Bernards Township Honors Ian Scheper For Earning Eagle Scout Rank

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Bernards Township Committee recently honored Ian Scheper for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in Scouting America.

The Committee approved a resolution on May 26 recognizing Scheper, a member of Troop 54 of the Boy Scouts of America, for his years of scouting, leadership within the troop and service to the community.

Scheper designed and developed a plan that led a team of more than 30 volunteers.

Bernards Parks and Recreation sponsored his Eagle project, a mile long orienteering course at Pleasant Valley Park.

The course provides a family-friendly outdoor activity that promotes environmental awareness and teaches basic map reading and compass skills.

Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy praised the project during the meeting, telling Scheper, "Your project of creating an orienteering course in Pleasant Valley Park is impressive."

She also said, "You demonstrated your willingness to work hard and remain committed over the years when I'm sure you had other distractions and interests to move through the ranks and achieve the required merit badges."

Committee members also spoke about the work behind the honor and the value of the project to the township.

Committeeman Brett Hodges told Scheper, "The effort and the time and the skills that you put into this community we will all benefit from."

According to the resolution, Eagle Scout is attained by only four percent of youth since 1911 after a multi-year process that requires 21 merit badges, leadership, and a service project.

"Very few scouts achieve Eagle Scout. And it signifies a tenacity, a stick-to-itiveness, and a commitment to both scouting and the project that you executed on in concert with our parks department," said Committeeman Andrew McNally.

Committeewoman Jennifer Asay called Scheper's Eagle Scout "a tremendous accomplishment."

Deputy Mayor John Tompkins told Scheper, "This is an amazing accomplishment.

"When I used to run a trading floor on Wall Street, whenever an Eagle Scout application would come in, there would be fights over who was going to get this person because everybody understood the work that needed to go into getting that rank, the intelligence, the creativity, and the goal orientation. So take this with you for the rest of your life," said Tompkins.

Scheper thanked the people who helped him through scouting and the project.

"I spent about seven years of my life as a scout, and I put a lot of work and time into this," said Scheper.

He thanked his family, troop, and especially Jennifer Gander with the Bernards Parks and Recreation Department, for "pushing this project along."

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