Two Roscoe Troop 620 Boy Scouts receive Eagle Rank

Campos wigwam project.

Two Roscoe Troop 620 Boy Scouts receive Eagle Rank
Roscoe Boy Scout Troop 620 honors more Eagle Scouts than the average troop. And this time around it’s double duty! Best friends Ruben Campos and Samuel LaMonica, both of Roscoe, Illinois have earned the highest advancement award the Scouts BSA offers, the Eagle Scout Award.
Both Campos and LaMonica were recognized in a traditional Court of Honor ceremony on Saturday, April 20 at the Roscoe United Methodist Church in Roscoe.
As members of Roscoe Troop 620, chartered by the Roscoe Lions, the two candidates are in good company with more than a dozen other Troop 620 scouts who have also attained Eagle rank in the past two years.
On the national front approximately 6.5 percent of all Boy Scouts attain the Eagle rank, according to Scoutmaster Mark LaMonica. “Reaching Eagle is a story of perseverance,” says LaMonica. “Each candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community, church, or synagogue related service project to earn his Eagle.”
To purpose of the Eagle Scout Service Project is to give the Scout an opportunity to “plan, develop, and give leadership to others,” as noted in the requirement. Eagle Scout projects are evaluated on the benefit to the organization being served and on the leadership provided by the candidate.
In Illinois there were 1,618 Boy Scouts awarded the Eagle rank in 2018 and 52,160 Eagles overall representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico and District of Columbia. This Court of Honor is especially heartfelt for Scout Master LaMonica. One of the scouts being awarded is his youngest son, Samuel, who follows in both his father’s and older brother Anthony’s footsteps in reaching Eagle.
Scouts must recruit both adult and troop members to assist in their project. The national average of time devoted by volunteers toward a service project is 153 hours. Campos’ service project was to build a Woodland Wigwam for the Macktown Living History Museum’s outdoor education area.
“The museum’s outdoor program highlights the lives of the Native Americans who once inhabited the area near Rockton, Illinois. I constructed a replica of the wigwams which were used by these tribes as shelter,” says Campos.
“The structure is 14 feet in diameter and tall enough to stand in. It’s built from local willow saplings using Square and Shear lashing styles with twine.”
LaMonica’s project included building scooter board ramps for the Winnebago County Special Education Co-op. “The therapy department of the agency needed ramps for their students,” says LaMonica.
“I was able to build ramps which are utilized to help the children build core and upper body strength by pulling themselves up the ramps. The ramps are located at four separate school locations.”
Campos has served his troop in the capacity of Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Troop Guide and Troop Bugler. LaMonica also served in the capacity of Assistant Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 620. Both scouts join other outstanding American citizens who have become Eagle Scouts, among them former President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, cinematographer Steven Spielberg, and the head of the F.B.I., William Sessions.
Campos and LaMonica are both seniors at Hononegah High School. Campos plans on entering the automotive technology industry and LaMonica plans to attend Rock Valley College’s aviation technology school.
Special Recognition Award – Pastor Paul C. Meyers, Senior Chaplain of Roscoe United Methodist Church will present the Eagle Scouts with a special FBI award. Pastor Meyers also serves as one of 130 FBI Chaplains serving the Bureau throughout the United States.