On Wednesday, Aug. 18, Piedmont’s Troop 4 was thrilled to host an Eagle Court of Honor for nine of its own. Friends and families of Troop 4 gathered under the redwoods behind the Piedmont Community Center to help the honorees celebrate this hard-earned award. Special guest speakers included Mayor Teddy King, Scout Executive Kate Benson, and Reverend Scott Kail. In addition, Robert Barry Hamilton (Andrew Grasman’s grandfather), an Eagle Scout, West Point graduate, and military veteran, gave the keynote speech on the significance of the Eagle award. “If you get lemons, make lemonade,” he advised.
For their Eagle projects, Jack Blodgett built a beautiful compost bin for Greenleaf Elementary School; Kevin Blodgett built a fruit box storage area for Piedmont Middle School; Andrew Grasman created a series of computer science videos for the James Baldwin Academy; Gavin Horne built an outdoor stage in the playground by the Piedmont Recreation Department; Justin Katter built a wooden music binder cabinet for the Piedmont High School a cappella program; Linus Lee built a fence for dogs at the Hopalong Animal Rescue shelter; Kian Roseborough built steps and reinforced a slope on a trail for the Friends of Sausal Creek; Nate Wilson installed exercise equipment storage units; and Jonathan Wu installed a flagstone patio at the back of Wildwood Elementary School.
All of the Eagle Scouts thanked the Troop 4 leaders, parent volunteers, fellow scouts, and their family and friends for their unwavering support to help them on their long journey to Eagle.
Troop 4 | Eagle Projects & Leadership Recognition
Jack Blodgett
Eagle Project: Jack partnered with Rodolfo Perez from Greenleaf Elementary School, a charter school in Oakland, to design a compost bin for use in the school’s gardening program. The compost bin is used to recycle vegetables to create new soil. It was completed and installed in the school’s garden on Aug. 16, 2020.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: Troop scribe, patrol leader, troop guide, and Camporee Troop 4 liaison (2018) and station leader (2019).
Kevin Blodgett
EAGLE PROJECT: Kevin worked with John White, Ryan Fletcher, and Pete Palmer at Piedmont Middle School to design and install a new fruit box storage for the PMS green team. The fruit box storage unit houses weekly fruit box shipments from Frog Hollow Farms and protects the boxes from the weather and animals.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: Assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leader, patrol scribe, troop guide, and camporee scribe for 2018 and 2019.
Andrew Grasman
EAGLE PROJECT: Andrew worked with the James Baldwin Academy, a high school for students with learning differences, to create a series of computer science videos to augment the computer science training materials available to students. In partnership with the school and Troop 4 volunteers, Andrew developed a fun, introductory course to get students interested in all facets of computers, including artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. The completed computer science video series featured voiceovers, graphics, and interactive quizzes that Andrew and Troop 4 scouts created to make the videos engaging for viewers.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: Troop guide, senior patrol leader, den chief, scout staff member at BSA Camp Marin Sierra in 2021.
Gavin Horne
EAGLE PROJECT: Gavin partnered with Erin Rivera and Brian Hebert to design and install an outdoor stage for the preschoolers at the Piedmont Recreation Department. The stage now brings life to a once lifeless shady corner outside the department. Preschoolers are able to have ceremonies and everyone is able to enjoy the new space at the park.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: Senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, scribe, troop guide, troop chaplain.
Justin Katter
EAGLE PROJECT: Justin supported the Piedmont High School a cappella program by building portable wooden cabinets to store the department’s music binders and sheet music. He collaborated with PHS a cappella program leaders, Joe Piazza and Jan D’Annunzio, to scope the project and design custom storage cabinets and shelving to organize the department’s physical assets and set up the program and its student participants for success.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: Iron chef, patrol quartermaster, Troop 4 webmaster, Troop 4 quartermaster.
Linus Lee
EAGLE PROJECT: Linus designed and executed his eagle project for the Hopalong Animal Rescue shelter in Oakland. He built a fence that would create a play area that is now used to showcase dogs to possible future owners and help move dogs from their kennels while they are being cleaned. The fence was installed at Hopalong on March 9, 2021.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: quartermaster, webmaster.
Kian Roseborough
EAGLE PROJECT: Kian organized a project to build steps for Friends of Sausal Creek, an organization that maintains and protects Sausal Creek and its surrounding trails. The Beaconsfield trail was steep and got slippery with leaves or rain. With the help of volunteers, Kian built over 40 new steps on one segment of the trail and reinforced the lower slope to improve safety. The steps will make the trail more accessible, safer, and easier to use for dog walkers, trail maintainers, other volunteers, and anyone who passes through.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION | Troop Roles: Quartermaster, assistant patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader 2018 and 2020, troop guide, den chief.
Nate Wilson
EAGLE PROJECT: Nate partnered with Jason Harris, Rick Smith, and Ariel Smith-Iyer of the Bay Area Outreach Program (BORP) to design, build, and manage the installation of new exercise equipment storage units and a pilates Bandy Board for BORP’s Berkeley fitness studio. BORP is a non-profit organization that enables physically handicapped individuals to participate in sports, fitness classes, and outdoor activities.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION
Troop Roles: Troop guide, assistant patrol leader, troop librarian, senior patrol leader at National Jamboree 2017.
Jonathan Wu
EAGLE PROJECT
Jonathan partnered with Principal Carol Cramer of Wildwood Elementary School to install a flagstone patio at the back of the school. The patio reduced tripping hazards, enhanced the landscaping, and eliminated muddy areas. Jonathan collaborated with Ms. Cramer to reimagine the space, plan the layout, identify funding, and find the materials necessary to execute the project.
LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION
Troop Roles: Patrol leader, troop scribe, vice chief of membership (Order of the Arrow), Camporee staff, and Cub Scout day camp staff.