Eagle Scouts In Long Valley: 3 Residents Achieve Prestigious Rank

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Over the 85-year history of Troop 36, there have been 95 young men who reached the highest rank in Scouting. And recently, three more high-achieving youth from Long Valley hit the lofty plateau.

Washington Township officials presented a formal proclamation to Christian Wolske, Christopher Samaras and Sean Krentz from Boy Scout Troop 36, welcoming them into the rank of Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank or achievement in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America. Since its inception in 1911, approximately 4 percent of scouts have earned this rank after a rigorous review process, according to officials.

Scouts must plan, develop, and lead others in a service project that benefits any religious institution, school, or part of the local community in order to receive the rank.

According to officials, the three boys recently visited Philmont Scout Ranch, which is the Boy Scouts of America’s largest national high-adventure base. The ranch covers 140,177 acres of rugged mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern New Mexico.

Philmont Scout Ranch, in addition to providing an unforgettable backpacking adventure across miles of rugged, rocky trails, offers programs that combine the best of the old west—horseback riding, burro packing, gold panning, chuckwagon dinners, and interpretive history—with exciting challenges for today, such as rock climbing, mountain biking and sport shooting.

Long Valley's Troop 36 was founded on December 2, 1937, with 13 freshly minted Scouts and seven Troop leaders. Over the next eight decades, numerous Scouts passed through this troop, creating 95 Eagle Scouts in the process.

The troops' leadership has changed several times over the years, but it is currently:

• Charter Rep: Karen Strover
• Scout Master: David Meehan
• Committee Chair: John Lichtenberger