Joseph Ryan recently received the Eagle Award, the highest award the Boy Scouts of America presents, as a member of Boy Scout Troop 33 in DeKalb.
A 2013 graduate of DeKalb High School, he is the son of DaRin Ryan.
His journey in scouting began as a Tiger Cub in Pack 173 sponsored by St. Mary School in DeKalb, where he earned the Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouts.
In 2007, he joined Boy Scout Troop 33 sponsored by the First Lutheran Church in DeKalb. He enjoyed years of summer camp at Camp Lowden, where he earned many of his 27 merit badges and participated in swimming, canoeing, rifle shooting, archery, handicrafts, nature study and climbing.
Ryan’s most exciting Scouting adventure was touring Central America with Troop 33. In Panama he enjoyed visiting Boca del Toro, snorkeling coral reefs, an island jungle and dolphin watching. Activities in Costa Rica included zip lines, jungle hiking, whitewater rafting, volcano rim hike, waterfall hike, night nature hike in a rain forest, local family homestay, Scout Troop 78 in Escazu, and touring museums and sites in San Jose.
More recently he worked in disaster relief projects following Hurricane Sandy. He worked on multiple trips with his family collecting donations and cooking meals for hundreds of storm victims.
His Eagle Project took place at Oaken Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, located north of Sycamore, which involved supervising the construction and installation of 19 bluebird houses in 2013. He collected lumber and materials from the community and put Scouts to work in the process. Bluebird houses provide habitat for bluebirds along a nature trail near the Kishwaukee River.
He has provided leadership in positions, including Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. Ryan is a student at Kishwaukee College.
Boy Scout Troop 33 is sponsored by First Lutheran Church in DeKalb. Visit their
website at www.troop33dekalb.org.
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