Add the names David DiIorio, Mark Renzi and Jackson Hafey to the list of teenagers who have earned the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America.
On a day when pomp and circumstance took center stage inside St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Johnston, the highly decorated three young role models received the prestigious Eagle Scout award during an impressive ceremony. Former Johnston state Rep. Stephen Ucci, who received the same honor back in 1987, emceed the day’s events.
“The awarding of the Eagle badge is an important and serious matter,” Ucci told a small yet appreciative audience made up of parents, family friends and dignitaries such as Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. “It is an occasion of both pride and joy, and a time for serious contemplation. It is also the culmination of the various leaders of these Scouts.”
Ucci was referring to current Troop 20 Scoutmaster Robert N. Simons Jr. and David Curtin, the highly respected former scoutmaster who actually performed the official induction of DiIorio, Renzi and Scuncio into the prestigious Eagle Court of Honor.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled the 2020 induction ceremony, the invitation list was cut considerably short yet included a special visit from Johnston Police Chief Joseph P. Razza, who remembered his younger years as a member of the Boy Scouts of America.
“I consider it a privilege to be invited and witness these amazing young men be elevated to the rank of Eagle Scout,” Razza began. “I’m honored to have been part of their day, especially during these difficult times. I know how proud their families are of them and the commitment and sacrifices they too have made in order to reach this milestone in their young lives.”
Razza, who like Gorbea presented special citations to each of the three Eagle Scouts, went on to say: “These individuals are our future leaders of this great nation and are following in the footsteps of other famous Eagle Scouts like Gerald Ford, Hank Aaron and Neil Armstrong. Their futures are truly bright and I wish them all my best in all their endeavors.”
The entire ceremony, which featured the lighting of 12 candles, placing of wooden plaques for the various steps in Boy Scouting as well as important ceremonial readings by current Troop 20 Scouts Jaden Mollock, Robert N. Simmons III and Deakin Reyes, further enhanced the 2021 Eagle High Court of Honor.
“We hope that you will all understand that the Eagle award is the highest and most coveted award in all of Scouting,” Ucci emphasized. “It is the last major step in the advancement program. Less than 2 percent of all the boys who join Scouting reach Eagle award.”
Perhaps the most difficult hurdles that DiIorio, Renzi and Hafey were required to clear before receiving their Eagle Awards was completing their respective Eagle projects. Ucci said they require hours of hard work, commitment and help from various family members.
Simmons, who like Curtin and others has made Troop 20 a family affair, spoke about how proud he is about each of the newly installed Eagle Scouts.
Simmons also explained as well as congratulated the newest Troop 20 Eagle Scouts on their impressive projects that for DiIorio was cleaning and organizing the closets at St. Rocco’s Church; for Renzi was cleaning and making the Wilderness Trail at Johnston War Memorial Park; and for Hafey was making the information boards for the Smithfield Audubon Society’s education program.
Moreover, to become an Eagle Scout, they must earn 21 merit badges, including Citizenship in the Community, National and World, Communications, Family Life, Safety, First Aid, Emergency Preparedness or Life Saving, Environmental Science, Personal Management, Personal Fitness or Swimming or Sports and Camping.
In addition to these mental and physical requirements there are other qualifications such as serving actively and becoming a Life Scout, planning, developing and carrying out a service project such as the ones Simmons spoke about that are worthy of an Eagle doing his best to live by the Scout Oath and Law and demonstrating High Scout Spirit.
The journey to the Eagle Award, as Ucci emphasized, is long and often grueling as well as requiring the scout’s utmost dedication and highest work ethic. As each of the new Engle Scouts recalled in brief yet moving acceptance speeches, they noted just how important a role people like their mothers and fathers – as well as grandpa and grandma – played en route to the special ceremony that at times featured tears of joy and heartfelt thanks from DiIorio, Renzi and Hafey.
“Scouting is unique in that it allows young boys and girls to learn skills that are not only crucial to succeeding in life, but are fun, whether it be camping, cooking, tying knots even, it was always fun alongside other boys in the troop,” DiIorio said during his acceptance speech. “I’ll always have memories of whitewater rafting, zip lining and visiting Washington, D.C., and the White House. I enjoyed Scouts more as time went on as I got to teach younger scouts the skills I developed over the years. It allowed me to become a leader, to become someone that knew kids, like my brother, could look up to and learn from. I’ll never forget anyone from scouting.”
Renzi, like the other Eagle Scouts, heaped words of praise upon his parents and family members, Simmons and especially Curtin, who has for years been an icon for what many people have called “the incomparable Troop 20 in Johnston.”
He declared he was once scared about campouts and how he grew to love each event. He stated how Scouting helped him see things from other people’s points of view and accept everyone in Scouting as a friend and noted, “we even came to see that authorities were kids likes like us and are still the same at heart and how Scouting has always been about leading boys. Thanks again dad for making me keep doing Scouts, and to finish that conversation we had in the car ride home.”
Hafey read a tear-jerking acceptance speech explaining that he could never have ever achieved Eagle Scout status without his father, mother, brother and Curtin.
“I’ll never forget our other fun trips, either to zipline or white water rafting and all the summers at [Camp] Yawgoog,” Hafey noted. “Also, us getting in trouble for some reason or another but we never did anything seriously bad. Fact is, nobody knew how have fun like Troop 20 did and for that we all thank Mr. Curtin. These were some of the best times of my life, and I thank each and every scout and adult who made all of the good times possible. I think I speak for all of us it really means a lot to us; I am never going to forget my experiences with Troop 20 – ever!”
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