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DeKALB – Keegan Donnelly, a member of Boy Scout Troop 33 chartered by First Lutheran Church in DeKalb, was recently presented the Eagle Scout Award, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. Keegan is the son of Bernie and Deanna Donnelly of DeKalb.

Donnelly first entered Scouting in 2006 with Cub Scout Pack 173, sponsored by St. Mary School in DeKalb. He earned the Arrow of Light Award, the highest honor in the Cub Scout program. In 2011 he crossed over into Boy Scout Troop 33.

He attended numerous campouts and activities in every season, highlighted by several summer camps at Camp Lowden in Oregon, Illinois.

Donnelly has been involved in Troop 33’s high adventure programs, including backpacking at Rocky Mountain National Park, hiking in the Badlands National Monument, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks, as well as visiting Mount Rushmore. Disaster relief efforts have taken him to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, tornado sites in Oklahoma, and more locally, Illinois tornado sites in Harrisburg and Washington.

He attended the 2013 National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia and recently completed National Youth LeadershipTraining.

Donnelly has served in various leadership positions, including senior patrol leader. He earned 41 merit badges. He is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society. Keegan was presented the Ad Altare Dei award at the Catholic cathedral in Rockford.

His Eagle project involved improving the central landscaped area at St. Mary School.

Improvements included installing lights for the American flag and St. Mary statue, painting the St. Mary statue, replacing shrubs and plants, installing landscape cloth and decorative stone, and installing a granite monument commemorating the 100th anniversary of the school.

Donnelly is a 2014 graduate of St. Mary School and will be a student at Aurora Central Catholic High School in the fall.