Two local Troop 805 members earn promotion to Eagle Scout rank

Boy Scout Troop 805 members Jacob Piechowski
and Colby Sanborn were promoted to the rank of
Eagle Scout during a Court of Honor ceremony on
Aug. 15 at the Windham Veterans Center.
PHOTO  BY COLLETTE HAYES 

By Collette Hayes

For the last several years, two local Boy Scouts, Jacob Piechowski and Colby Sanborn, have walked the steep and narrow trail that has led them to the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting. On Sunday, Aug. 15, Windham Boy Scout Troop 805, sponsored by the Windham Veteran’s Center, conducted a special Court of Honor to recognize the promotions of Piechowski and Sanborn to Eagle Scout.

Piechowski, is a Raymond resident and a 2021 graduate of Baxter Academy. Sanborn lives in Standish and is a 2020 graduate of Bonny Eagle High School.

Beginning his scouting career at age 9, Piechowski said that his mother played a huge role in him achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

“Over the last eight or nine years my mom has taken me to every single one of my scouting meetings. I have never missed one and I have never been late for one,” he said. “It has been quite the journey. During the journey what did I learn? In addition to learning the skills from earning 21 merit badges, I learned to cook beef stew without the beef. I consumed enough beef jerky in a two-week period of time learning never to have the need to eat beef jerky again.”

For his Eagle Scout project that requires a scout to demonstrate ability to plan, develop and provide leadership, Piechowski organized a group of scouts to move over five tons of canned and bottled food items to the basement of the Windham Food Pantry. He created a computerized inventory resulting in easier access of the items stored in the Food Pantry.

“My project began with taking out everything on the bottom floor and reorganizing what needed to be kept and donating the rest to the Salvation Army,” Piechowski said.

Piechowski’s advice to scouts is simple.

“The journey toward an Eagle is going to be challenging,” he said. “There are going to be ups and there are going to be downs. The best way to make it is to take the journey with your friends whether it be a friend who is sitting right next to you at this Court of Honor or your friends out in the community.”

Sanborn joined Troop 805 eight years ago.

“I have enjoyed going on hikes, to jamborees and overnight camping. I have made a lot of new friends,” Sanborn said. “I have learned survival skills, knot tying and first aid while I attended camp for three summers. Whitewater rafting and rock climbing were two of my favorite activities.”

He has served in many leadership positions in scouting and currently Sanborn is assistant scoutmaster for Troop 805.

He offered some sound advice for new scouts.

“Work on your rank advancement early. Don’t wait too long in doing your Eagle project,” he said. “Merit badges are key to your advancement so ask your leaders about how to accomplish more merit badges. Take leadership responsibility where needed.”

For his Eagle Scout project, Sanborn rebuilt the changing facilities at Rich Memorial Beach in Standish, with new doors and seats and built storage for kayaks and paddle boards.

Stacie Sanborn, Colby’s mother, said there were significant challenges with his Eagle Scout project.

The project was seasonal and had to be completed during the spring. To complicate things a bit further, the project began during the challenges of Covid. Throughout the project she said she could definitely see her son navigating the challenges of the project with skill and leadership reflective of an Eagle Scout.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is extremely rare. During his closing remarks of the ceremony, Rene Daniel, a scouting supporter, looked over to Piechowski and Sanborn.

Emotion flooded his face, and he said, “Something we all should remember from having attended this Court of Honor, less than eight percent of all who begin the scouting journey achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.”

When considering the entire population of Scout-age youth in the United States, that percentage drops to about 0.3 percent.  Piechowski and Sanborn have taken and met the Eagle Scout challenge and have now joined the few who have lifted their wings to soar with the Eagles. <