The Court of Honor held by Boy Scouts of America at St. Helen’s School last Saturday was attended by more than 100 guests and dignitaries who joined with Howard Beach Troop 139 to celebrate the rise in rank to Eagle Scout by Shawn Green, 16 and Jesse Gorin, 18.
For Green, now a junior at Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, the day marked the completion of three generations of Eagle Scouts in his family. His grandfather, Phillip, immigrated to the United States from Cuba and started the family tradition of scouting over 40 years ago when he joined the Boy Scouts in 1971.
Phillip Green, who passed away in 2005, was Scoutmaster when his three sons, including Shawn’s father, Sol, were awarded with Eagle Scout ranking. Since then, Shawn’s brother and four cousins have earned the rank, bringing the family total to eight. On Saturday, Shawn became be the ninth Eagle Scout in the Green family.
“Being an Eagle Scout is a lifelong endeavor,” said Shawn’s dad Sol. “You don’t just make rank and quit—the skills and values you learn stay with you for life.”
Less than one percent of all Boy Scouts earn the rank which has stringent requirements and difficult challenges to meet. The process takes years to accomplish and includes completing a Leadership Service Project, requiring scouts prove their leadership skills by organizing a community project to meet a specific need.
Shawn recruited almost two dozen fellow scouts and adults to help in a clean-up of harmful and invasive species from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Fellow Eagle Scout Jesse Gorin, whose father is also the current Troop 139 Assistant Scoutmaster, also recruited volunteers to repair fencing and remove litter from a much-visited space in the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
“Becoming an Eagle Scout has always been a goal for me, and it will always be a part of who I am,” said Shawn. “I know I’ll continue to give back to my community.”
By Patricia Adams
