- November 22, 2024
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Joshua Birkedal with his family. Photo by Julia Ambrose
Rex Bianchi. Courtesy photo
Blake Harrell and his family. Photo by Julia Ambrose
Joshua Birkedal's plaque. Photo by Julia Ambrose
Blake Harrell's plaque. Photo by Julia Ambrose
Blake Harrell placing the badge on his mom. Photo by Julia Ambrose
Scoutmaster Dennis Kirschbaum. Photo by Julia Ambrose
Michelle Wolf and her son, Bryce Wolf, a Life Scout. Photo by Julia Ambrose
by: Julia Ambrose
Troop 468 celebrated three new Eagle Scouts at a Jan. 28 Court of Honor, the first under Scoutmaster Dennis Kirschbaum.
One of the new Eagle Scouts, Rex Bianchi, was away at college for the ceremony. For his project, he sanded and painted signs at Seabreeze High School. "After spending my high school years there, I wanted to give back to the campus and faculty," he said via text message.
At the ceremony, at First United Methodist Church of Ormond Beach, Joshua Birkedal and Blake Harrell were awarded their Eagle Scout badges, which fewer than 1% of scouts achieve.
To begin, each scout his family up front and was read the scout charge. Each was presented with an Eagle kit box equipped with an Eagle Mentor's badge.
Kirschbaum recalled getting to know Harrell. "Blake Harrell made it easy to remember his name by coloring his hair a different color every week," Kirschbaum said. "He has always been a lot of fun, and I've seen him grow. When I first met him, he would’ve never talked at that microphone.”
For his project, Harrell chose to restore the benches at Camp Winona. He has been working to obtain his Eagle badge since 2016. The paperwork and time management were a challenge for him, but he was motivated by his peers and the new skills he learned as a member of Boy Scouts. He said he feels excited for this achievement and considers it to be not the end of his journey, but the beginning.
Kirschbaum described Birkedal as “a go-getter that was able to achieve the rank of eagle scout by just the age of 13.”
For his project, Birkedal visited his preschool and spotted a ramp leading to the slides and the playground. The owner paints it every year, and Birkedal wanted to restore it as his Eagle project. He also cleaned all of the toys and houses.
Birkedal has been working on obtaining his Eagle for three years. He debated between Boy Scouts or sports and other activities, but due to the friendships and family he has made, he doesn’t regret staying, he said. He feels proud that he has accomplished such a high achievement and has made it to this finishing point.
Boy Scouts can earn up to 137 different badges showcasing varying skills and achievements. On Jan. 28, Troop members were awarded a total of 63 badges. Each scout described the favorite badge they have earned and why.
