Northfield troop has had astounding number of Scouts achieve Eagle rank
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
NORTHFIELD — Faced with steadily declining membership and with all but one aging out, Northfield Boy Scout Troop 72 would have to give up its charter if it does not get more involvement.
Scoutmaster Don Edwards, who has been part of 23 young men from Troop 72 achieving Eagle Scout rank, said many of the troops in the Southern Shore District Jersey Shore Council have been combining as membership has fallen, with Somers Point’s Troop 55 taking on many of the local Scouts.
“It seems like all of the people that have done stuff at the council level have gone to Troop 55 in Somers Point,” said Edwards, who has been with Troop 72 since 2006 and scoutmaster since 2013. He tried to retire but no one took over, so he “continued to volunteer so they would have a troop to get their Eagle.”
Troop 72 began in 1956, with Good Shepherd Church its charter organization from the beginning. Edwards, whose father was the first Eagle Scout out of the troop in 1962, said a troop must have at least five members to keep its charter. He said if the current troop folds, a new troop could get a charter in Northfield but may not get the same number.
“We are going to try to get people involved. I reached out to Linwood about combining troops,” Edwards said, adding that he will be reaching out to Cub Scouts who have been on the fence but joined Somers Point for the past two years.
Edwards got involved when his children were young. Now three of them — Shane, 26, Ryan, 24, and Andrew, 18 — are all Eagle Scouts and his daughter Amanda, 14, is part of Boy Scout Troop 452 in Mays Landing.
He would like to see Troop 72 continue its more-than-50-year tradition.
“Linwood is struggling, Northfield is struggling, EHT is losing two troops,” Edwards said. “If the younger parents don’t take over you are going to lose it. The sad part is a lot of students from Northfield will be going to Somers Point’s troop.”
Edwards said Troop 55 has 20 to 30 Scouts and is made up of “five other troops that failed.”
“After Cub Scouts, those who want to be Boy Scouts are going to Somers Point’s troop because that’s what the council pushed,” he said.
Edwards said the declining interest in Scouting is having a broader effect, with the former five or six regions now combined into two.
One thing Edwards is most proud of is the large number of Eagle Scouts from the troop.
“We have always been lucky to have a group of dedicated leaders on hand to encourage the Scouts. We have also had many Scouts who have seen what the Eagle rank could mean in their future. The combination of these two has led to many local young men being able to achieve this goal and many local organizations benefitting from their projects,” Edwards said.
Starting with James Sundra in 2011 and ending with Dennis Xu in 2021, 23 members of the troop have reached Scouting’s highest rank.
Edwards could not quantify that further but said it’s certainly above average for a troop.
Sharon McKenna, district executive of the Southern Shore District, said having that many Eagle Scouts is an amazing accomplishment.
“Any Eagle Scout, each one represents possibly as much as a decade of commitment to Scouting and learning skills, so it’s huge,” McKenna said. “That is a great accomplishment. It’s not for the faint-heated. It’s a hard row to hoe.”
Edwards said the previous scoutmaster pushed James Sundra to seek Eagle Scout rank and “once James got it, all the kids under him, it became like a competition to see who could do it first.”
Edwards said the process of achieving Eagle Scout is time-consuming and difficult and can be stressful for the teens.
“The first time going through it was overwhelming,” he said, but after a couple of times it becomes easier to guide them.
“Every Eagle Scout is another very accomplished individual and the only way that they get to there is through the guidance of their leaders and their own initiative, their own drive, their own commitment, so if you have 23 Eagles Scouts, you should be patting yourself on the back,” McKenna said.
“It’s really cool. If you watch them, they get really excited when they come up with an idea,” Edwards said, noting that’s when the hard part begins. “When they are done, it’s like 200 pounds of blocks off their back.”
He said a reception is held following the Eagle Ceremony and the feelings of relief and achievement are evident on the Scouts’ faces.
“They really think it’s great,” he said.
Edwards said if he calls any of these Eagle Scouts looking for help, “if they are in town they come and help.”
One event in which some of the older Scouts help out is the Christmas tree sale at the firehouse on Burton Avenue.
Edwards said Troop 72 has been operating the fundraiser since 1953, formerly at the intersection of Shore, Mill and Tilton roads.
Edwards said he already has had some organizations contact him about taking over the tree sales but he said if the troop folds he would give it to another Boy Scout troop, noting sports programs get money from the city each year but the Boy Scouts do not.
Edwards said the troop is looking for new Scouts and leaders who would like to help keep Troop 72 in the city. He can be contacted at donedwardsfamily@aol.com.
For more information on the journey to Eagle Scout, visit verywellfamily.com/an-eagle-scout-timeline-3570408.