Five earn the rank of Eagle Scout
Five members of the senior class of Emmaus High School received the rank of Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor held Jan. 6 at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Emmaus.
All are members of Boy Scout Troop 431, East Texas.
has been active in scouting since joining as a Bear Scout, in third grade. With Troop 431, he has held the positions of historian, assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader.
He became the crew leader while on the High Adventure trip to Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, New Mexico. Ryan is also an Ordeal member of the Order of the Arrow, was awarded Scout of the Quarter Award in 2019 and was awarded the William E. Garber Scout of the Year Award in 2020.
He will receive 7 Palms with his Eagle Scout rank as he has earned 60 merit badges to date.
For his Eagle Project, Ryan built a local trailhead within Lower Macungie Township at Camp Olympic Park. With the help of local businesses, troop members and some friends and family, Ryan constructed the trailhead that details the park’s features and amenities. The trailhead also depicts the disc golf course, the
Emmaus High School Cross Country course, and local trails.
Outside of Scouting, Ryan is a part of the percussion section in the Emmaus Green Hornet Marching Band, the Emmaus Symphonic Band, a member of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society, and a member of Key Club. He has spent time working as an umpire starting at age 12 and works as the Lower Macungie Youth Association head groundskeeper.
Ryan loves playing baseball for Lower Macungie Youth Association. He also enjoys chemistry and spending time as a junior assistant coach for Lower Mac Impact travel softball team.
The son of David Bennett and Kimberly Law Bennett of Macungie, Ryan plans on studying chemistry education for four years after high school.
has been active in scouting since joining as a Tiger Scout in first grade. With Troop 431, he has held the leadership positions of assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader and junior assistant scoutmaster.
He attended a High Adventure trip to Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, New Mexico and was competitively selected as one of 16 Scouts to attend as part of the Ranch Hands program in 2023. Charlie is also a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, was awarded two Scout of the Quarter Awards and received the William E. Garber Scout of the Year award for 2022.
For his Eagle Project, Charlie cleaned out, waterproofed and organized the basement of the historic Bortz Log House of the Lower Macungie Township Historical Society. Over several weekends with the help of troop members, friends and family, Charlie removed 30 years’ worth of no-longer-used material, applied waterproofing paint, built shelves and a workbench. This project created usable storage space for the Historical Society to organize and store its artifacts.
Outside of scouting, Charlie plays trumpet in the Emmaus High School Band (Marching, Symphonic, and Jazz) and is a member of the Emmaus High School football and rifle teams. He spends time working on his family’s farm and with his horse.
The son of Charles and Jennifer Peters of Zionsville, Charlie will attend Delaware Valley University and major in animal science with the ambition of becoming a large animal veterinarian.
has been active in Scouting since joining as a Wolf Scout in second grade.
As a member of Troop 431, he has held the positions of OA Unit representative, patrol leader, chaplain aide, assistant patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and troop guide. He attended a High Adventure trip at Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, New Mexico.
Benjamin is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow. In 2022 he was the recipient of the Scout of the Quarter award and the William E. Garber Scout of the Year award.
For his Eagle Project, Benjamin ran a drive collecting bicycles to donate to Community Bike Works in Allentown. With the help from family and Troop members, the bikes were collected and transported to Allentown for use in their various programs. His project overall delivered 75 bikes.
Outside of scouting, Benjamin plays viola for the Emmaus High School Orchestra, is a member of the National Honors Society, participates in the high school’s fitness team, plays tennis for Emmaus and is involved in the high school’s chorale and smaller group men’s acapella ensemble Fermata Nowhere. He has spent time working as a lifeguard at Dorney Park and as a cashier at Giant in Trexlertown. He enjoys playing tennis and basketball.
The son of Matt and Mary Patricia of Wescosville, Benjamin plans on exploring career options while taking general education classes at Lehigh Carbon Community College.
has been active in Scouting since joining as a Bear Scout in third grade. With Troop 431, he has held the position of librarian, assistant patrol leader, scribe, patrol leader and assistant senior patrol leader. Aidan attended a High Adventure Kayaking Trip in West Virginia and is an Order of the Arrow Ordeal member.
For his Eagle Project, in an area of the Wildlands Conservancy’s newly acquired Black River Sanctuary, Aidan cleared a variety of invasive species in thick brush with the assistance of several scouts. After the area was cleared, they repopulated the area with native plants and surrounded them with fencing to protect them from local wildlife.
Outside of scouting Aidan is a member of the National Honor Society at Emmaus High School. He is president and co-founder of Emmaus High School’s chess club and team captain of the school’s chess team where he competes against other schools. He is a member of the executive board for the Science Olympiad team and recently medaled at states.
He is also co-president and co-founder of the school’s SAT Prep program, where he mentors more than 30 students. He is also an officer of the school’s Student Government Association responsible for large-scale events within the school.
The son of Jecko and Ushes Arakkal of Macungie, Aidan plans on studying computer engineering for six years to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
has been active in scouting since joining as a Tiger Scout in first grade. With Troop 431, he has held the positions of scribe, chaplain aide, assistant patrol leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.
He attended a High Adventure trip at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, N.M. Greg is also an Ordeal member of the Order of the Arrow and received a Scout of the Quarter Award.
For his Eagle Project, Greg planned and, with the help of family members and other Troop members, constructed a run-in shed at MountainView Horse Rescue in New Tripoli that shelters donkeys, miniature horses and goats from inclement weather.
Outside of Scouting, Greg plays the baritone in the Emmaus Band and is a member of the National Honors Society. He has spent time working in Guest Services at Dorney Park and working in the snack bar at Brookside Country Club in Macungie.
The son of Greg and Eve Smith of Macungie, Greg plans on studying cellular biology for four years after high school to earn his bachelor’s degree.