MAPLEWOOD, N.J. _ Four scouts from Maplewood’s Troop 5 have earned the prestigious Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America), symbolizing exceptional character, leadership, and service to their community. Only about 5% of scouts nationally earn the Eagle Scout Award.
The scouts were celebrated during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony held on Saturday, November 29, at Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church, surrounded by family, friends, and community leaders.
To achieve the Eagle Award, each scout must advance through the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life, earn a minimum of 21 merit badges in areas like outdoor skills, citizenship and life skills, and plan and lead a project that benefits their local community.
Scouts raise funds for their project and organize volunteers from the troop and broader community to complete the project. Scouts often choose organizations and projects that are meaningful to them personally.
The scouts who received the Eagle Award and their projects are as follows:
Sam Daley (on right) and volunteers painting a new picnic table at the Maplewood Community Pool.
Samuel Mitchell Daley of Maplewood, a senior at Union Catholic, worked with the Maplewood Community Pool last spring to build an inviting teen area for the 2025 summer season. His project included installing two new picnic tables for social interaction, renovating an existing volleyball court and installing a permanent cement cornhole court. These improvements were much appreciated by pool staff and well used by teens last summer.
Jack Ebert (in front) and volunteers cleaning donated medical equipment.
John Graham “Jack” Ebert of Maplewood, a senior at Oratory Prep, tragically lost his younger sister Annabeth to a rare mitochondrial disease called Alpers syndrome in 2018. For his Eagle Scout project Jack recognized an opportunity to support families caring for loved ones with mitochondrial diseases by collecting expensive therapeutic equipment from families who no longer need it and redistributing it to families who need it to make current patients more comfortable. Jack worked with the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) to find families who had equipment to donate and with the Pluckemin Medical Equipment Ministry at Pluckemin Presbyterian Church to find families in need of this specific equipment. Jack and his team of volunteers collected and cleaned twenty pieces of gently used equipment worth $40,000 and then arranged for it to be donated free of charge to families who could use it to care for their loved ones. For this project in his sister’s memory and his many years of involvement in the mitochondrial disease community Jack was selected by the UMDF as the winner of their annual Heartstrings Award.
Jesse Fryatt (on left) and volunteers painting an information kiosk on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood.
Jesse Fryatt of Maplewood, a senior at Columbia High School, worked with Springfield Avenue Partnership last summer to refurbish three information kiosks on Springfield Avenue in Maplewood. Jesse and his team of volunteers repaired and repainted the wooden kiosks which also required repairs and replacement of roofing, bulletin boards and the metal and plexiglass cases which protect them. The kiosks are once again attractive structures used by the town and many local community groups to publicize upcoming events and available services.
Alexander Lopos (on right) and volunteers delivering new orchestra instrument shelving to Columbia High School.
Alexander Lopos of Cincinnati, Ohio and formerly of South Orange, now a junior at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, worked with Columbia High School in the summer of 2023 to install new durable musical instrument storage shelving in the orchestra room. He organized the existing stock of district owned violins and arranged for some to be repaired or donated to students. Alexander also raised funds for the professional restoration of three district owned cellos returning them to their former glory and providing musical education opportunity for students for years to come.
Each scout was presented with the Eagle Award medal, a wooden keepsake box to store their Boy Scout merit badges and memorabilia from the Maplewood Rotary Club, and letters of congratulations from Governor Phil Murphy, Governor Elect and former Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), and Senator Cory Booker. Scouts also received proclamations from Maplewood Mayor Nancy Adams and South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum recognizing their service to the MAPSO community.
“By achieving the rank of Eagle Scout,” Governor Murphy wrote, “you have demonstrated exemplary discipline, talent and ingenuity. The lessons you have learned from scouting will serve you well throughout your life.”
Maplewood Deputy Mayor Malia Herman attended the ceremony and read the Maplewood proclamations recognizing and congratulating each scout individually on behalf of Mayor Adams and the Township Committee.
Addressing the crowd from the podium, each scout thanked their family, friends and troop leaders while sharing stories from their years in Scouts.
Daley shared some of the ways scouting has benefitted him including making new friends, learning first aid, orienteering and camping skills. He said he was recently surprised to find out that some of his friends are nervous about going to college because they hadn’t spent time away from home and their parents. He said he feels well prepared for the adult world because of his scouting experience including the many trips he has taken and the independence he has gained.
Four scouts from Troop 5 Maplewood were recognized for earning the prestigious Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in Scouting America, during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony at Morrow United Methodist Church on November 29, 2025. Pictured left to right, are Eagle Scouts Sam Daley, Alexander Lopos, Jesse Fryatt and Jack Ebert.
Ebert spoke about his experience of being a young new scout during the COVID pandemic. He then talked about his many fond memories of going to summer camp in the Adirondacks for two weeks every year since the pandemic. He said his greatest adventure with Troop 5 was going backpacking with his father for two weeks at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He spoke briefly about his Eagle service project and said that it was easy to keep motivated because the project was so personally meaningful to him.
Fryatt spoke about his experience attending Troop 5’s annual honor campfire at summer camp this year and feeling firsthand why older scouts get emotional when sharing their experiences with younger scouts. He said his highlights were his memories of backpacking at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, many service projects including his Eagle Scout project, monthly camping trips and learning more about himself and about leadership. He encouraged younger scouts to stay involved, stay curious and say yes to opportunities for adventure and service offered through scouting. He said he feels grateful and proud of his scouting journey as well as the rank. He plans to continue applying values learned in scouting in his life and keep finding ways to give back to his community.
Lopos acknowledged that all the family members and friends in attendance were likely anxious to celebrate with their scouts and so briefly thanked his parents and a couple of adult scout leaders who were of particular help to him on his Eagle Scout project.
About Troop 5 Maplewood
Troop 5 Maplewood has been a cornerstone of the community since 1920, fostering the core values of Scouting: trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, and responsibility. Sponsored by the Maplewood Rotary Club, this youth-led troop provides boys ages 11–17 with opportunities to grow as leaders and citizens through outdoor adventure, community service, and personal development. Highlights of the troop’s dynamic program include two weeks each summer at Massawepie Scout Camp in the Adirondacks, monthly outings, and high-adventure trips to remarkable destinations such as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. By embracing these experiences, Scouts of Troop 5 develop character, resilience, and a lifelong commitment to making a positive impact. Troop meetings are held Thursdays, 7–9 p.m., during the school year at Seth Boyden Elementary School. For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.troop5.us. Follow current activities on Facebook (facebook.com/troop5.us) and Instagram (@troop5maplewood).
