Recently Basil Metz became an Eagle Scout at a special Court of Honor ceremony that was held at St. Gregory the Theologian Orthodox Church under Fr. Eric Tosi in Wappingers Falls. Eagle Scout is the highest rank in scouting.  

 

Metz joined Cub Scout Pack 70 in Highland in the fall of 2013 and moved through the ranks of Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf and Bear, that culminated in 2018 with the Arrow of Light distinction for this phase of scouting.

 

Basil then moved up to Troop 193 and a year later joined the Highland Boy Scout Troop 70. Again Basil excelled, first as a Tenderfoot then to Second and First Classes and Life Rank. He earned 44 merit badges along the way and attended summer camp each year, except for one year during the pandemic. Basil also worked as a camp counselor at Camp Read and Camp Ranachqua scouting reservations and completed a nine day, 45 mile hike at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico with fellow scouts.  

 

Since September 2021 Basil has been a Brotherhood member of the Scouting National Honor Society: The Order of the Arrow.

 

For his Eagle Scout project, Basil removed an aging playground at St. Gregory’s and replaced it with new modern materials that should last a long time. It took Basil months to complete, from the initial planning stages through to completion.

 

Basil is currently a Junior at Highland High School where he is an honor student, plays the French Horn and Trumpet in the high school concert and jazz bands and is the treasurer of the Junior class Student Council. He is a member of the school’s model United Nations, participates in the Science Olympiad and runs on the cross country, winter and spring track teams. He is considering a career in education.

 

After the presentation of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance the scouts recited the Scout Oath: “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

 

This was followed by the Scout Law, with each promising to be, “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”

 

Scout Leader Robert Donaldson administered the Eagle Scout Oath to Basil, who accepted the responsibilities of being an Eagle Scout.

 

He said, “I realize the obligation to my fellow men, my country and my God. I will at all times do my best to assist other scouts who are climbing the trail of the Eagle; To give back more to scouting than has been given to me, to assist my troop as much as possible, to live with honor and loyalty, courage and service and to be a living example of the Scout Oath and Law to the best of my ability. To this I pledge my sacred honor.”

 

The Presentation of the Eagle Scout Badge and Medal followed, with Basil’s mother, Tania, pinning these on her son and his father, Steven, presenting Basil with the Eagle Scout Certificate. Basil placed special pins on each of his parents and his grandmother, Gia Walton, to thank them for their support over the years.  

 

Basil received numerous commendations from state and local officials to honor his achievement, including President Joseph Biden, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger.

 

Congressman Pat Ryan [D-NY18] spoke to Basil, saying, “It is really, really important to take a moment to recognize your accomplishments. It is an honor to be here both as an Eagle Scout myself, who barely made Eagle, but more importantly as a representative of 800,000 Americans, that you heard about in that charge from your fellow scouts. They are incredibly proud of you and see the service you’ve undertaken to your community as a model for what we desperately need again in this country and community right now. I am honored to be a small part of the celebration today and to present to you with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to congratulate you.”

 

Lloyd Supervisor Dave Plavchak said he was impressed to learn more about Eagle Scout activities, “but it’s even more impressive for me to hear the accolades about Basil today.”

 

Plavchak said community engagement and involvement is very important to him.  

 

“I try to reach out to the community to get people to help with projects like this impressive playground,” he said. “I’m sure you are very proud of it and I’m sure the community will use it.”

 

Plavchak noted how important this moment is to Basil’s future.  

 

“I’m sure this project can be a springboard for greater things that I think you can achieve,” he said. “The Town Board and the Town of Lloyd congratulates you on your achievement.”

 

Highland High School Principal Kevin Murphy said Basil’s invitation to attend the Eagle Scout ceremony reminded him of the significance of his own work in education that helps shape the lives of many young students.

 

“It serves as an example of what we hope they become when we retire and move on,” he said. “I’ve watched Basil excel in and out of the classroom, in the band room and on cross country. Watching him at West Point race around the turns is just another example of his amazing abilities and the skills that has brought him here today.”

 

Basil thanked everyone for coming to the ceremony and summed up what his long career in scouting has meant to him.

 

“Scouting has provided me with countless adventures and countless life lessons and so many summers that I am never going to forget,” he said. “I think the most important lesson is to be prepared, which is drilled into every scout’s life, and even though it seems kind of cheesy, it really does have value and can be applied to all aspects of your life, whether it’s work, school or vacation. You need to be ready for anything and random things can be tossed your way.”