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Boy Scout Troop 16 held a Court of Honor on November 1 at the Maple Street Congregational Church in Danvers. Scouts were honored for earning rank advancements, merit badges and for participating in summer camp. Congratulations to all the scouts. Photos by Troop 16 member Tim Jordan.

Members and leaders of Boy Scout Troop 16 hiked 20 miles along the Bay Circuit Trail north of Boston on Sunday, October 23. A 20-mile hike is a requirement for the Hiking Merit Badge.

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Adult leaders and members of Boy Scout Troop 16 slogged their way through 30 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut from August 13 to 15, making their way from Kent to Salisbury.

The trip was organized by troop committee member John Kuconis. Also participating were troop member Rian Dalton; assistant scoutmasters Sky Blanchet, Evan Palmer and Fred Palmer; committee members Joy Thornell-Smith and Rick Smith; and adult leader Matt Kercher and troop member David Kercher, both of Troop 173 at Hanscom Air Force Base.

Troop 16's newest Eagle scouts: John Baker (left), Evan Rutkowski (top center), Sky Blanchet (bottom center) and Evan Palmer (right).

Four members of Boy Scout Troop 16 were recognized as Eagle scouts at a recent Court of Honor held at Endicott Park. The Eagle award, highest in scouting, is given to boys who have earned at least 21 merit badges and who organized and managed a major community-service project.

The four scouts and their projects are:

• John Baker, who replaced a handrail, reburbished picnic tables and cleaned and stained a fence at Endicott Park.
• Sky Blanchet, who expanded the footprint of the playground at Endicott Park and fenced in the new, larger area.
• Evan Palmer, who developed a nature trail in the Whipple Hill area of Endicott Park, including the installation of 23 concrete trail markers.
• Evan Rutkowski, who planned, managed and took part in the painting of 31 classrooms at the Notre Dame Center next to St. Mary’s School.

Each service project required the scout to solicit donations of paint, lumber and other materials and to organize work crews of family, friends and fellow scouts. Typically an Eagle project encompasses more than 100 total hours of labor.

Among the speakers at the Court of Honor were troop chairman Gregg Perry; troop committee member John Kuconis, a former troop chairman and scoutmaster; troop advancement chairwoman Joy Thornell-Smith; scoutmaster Dan Thornell; former troop chairman Steve Burrill, now advancement chairman for the Great Eastern District; and state Rep. Ted Speliotis. The Rev. Dan Hammerle, elder at the Middleton Congregational Church and an Eagle scout, delivered the invocation and benediction.

Sky Blanchet and Evan Palmer also received Bronze Palms in recognition of their earning five merit badges beyond the Eagle requirement.

Troop 16, whose roots extend to the beginning of the scouting movement in 1911, has produced 76 Eagle scouts since 1960, and 29 since 2001.

The troop is chartered by the Maple Street Congregational Church.

Troop 16's newest Eagles are, from left, John Baker, Evan Palmer, Sky Blanchet, and Evan Rutkowski. Click on image for more photos. (Photos by Tim Jordan)

Congratulations to the newest Eagle Scouts from Troop 16: John Baker, Sky Blanchet, Evan Palmer, and Evan Rutkowski. The scouts were honored on Saturday, June 4, at an Eagle Court of Honor held at Endicott Park. Following the Court of Honor, a reception was held in the Carriage House.

Troop 16 has produced 29 Eagle Scouts since 2001.

Click on image for more photos. (Photo by Tim Jordan)

Scouts and adult leaders from Troop 16 gathered at Walnut Grove Cemetery, across from the Peabody Institute Library, to help Allen Ellis with his Eagle project on Saturday, May 28. The troop helped Allen place American flags on veterans’ headstones at Walnut Grove and St. Mary of the Annunciation Cemetery. Allen will also be compiling an extensive computerized database of veterans’ graves in Danvers as part of his project.

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Troop 16 hiked the Appalachian Trail on May 12 and 22, 2011. The trail started in southern Massachusetts, and the boys and adult leaders spent the night at the Mt. Wilcox campsite. There was a 20-mile option for experienced hikers and six-mile option for new scouts. Many of the 20-mile hikers will do a 50-mile hike in August 2011.

Next Tuesday’s meeting,  May  17, will be at the Samuel Holten House at the corner of Holten and Centre Streets. We will meet in the parking lot at 6:30 p.m. Bring rakes and gloves. We are going to clean up the parking lot and take a tour of the house.

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More than 25 scouts and adults turned out at the Judge Samuel Holten House on Saturday, April 30, to help Derek LeBlanc with his Eagle project. Armed with rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows and tools, the troop cleaned up the yard and built compost bins. Congratulations to Derek, who planned and managed the project, and thank you to everyone who helped.

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With more snow on the ground than we’ve had in years, the annual Klondike Derby at Endicott Park was especially memorable this year. Scouts and leaders camped out on Friday, January 28, and took part in activities on Saturday. Welcome to our igloo!