
But, Thomas continued, through his Eagle Scout project, he suddenly found himself talking to people with ease.
“Now… now I have a voice,” Thomas said.
Murawski said the Eagle project is designed to take the scouts out of their comfort zone, which is part of teaching them leadership.
Bridget said the boys have a lot of support from Murawski, Assistant Scoutmaster Steve DiTusa, and every parent in the troop.
“I know my boys are in a very safe place when it comes to our troop,” Bridget said. “I know the parents in our troop would protect my children, no doubt about it.”
Nic said the boys in their troop are getting something incredibly important from the program.
“All of them are unbelievable representatives of their families and the troop,” Nic said. “I see the changes not just in our boys, but in a lot of the boys there.”
Murawski said the whole scouting program teaches kids the skills they need for life.
“They start as little boys who don’t want to talk to adults,” Murawski said. “I like being a scoutmaster because I get to watch these boys go through a metamorphosis. And when they get older, they can hold real conversations with adults.”
Thomas’ achievements will be recognized at his court of honor on Dec. 15
