NORTH READING — Two local high school seniors have reached a pinnacle of achievement in the Boy Scouts of America program by earning the rank of Eagle Scout; a distinction achieved by approximately only 4% of scouts nationwide. These two students will proudly wear red, white and blue cords at graduation to be distinguished from their peers for their excellence in scouting.
Logan Pemberton and Aidan Kennedy were recently honored in a joint Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony held at the Union Congregational Church, surrounded by family, friends, dignitaries and fellow scouts. Their hard work, dedication to community service, and leadership were on display as they officially received the highest rank in scouting. Twelve long years of dedication led up to this final moment. To earn Eagle Scout, each scout must complete a significant service project that benefits their community, as well as earn at least 21 merit badges, demonstrate leadership and live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law.
Aidan Kennedy
When the life-jacket loaner station at Ipswich River Park fell into disrepair, local Scout Aidan Kennedy saw an opportunity to make a lasting impact on his community. As part of his Eagle Scout project, Aidan took the lead in replacing the aging structure with a brand-new station designed to promote water safety for park visitors. “I’ve been coming to this park since I was a little kid,” Aidan said. “Seeing the old station falling apart, I knew I wanted to do something that would help people stay safe while enjoying the river.”
Working closely with Marty Tilton, Director of North Reading Parks and Recreation, Aidan developed a comprehensive project plan, raised funds to cover the cost of materials, and organized a volunteer team made up of fellow Scouts and adults from Troop 750 to complete the construction. “It wasn’t just about building something – it was about pulling people together,” Aidan explained. “Seeing everyone show up and pitch in made me really proud to be part of this troop and this town.”
To make the project even more impactful, Aidan applied for and received a grant from the SeaTow Foundation. The grant provided boating safety signage and stocked the new station with life jackets of various sizes, ensuring the structure would serve both a practical and educational purpose. “My goal was to make it easy for families to grab what they need and enjoy the river safely,” said Aidan. “Even if just one person puts on a life jacket because of this station, I’ll feel like I made a difference.”
Aidan’s project not only revitalized an important community resource but also helped raise awareness about the importance of water safety for families enjoying the Ipswich River. The original loaner station had been erected in memory of North Reading resident Michael James Mitton who had drowned in a tragic canoeing accident at age 19 while fishing at Harold Parker State Forest in 1996.
When Aidan and the scouts removed the original loaner station, they saved the original plaque. It was very weathered, so the town provided a newer version of the plaque, with the original message and it is now affixed to the new loaner station.
Logan Pemberton
Logan Pemberton also completed a community-based Eagle Scout project prior to earning his award. Logan led a project to re-landscape an area of overgrown brush and trees at the Union Congregational Church. Logan chose to give back service hours to the church that he grew up in.
“I wanted to create something that not just the parishioners would enjoy but also to create an inviting entrance to the church for visitors and community members.” Logan said. The project, which spanned several weekends, included clearing overgrown brush and trees, planting new shrubbery, adding mulch, planting flowers, and building and installing two large wooden planter boxes at the entrance to the church.
The project was developed when Logan met with Rev. Rick Hughes who addressed a concern of his. The trees and bushes were blocking the church’s windows and creating wood to rot on the church itself which would lead to a larger problem in the future. A key component to making this project successful and sustainable was to replant new shrubbery, specifically chosen to remain shorter and allow the sunlight to pour into the church sanctuary.
Logan had met with the Church Council as well as Rev. Rick from the UCC on numerous occasions to plan and coordinate the re-landscaping project. Constructing the two large boxes took a lot of coordination of volunteers, lots of measuring and re-measuring and many screws! As Logan reflected on his project during his personal speech given at the awards ceremony, he stated, “Since I was working with wood, most of the adult leaders shared their wisdom with me all saying the same quote: ‘measure twice, cut once.’ Not only was this quote pivotal to the success of my project by being precise with my measurements but it also provides a deeper meaning. This quote teaches those who live by it to be prepared and it highlights the importance of responsibility and accountability through a reminder that your actions have consequences and once you ‘cut’ and make a decision, you can’t undo it. Be prepared as the scout moto ties in nicely with this quote as taking your time to prepare things will prevent future complications with working with wood or in life.”
Both boys coordinated the projects from start to finish. They ran fundraisers, led teams of volunteers and managed the projects to include navigating a few bumps in the road. These skills are not taught in the classroom, they are real life skills that will surely stay with Logan and Aidan for a lifetime. As they prepare for graduation in June, both scouts plan to take the lessons learned in scouting with them into their next chapters.
Logan will be studying at the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management with a major in Management and a minor in Biology, and Aidan plans to attend the University of Utah to study Mechanical Engineering. As they say: “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!”