Noah Kreutter and Patrick Menninger have been friends since kindergarten and are now graduating seniors at High School South. They also began their scouting careers together with Cub Scout Pack 759 as second graders, and appropriately, celebrated their Eagle Court of Honor together on May 10.
Kreutter’s project was building a pergola for the First Presbyterian Church of Plainsboro, where he and his family are members. “A pergola is a structure similar to a gazebo,” he says. “It provides shade and serves as a place for people to meet outdoors. The church requested this project because they wanted a place for parents to watch their kids on the playground. The project took about a year of planning and paperwork to get signed off, and then took one challenging week to execute.”
Highlights of Kreutter’s scouting career include three summers as counselor at the Ockanickon Boy Scout camp, where Troop 759 has traditionally attended, and which has been a tremendous training ground for younger scouts. “They were some of the best summers I’ve ever had,” he says.
Kreutter, a four-year varsity wrestler at South, was selected for the All-Packet team this year as the top wrestler in his weight class.
“I chose scouting in the second grade as a fun way to go on camping trips with my friends,” says Kreutter. “As I grew older, I became more aware of the other side of scouting — leadership and service. To me, scouting is a way of bettering oneself while giving back to the community.”
Kreutter, who will attend Georgia Tech in the fall, is the oldest son of Laura and Kevin Kreutter of Plainsboro. His sister, Mariah, is a sophomore at South; and his brother, Duncan, is an eighth grader at Grover Middle School.
Menninger has played baseball competitively since age five, including freshman and JV ball at South. After being a part of WWP Babe Ruth’s 15-year-old state championship team in 2012, he knew that he wanted his Eagle project to have a baseball theme.
His Eagle project was renovating the Zanghi Little League baseball field at Cranbury Village Park. It included rebuilding the pitcher’s mound, basepaths, and home plate area. “It was gratifying to receive positive feedback on the batter’s boxes from one of the current coaches, which we heard as we were arriving for our next work session,” Menninger says. “I was very happy to help improve a field that I spent so much time on growing up.”
In addition to scouting and baseball, Menninger is a member of South’s varsity ice hockey team. He also oversees the tutoring program for the National Honor Society at South.
The highlights of Menninger’s scouting career include waterskiing at Camp Rodney, organizing/and serving as senior patrol leader on the ski trip, impromptu sledding at the Klondike Derby, and hiking in the Poconos with the Philmont crew.
“Scouting has enabled me to grow as a leader and to serve my community, and I have gained many skills through scouting that have prepared me to handle almost any situation,” Menninger says. “My favorite part about scouting, however, is the affinity for adventure that has become ingrained in my personality.”
Patrick, who will attend Rice University in the fall, is the son of Marilyn and John Menninger of Plainsboro. His sister, Annie, is a sophomore at South.
Boy Scout Troop 759 reached a milestone of 50 Eagle Scouts, thanks to their newest Eagles. The troop is chartered through Queenship of Mary Church in Plainsboro, and meets at the church most Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.troop759nj.org for information about joining.
R. Dallin Nielsen of West Windsor also completed his Eagle Scout project. A member of Troop 183, his leader is Bryon Simmons. Nielsen is an eighth grade student at Grover Middle School. His parents are Heather and Brent.
His project was to build 12 informational plaques about butterfly species and beneficial insects native to New Jersey. The signs were installed around the garden of Dutch Neck School in West Windsor. The garden is maintained by teachers, students, and community members.
“I attended Dutch Neck School and I wanted to do something for the school,” he says. His signs will allow the students to study butterflies outside. His assistants include family, friends, teammates, Boy Scouts, and other leaders in the church and scout troop. He received donations from West Windsor-Plainsboro Education Foundation, West Windsor Plainsboro Soccer Association, and from his family.
“The completion and installation of the informational butterfly plaques will be very helpful to our students in their study of butterflies and the garden ecosystem,” says David Argese, principal at Dutch Neck School. “I am sure that your project will remain a lasting part of the garden and continuously aide young learners in their experiences at our school.”
