Sstudent/athlete Joey Loughney earns Eagle Scout rank

By George Leroy Hunter
MILFORD — Joseph P. Loughney III of Milford was recognized as an Eagle Scout in an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 3.

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Saint Joseph's Church in Matamoras hosted the event. Shohola Boy Scout Troop 76, along with numerous guests, attended.

Loughney, known as "Joey" to his fellow Boy Scouts family and friends, has been active in the Boy Scouts of America since grade school. He is a student at Delaware Valley High School in Milford where he is active in sports. He plays defensive lineman and offensive lineman for the Delaware Valley Warriors football team. He plans to attend college and has expressed an interest in pursuing a career in parks and forestry.

For his Eagle Scout project, 16-year-old Joey recently completed a service project that improved the eagle viewing station and public access at Shohola Marsh Reservoir on State Game Lands 180, in Pike County.

He led a group 11 Scout and adult volunteers that logged more than 100 hours of community service to complete the project. More than 100 tons of modified stone were delivered to the site to upgrade the parking lot.

The old station roof was replaced by sturdy metal roofing, and Scouts scraped and re-stained the inside and outside of the structure. Informational signs were then replaced or given fresh coats of paint.

Eagle Scout service projects develop a Scout’s leadership skills and provide important lessons in project development and management. A service project must benefit the community and it is considered the “application phase” of what an Eagle Scout candidate has learned thus far through Scouting.

National Eagle Scout Association representative Edwin Ward and Marine Corps League (North Shore Queens Detachment, NYC) representative Thomas F. Maher were among those who honored the newly fledged Eagle.