Thursday, October 1, 2026
Three Rockville Centre scouts were recognized for achieving scouting’s highest honor at a Court of Honor ceremony at St. Agnes Parish Center last weekend, marking a milestone for Troop 163 and celebrating its years of leadership, service and dedication to the community.
Scarlett Anderson, Liam Kirwan and Alexis Ricoy were formally inducted into the ranks of Eagle Scouts on Saturday as family members, fellow scouts, troop leaders and friends gathered to recognize their accomplishments. Each completed a major community service project and fulfilled leadership, merit badge and service requirements to earn the prestigious rank.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to gather and celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals,” Troop 163 Scoutmaster Jeff Roberts said during the ceremony. “As you all know, becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor that can be earned by any Scout. It reflects years of hard work, leadership and character. Certainly this morning’s candidates embody those qualities, and many others.”
The ceremony also highlighted the continued growth of the troop’s boys’ and girls’ programs. Traditional Eagle Scout customs, including the presentation of colors, the recitation of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, and a candle-lighting ceremony reflected the values that guide scouts throughout their journey.
For Anderson, 18, her Scouting journey began with Troop 215G in Long Beach before she joined Troop 163G following the troops’ merger. She served as assistant senior patrol leader and developed leadership and communication skills that helped shape her into a confident young adult. For her Eagle Scout project, she built a gaga ball pit designed to give children a safe place to play and connect with one another.
Even after moving from Long Beach to the Buffalo area about three years ago, she has remained committed to fulfilling her Scouting goals while studying nursing at Niagara University, participating in troop activities either remotely or on trips back to Long Island.
“It’s a huge accomplishment. I feel so proud,” she said of earning the Eagle rank. “I’m glad that I kept pushing, even when I moved to Buffalo. It was extra difficult, but I’m proud to carry these morals and values with me throughout the rest of my life. It’s a great honor.”
Anderson plans to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse.
Kirwan’s scouting experience has been deeply connected to Troop 163. He began as a Cub Scout in Pack 163 before moving up to the troop in 2018, and has served in leadership positions including quartermaster, scribe, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader.
“It’s been a crazy seven years since I joined the scouts,” Kirwan, 19, said. “I’ve seen so many of the kids I looked up to do the same thing. It’s kind of surreal to be here now myself.”
For his Eagle project, Kirwan, who lives in Oceanside, built and installed a “Take a Book, Leave a Book” library at the Nassau County Social Services Center in Uniondale, and used his remaining project funds to buy and donate additional books to the facility. A graduate of Chaminade High School, he now attends George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Ricoy, 18, also began her Scouting journey with Long Beach’s Troop 215G, which she and her mother helped establish. Serving as senior patrol leader, she played a key role in building the troop and creating opportunities for girls entering the program before she joined Troop 163G.
“I feel very proud,” Ricoy said. “Being here today is just an amazing feeling, especially now that I’ve joined Troop 163 in Rockville Centre. It’s honestly amazing. I started this troop with Scarlett Anderson, and now we get to share our Court of Honor together.”
Ricoy’s Eagle Scout project focused on addressing food insecurity through the construction of a vertical planter box at the Atlantic Beach Community Garden. The garden’s produce supports donations to the Long Beach Soup Kitchen, providing ongoing benefits to residents in need. This fall she will attend Hofstra University, where she plans to study business management and accounting.
Troop leaders noted that while Eagle Scout requirements are often completed months before a Court of Honor, the ceremony serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievement with family, friends and the larger scouting community.
For Troop 163, the ceremony represented more than the accomplishments of three individual scouts. It reflected the troop’s ongoing commitment to developing leaders, fostering service, and helping young people build skills that will serve them throughout their lives.
