BUCKLAND — While the title of Eagle Scout is awarded to honored Boy Scouts during their youth, the title is often one the awarded carry proudly for the rest of their lives.
This month, Buckland resident Will Guyette, son of Pam and Herb Guyette, was awarded this rank during an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at Mary Lyon Church.
A member of Buckland’s Troop 10, Guyette built drop boxes for old and tattered flags as part of his Eagle Scout service project, a required task to achieve the rank. He taught the younger Scouts the proper procedure and ceremony for retiring flags so that this work will continue beyond his tenure with the troop.
Guyette’s family and community members were very involved in community service. He was inspired by one community member in particular when choosing his project.
“My neighbor, Arnold Purinton, a former Coast Guard member, puts American flags on the telephone poles along Route 112 through the center of Buckland, as well as along Upper Street in Buckland,” Guyette said. “A few years ago he came to me and my troop asking if we would retire some of the flags he had. We did, and afterward he mentioned that he had more flags.”
After being inspired to properly retire the flags, he got underway organizing his Eagle Scout project. Guyette said the hardest part was completing the necessary paperwork while juggling his senior year in school, sports and class officer commitments. He is now a freshman at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt.
The ceremony at Mary Lyon Church provided Guyette with an opportunity to reflect on his years as a Scout. He joined scouting as a Cub Scout in Shelburne’s Pack 85 and, when looking back, said that camping trips stand out.
“Scout camp also has a special place in my memory because of the wide array of activities that I probably never would have been able to experience anywhere else,” Guyette said.
Guyette was joined by a number of people for his Eagle Court of Honor ceremony, during which he thanked everyone who helped him reach the rank of Eagle Scout. He also handed out two mentor pins. The first was given to Henry Phillips, who had been his sponsor during the project. The second was given to the man who originally inspired his project, Arnold Purinton.