Two Plymouth Meeting brothers, Tyler and Zackary Murphy from Troop 117 in Plymouth Meeting will be recognized on November 4th for earning the highest award in scouting, Eagle Scout.
Older brother Tyler (pictured left) started his Scouting career as a Wolf Cub in second grade. He was active in the Pack and earned all ranks including Arrow of Light before joining the Troop. Since joining Troop 117, Tyler was an active Scout in the Troop and served in leadership positions such as Scribe, Chaplain’s Aide and Den Chief. He has earned 25 Merit Badges on his trail to Eagle, the National Outdoor Award for Camping, and the Den Chief Award.
Tyler’s Eagle Project consisted of leading adults and youth to refinish the shed by the bocce courts at the Greater Plymouth Community Center and installing a Little Free Library by the playground, which he and his brother, Zackary donated to the community. The plaque on the library states “Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader”.
Tyler is a senior at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, where he is the co-host and producer of a Star Wars podcast called The Fulcrum Channel, a member of Colonial Instructional Television (CITV), and a member of the Colonial Players tech crew. He has earned distinguished honor roll for all of high school.
Outside of school and scouting, Tyler enjoys hobbies like Filmmaking, 3D Animation, Visual Effects, 3D Modeling, Gaming, Cosplay, and doing character impressions. He plans to pursue pursuing a degree in 3D animation and special effects in college and hopes to one day work for Industrial Light and Magic on the Star Wars franchise.
Zackary (pictured right) started his Scouting career as a Tiger Cub in first grade. He was active in the Pack and earned all ranks including Arrow of Light before joining Troop 117.
Since joining Troop 117, Zackary has been an active Scout in the Troop where he served in several leadership positions such as Scribe, Chaplain’s Aide, and Den Chief. He has earned 24 Merit Badges on his trail to Eagle, the National Outdoor Award for Camping, and the Den Chief Award.
His Eagle Project consisted of leading youth and adults to sand and remove many layers of peeling paint and then stain 10 picnic tables under the pavilion at the Greater Plymouth Community Center.
Zackary is a Junior at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. He is a member of the Colonial Players and has designed sets for school plays and musicals and is currently a member of the Film Production club where he will be filming this year’s student movie and has earned his place on the Distinguished Scholarship Roll.
Outside of school and scouting, Zackary is a history lover and World War reenactor. He loves painting miniatures, engineering, and is a self proclaimed D&D/Warhammer 40k Nerd, digital photographer, archer, and artist.
He is currently researching colleges and hopes to pursue a degree in Aviation with a minor in History and to one day become a commercial pilot.
Both scouts will be honored by State Senator Amanda Cappelletti and Plymouth Township Council Member, Lynne Viscio (3rd Ward) during the November 5th ceremony at the boys’ Eagle Court of Honor. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean recognized this achievement by flying a flag over the White House in each scout’s name which they will receive as a testament to their highest qualities of leadership and moral character. They have also received written recognition from President Joe Biden as a testament to their hard work, devotion, and dedication to making a difference.
Earning Eagle Scout has always carried a special significance, not only in Scouting, but also in higher education, business, industry, the military, and community service. The Eagle Scout Award is a performance-based achievement with standards that have been well-maintained over the years. More than two and half million Scouts have earned this rank since 1911.
Despite how big that number sounds, it represents only about 4% of the boys who have ever joined Scouts. That means less than 1% of the United State citizens have earned this prestigious award.