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Community Corner

Whiz Kid: Fred Schmidt

Eastchester High School Junior is set to receive his Eagle Award this Saturday.

Each week, Patch will be highlighting the great work and accomplishments of local kids in our newest feature, Whiz Kid.

Name: Fred Schmidt, age 16

School: Eastchester High School junior

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Accomplishment: Schmidt will receive his Boy Scout Eagle Award on Saturday, March 26.

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After eight years of involvement in the Boy Scouts, Schmidt will receive the organization’s highest honor—the Eagle Award—this Saturday, March 26. In the past five years, three members of the troop have received this prestigious honor.

“In scouting there are twelve laws: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent and that is the Boy Scout law all scouts, including myself, try to follow,” says Schmidt.

While the requirements to obtain the Eagle Award are quite rigorous, Schmidt has been able to complete all the tasks, which include earning badges, taking on a leadership role and executing a community service project.

Out of all of the requirements the service project was the most difficult, he says. Schmidt met with Robert Del Torto, the County volunteer coordinator and was shown a site on the side of the Bronx River Parkway by the Crestwood train station, he explains.

“There was once an old flagpole used to signify whether the lake was frozen or not with a red flag, but they don’t use it anymore. It was just there rusting away. There was also a problem with invasive vines that were destroying the local ecosystem,” he says. “So for my project I refurbished the flagpole, and I removed some of those invasive plants that were destroying some of the trees and native plants in the area.”

For Schmidt, scouting has made him more interested in taking on leadership roles and positions.

“The Boy Scout process made me become a leader,” he says. “Overall it’s been a great experience.”

Along with Nickolas Terp, Schmidt will receive his Eagle Award at the Bronxville Boy Scout Cabin on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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