Alex Barnhart Honored as Eagle Scout

Information courtesy of Westborough Boy Scout Troop 100.

Westborough Boy Scout Troop 100 will award the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout to Alex Barnhart on Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the , which is the chartering organization for Troop 100. The rank of Eagle, Scouting’s highest rank, is recognized throughout the world as an especially significant achievement.

Alex crossed over to Boy Scouts in March of 2004 from Cub Scout Pack 33 of Westborough where he earned all 20 activity badges, the Arrow of Light Award and the Religious emblem. As a Boy Scout, Alex earned 30 merit badges as well as the 100 nights of camping patch. As summer camp’s Honor Camper, he was elected into the Order of Taunkacoo. Honor Campers are those scouts that best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law.

He has held important leadership positions for Troop 100 including patrol leader, instructor, librarian and Troop Guide. Alex has also been an active camper on monthly trips in the region as well as national trips. His travels include Hemenway State Park, Maine High Adventure, merit trips to Acadia National Park and to Quebec, as well as rafting trips, a Coast Guard Academy trip and many others.

The Troop’s High Adventure trip to Philmont Scout Ranch, however, is Alex’s favorite. In the summer of 2009, a crew of 12 scouts and adults traveled to Cimarron, New Mexico for a backpacking expedition. Alex was voted as the crew leader, serving as the key person responsible for the overall success of the trek.

For his Eagle project, Alex led a team of volunteers to create a new hiking trail through Westborough Wildlife Management Area property near Chauncy Pond. His new trail transverses varied terrain from restoration of a heavily overgrown farmer’s access road, through a stretch of hardwood forest, to rolling pine grove. The new trail covers about two thirds of a mile.

Alex and his team of volunteers worked over 200 hours restoring and establishing this new trail. The sponsoring organization, Westborough Community Land Trust was so pleased with the outcome of the trial that they changed the location of a planned community hike to showcase the new trail. Over 75 town residents participated in this community hike.

In addition to his love of the outdoors, Alex has a passion for music. He enjoys music performance and composition (guitar, drums, piano, singing). Alex is a member of and composer for Buried Electric band.

The son of Brian and Susan Barnhart of Westborough, Alex is the brother of Chris Barnhart (also an Eagle Scout with Troop 100). He graduated from in 2011 and is currently attending the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, where he is studying music composition and plays in the school jazz ensemble and sings in the chorus.

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