Worcester Prep students earn Eagle Scout rank

Five Worcester Preparatory School students recently earned their Eagle Scout rank, the highest rank in Boy Scouts.

Eagle Scouts from Worcester Prep include rising seniors Frank Carter of Lewes and Kurt Leinemann of Ocean City, Md., and rising juniors Chipper Becker of Rehoboth Beach, Will Mears of Berlin, Md., and Joseph Schwartz of Salisbury, Md.

With a combination of extraordinary perseverance, countless merit badges, numerous camping trips and copious service projects, only 5.7 percent of participants earn the Eagle Scout milestone. The students’ Eagle Scout projects are located throughout the area, from the Delaware Seashore State Park to Coastal Hospice in Salisbury.

A Scout member since age 5, Carter earned his Eagle Scout rank with help from other Troop 1 scouts by building a GaGa Ball game pit for children to enjoy at Camp Arrowhead in Lewes. He learned how to play the game, which is similar to dodgeball, at the scout camping trips he attended over the years. He felt it would help people work together and communicate, as it did for him.

Leinemann served his community by restoring and installing a statue of an American soldier from World War II for American Legion Post 166. With assistance from Troop 261, the scouts completed tasks such as pouring concrete and pressure washing. In honor of the organization's centennial anniversary, he dedicated his efforts to the American Legion, knowing they will continue to honor veterans for generations to come.

Boy Scout members of Troop 225, Mears, Schwartz and Becker, began their journey as Cub Scouts in first grade.

As a tribute to his favorite scout memories of campouts, Becker chose to construct a campfire site at one of the juvenile rough camping sites at Cape Henlopen State Park.  His project included construction of an engineered stone campfire enclosure as well as four surrounding permanently affixed benches for seating.

Mears chose to restore three trap houses on the Five Stand Field at the Synepuxent Rod & Gun Club, an organization that hosts an annual Turkey Shoot, Troop 225’s largest fundraiser for the past 10 years. Scouts replaced and reconstructed doors and trap windows, painted, and installed a new retractable roof system for the springing teal. 

With the help of other scouts, Schwartz built and landscaped a gazebo for Coastal Hospice at its main care facility in Salisbury. The project encompassed digging a foundation for the structure, assembling the gazebo, shingling the roof, planting roses and adding a stepping stone walkway.