An Eagle Scout Just in Time
Brenden Snow of Montauk Boy Scout Troop 136 received his Eagle Scout Award on Sunday, and just in the nick of time. To achieve Eagle Scout, one must be under 18 years old, which he turned just two weeks after his project was complete. He is only the 12th Scout from Montauk to become an Eagle Scout.
At a ceremony at the Montauk Firehouse on Sunday, he received the award from Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming and East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell. For his project, Brenden and his troop members built a set of bleachers to hold 42 people on the outdoor field on the grounds of the Montauk School.
But it was no easy feat, according to his father, Scott Snow, who said that from start to finish the project took about eight months. The Scout had to come up with a concept, which he did with the help of Dave Rutkowski, who oversees the Montauk Mustang collegiate baseball league games in summer on the field. Brenden had to raise the money for the materials, which he did with a pancake breakfast at the firehouse, and then he had to have the project approved by the Suffolk County Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
His fellow troop members helped out, digging holes, pouring cement, anchoring footings, and bolting the bleachers to the ground. Through it all, Brenden’s scout leader, Sean Tyrell, said he proved to be a born leader. “He had the respect of the whole troop,” he said.
And though it was quite an accomplishment, it wasn’t his only one recently. Back in the spring, Brenden won a First Congressional District high school art competition with a photograph he took with his GoPro camera from the water at Terrace, a popular surfing beach on the south side of Montauk.
Representative Lee Zeldin chose Brenden for depicting Long Island at its finest. Mr. Zeldin sent Brenden and his father two round-trip tickets to Washington, D.C., to claim his proclamation. They were there only one day, but it was an enlightening experience for the young man. He said he and Mr. Zeldin had a lot to talk about, including movies, beaches, and local art.
As soon as winter break is over, Brenden will return to finish his freshman year at San Diego State University, where he is majoring in graphic design with a minor in photography.
Correction: Brenden Snow is the 12th Eagle Scout in Montauk, not all of Long Island, as previously reported. According to Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, only 3 percent of the Scouts nationwide achieve this status.