An Extraordinary Person
Only a very small percentage of Boy Scouts attain the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
New Berlin resident Tony Nitz did it last year.
Tony is a 2009 graduate of New Berlin Eisenhower High School.
He attends UW Whitewater where he is pursuing a degree in Accounting, and works at the Marcus Ridge Cinema in New Berlin.
***Update 7/19/10: Tony will be attending UWM this fall.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that such a nice, polite young man had received the People Pleaser Award from the Ridge in 2008 and was also an Eagle Scout.
Tony told me that he’d been involved in Scouts since the first grade. He was a Tiger Cub and Cub Scout in the early grades (Pack 83 which met at Glen Park Elementary) and then Boy Scout (grades 6-12). He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 83.
Learning all the skills and completing all the requirements to advance through the ranks of Scouting and become an Eagle Scout takes a lot of dedication and hard work . Tony says his parents were very supportive of that “journey” and his two younger brothers are also active in Scouting.
For his leadership/community service project –a requirement to become an Eagle Scout--- Tony chose to do landscaping at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in New Berlin. Tony asserts that this project took about 150 total hours (with Tony spending over 60 hours on it) and involved several people. He is deeply appreciative of the help and support he’d gotten from people, including Scouts, family members, friends, church members and workers, the owner/designer at Hawks Nursery, and the Church architect who approved Tony’s plan.
The landscape plan/project involved removing an area of soil and old sod by the church, picking out plants, planting them and caring for them. Small trees, bushes, and perennial flowers were planted. It was also Tony’s job to cover the costs, which he did by soliciting donations. Tony succeeded in getting all of the plants donated from area nature center businesses or from individuals.
Tony earned over two dozen merit badges and held leadership positions including Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol leader.
According to Tony, the Eagle Scout ceremony was a really nice way to be recognized. Boy Scout dignitaries and some elected officials, including the mayor of New Berlin, were there. Tony got an achievement award from Sen. Lazich and Rep. Gundrum. There were Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts assisting with the ceremony. Tony told me he’d also gotten “cool” letters of recognition from the Pope and “the Bushes.” Tony’s awards included a badge to sew on and a pin.
Tony credits his involvement in Scouts and the values they teach, for helping him resist peer pressure, become a stronger person in his beliefs, better leader and citizen. Tony contends that Scouts are partially responsible for helping him realize who he wants to be and how he wants to act toward others.
