A senior at Shawnee High School, Vincent Antuzzi, 18, first started his path to becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest honor in rank of the Boy Scouts of America, at age 16 upon listening to his grandfather mention his regret of not having done more when he was a Scout. Recently, after completing his Eagle Scout project on Sunday, March 22, Antuzzi was recognized with a proclamation from the Medford Township Council at its bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
“I felt honored that the township presented me with the proclamation. My grandfather was there and it felt good,” Antuzzi said. “Beth Portocalis, the assistant to the township manager and council, emailed my mother that the township wanted to give the proclamation to me, and that she wanted to make sure we would be able to attend.”
Antuzzi’s project involved reconstructing the back steps and back door way, and also repainting the railing on the handicapped ramp, at the Senior Citizens Center at Cranberry Hall. Ultimately, he was able to enhance access to the senior center by designating, preparing, constructing and installing a new set of back steps.
A member of Boy Scout Troop 20, Antuzzi also reset and painted the rear door to the building and repainted the wrought iron railing on the handicapped ramp leading to the main door entrance to Cranberry Hall. To successfully finish this project, he enlisted the assistance of 40 volunteers over the course of one weekend, and directed them in completing a variety of tasks.
“We put in a lot of time and elbow grease during this project, and Vincent did a great job leading. He’s usually a quiet kid, so it was fun to watch him be very clear, concise and direct when leading his fellow Scouts,” Scoutmaster Todd Devlin said. “He’s been in the troop for six or seven years as a Scout, but he didn’t start to achieve his ranks until late in his career. It has been very impressive to watch him complete an incredible amount of requirements in such a short period of time.”
Although he only had two years to fulfill all of the requirements of becoming an Eagle Scout, Antuzzi was determined to stay focused and complete each step on time, without a missed deadline. After earning the necessary ranks, he needed a project and sought help from an elder Scout.
“Our Eagle Scout coordinator, Lee Bealuk, speaks with Medford Township in regard to projects that may be available. There were a couple of projects he discussed with me, and I chose Cranberry Hall,” Antuzzi said. “It felt good to do a project that I know will be used by other people within the community.”
He recalls getting to take on the role of directing as being his favorite part because he was able to make sure his volunteers had something to do dependant upon their skill level. He also expressed his appreciation for all of the volunteers who helped him complete his project, and that he couldn’t have completed this without them.
“As a result of Vincent’s project, he better understands the value of community involvement and civic duty,” Mayor Jeffrey Beenstock said during the proclamation. “Vincent’s leadership skills are an asset to the Boy Scouts of America Troop 20, his community, family and friends.”
The proclamation read that the township of Medford recognized Antuzzi’s high standards and hard work in attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. It also encouraged the support and participation of fellow troop members, friends, neighbors, colleagues and fellow citizens in other beneficial community service as part of associated Scouting programs now and throughout the year.
Antuzzi said he also recommends his peers take on similar projects to keep the community a clean and safe place. He believes it is important to give back and to make sure areas such as Cranberry Hall remain accessible to the public.
Antuzzi plans to go to college and get a degree in business. Hei believes having been a Scout will help him attain these goals because it taught him leadership, a quality he believes is needed to accomplish great things.
