In a remarkable Eagle Court of Honor event, held Jan. 29 at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Stiles, Troop 79 honored three of its Scouts for reaching the rank of Eagle.

Typically, an Eagle Court of Honor is held for one or two Scouts. Three at one time is rare.

Andrew John Nederostek, of Whitehall, and Noah James Kapustic and Kailyb Ryan Leitch, both of Northampton, were all installed into the Eagle Scout fraternity after a long journey from Tenderfoot to the highest level of Scouting.

Troop 79 Scoutmaster Mark Nederostek was beaming to have three Scouts rise to this level, especially since one of the Scouts is his son.

Collectively, the three young men earned 92 merit badges during their Eagle Scout journey. All three completed service projects in the community as a requirement to reach Eagle status.

Andrew Nederostek’s service project involved the evaluation of the tattered fencing and deteriorated grounds surrounding the air conditioning units at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Northampton. He evaluated, planned and executed the plan to have new fencing installed and the enhancement of the surrounding grounds.

Kapustic’s service project was to install much-needed shelving at Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative Food Pantry at St. John’s. The project involved precision wood cutting and accurate placement of the shelving to best utilize the space.

Leitch’s service project was to refurbish a transportation cart utilized for various activities by Queenship of Mary Catholic Church in Northampton. The cart was in need of an overhaul that required thoughtful, sequential planning to complete the project.

Andrew Nederostek is a senior at Allentown Central Catholic High School. He has not picked his college choice but plans to attend college after graduation. His major at college has not been determined at this point.

Kapustic is a senior at Northampton Area High School. He plans to attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster to study computer-guided machining.

Leitch is also a senior at NAHS. After graduation, he plans to attend Northampton Community College to study computer programming.

State Reps. Jeanne McNeill, D-133rd, and Zach Mako, R-183rd, were on hand to provide each of the three Eagle Scouts with a citation of achievement. McNeill presented to Andrew Nederostek, while Mako presented to Kapustic and Leitch.

The church social hall was full of family members, relatives and well-wishers, including other Eagle Scouts acknowledging this major accomplishment. The ceremony concluded with a reception of fellowship and light foods and refreshments.

Arthur R. Eldred, of Oceanside, N.Y., became the first young man in America to earn the Eagle Scout award Aug. 21, 1912. More than one million Boy Scouts have now earned the rank since 1912, including former President Gerald Ford and film director Steven Spielberg.

To join Boy Scout Troop 79, call the St. John’s parish office at 610-262-2260 for details.