Earl Williams




Four Saratoga youths earn Boy Scouting's highest rank

Approximately 325 requirements must be completed

By Leigh Ann Maze

The parents of four Boy Scouts from Saratoga who achieved the Eagle Scout rank held a ceremony for the young men Nov. 27 at Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church.

For David Azzi, Tom Mace, Trent Weber and Earl Williams, who recently left Saratoga to pursue college and careers, the rank is the highest honor possible. They are members of local troop 535--also known as the Trailblazers--and their leader is Scoutmaster Bob Wareham.

"When a kid makes an Eagle Scout, it really means something," Wareham says. "You wouldn't believe how proud I am of them. I can't put it into words.

"What really makes an Eagle Scout--aside from all the scouting skills, training and leadership--is the ability to internalize all the things he's learned and put them to use in his daily life," he adds.

Only two of every 100 Boy Scouts in the nation reach the rank of Eagle Scout, but more than 100 of members of troop 535 have done so since the troop's inception 40 years ago.

To become an Eagle Scout, a young man must complete approximately 325 requirements, including at least 21 merit badges, before his 18th birthday. The 12 required merit badges are in camping, first aid, citizenship in the community, nation and world, environmental science, personal management, personal fitness, family life, communication, sports and emergency preparedness or life-saving. Scouts must earn nine additional badges of their choice from 110 different options. The young men also must serve 16 months in troop leadership and 13 hours in service projects. Each scout organizes and completes an Eagle Scout service project and must pass a verbal test given by the troop leader.

Earl Williams

Saratoga resident Earl Williams attended Harker Academy and graduated from Menlo High School in Palo Alto in 1998. He completed his Eagle Scout project in October 1998. Williams attended Thomas Aquinas College near Ventura, Calif. In his seven years as a member of troop 535, Williams held many leadership positions and excelled as an instructor to the younger scouts.

"You get to do all these things that most people have never done, like learning to sail or cleaning a rifle," Williams says.

Williams is especially interested in snow camping and weekend campouts.

His service project was the construction of an all-weather path from a parking lot to the entrance of Thomas Aquinas College. He earned the money for the supplies by designing websites and he recruited 10 fellow college students to help with construction. He currently works as manager of the Information Technology Department for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. "It's a great accomplishment to finally finish something you've spent many, many years working on," he says.



David Azzi




David Azzi

Azzi became a Boy Scout in second grade and received his Eagle Scout rank in July 1999, shortly after graduating from Saratoga High School.

"I developed leadership and communication skills that I'll use in the future," Azzi says.

He enjoyed participating in outdoor activities, including 55-mile backpacking trips, spelunking and snow camping. An avid skier and snowboarder, Azzi looked forward to the troop's annual ski trips.

As his Eagle Scout service project, Azzi constructed a shed and overhang structure at Hakone Gardens to provide weatherproof storage for tools and equipment used on the grounds. Azzi is majoring in mechanical engineering at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.



Tom Mace




Tom Mace

A Saratoga resident since age 5, Mace became involved with the Boy Scouts in 1988 while a student at Argonaut School. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in July 1998 and graduated from Saratoga High in 1999.

Mace, who was involved in many outdoor and rock-climbing programs, became an instructor and mentor for younger scouts. He completed several 50-mile backpack trips with the troop, including one in the Philmont Boy Scout Wilderness Area in New Mexico.

"Besides having a lot of fun, the leadership skills we learned were one of the most important parts," Mace said.

His Eagle service project involved planning, organizing and leading the rebuilding of the washed-out bridge on the main hiking trail at Villa Montalvo and the erection of a retaining wall along the trail to prevent erosion. After achieving Eagle Scout, Mace continued to work with the troop as an assistant scoutmaster. He is a freshman at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.



Trent Weber




Trent Weber

Weber, a lifelong Saratoga resident, began his Scouting career in 1988 and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in October 1998. He graduated from Saratoga High School in 1999. He has completed 55-mile backpacking trips and planned, organized and led several of them.

"My favorite memories are of the outings--backpacking, rafting, biking," he says.

Weber was a member of a Scout Venture Group near Melbourne, Australia, during a student exchange program. For his Eagle service project, he installed a new sprinkler system at Hakone Gardens. The project involved designing the system, purchasing materials and organizing 16 volunteer workers. He continued to volunteer at Hakone Gardens after completing his project.

He is a student at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Weber said he hasn't had much time to use the many outdoor skills he learned since going to college because he is busy with classes, but he does use his self-reliance every day, a skill he said he learned in scouting.

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