Matthew Meers, Brian Reil, and Alexander Rohrbach were honored by Boy Scout Troop 40 at a court of awards ceremony in West Windsor for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout — scouting’s highest rank.
Matthew Meers planned and led an Eagle Scout project to improve Van Nest Park in West Windsor. Under his supervision, dozens of volunteers worked to create a place for parents to gather while they monitor their children on the nearby playground equipment. Working from two worksites and moving bulky materials, Meers and the volunteers installed a ring of Belgian block surrounding a mulched area with a picnic table.
Meers participated in the Appalachian Service Project, where he spent two weeks in western Virginia improving and rebuilding housing for the needy. He also sang in his church choir and played the lead role in a musical for the congregation, played cello in the High School South Orchestra, and ran for the school’s track and cross country teams.
He started in Pack 66 as a Tiger in 1998 and received his Arrow of Light and joined BSA Troop 40 in 2003. Over the years he camped in temperatures from the single digits to the nineties. Meers attended the 2005 National Jamboree and was part of a 2009 Troop 40 crew at Sea Base High Adventure Camp in the Florida Keys. He served in several leadership capacities within the troop including scribe, instructor, and patrol leader.
“I’m thankful for my time in Troop 40,” says Meers. “I learned a lot of leadership lessons there, and I particularly enjoyed the strong camping and hiking program and the high adventure trips.” A freshman at Rutgers University, he is pursuing a degree in physics.
Alexander Rohrbach built a gaga court at Community Middle School. Gaga is an Israeli game similar to dodge ball, which sixth grade students in the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district learn to play while at outdoor education. Rohrbach, his fellow scouts, friends, and family built and stained the walls of the court at his home, then took them to the school and assembled the court on the playground.
He began his Boy Scout experience in first grade as a Tiger Cub in Pack 48, and bridged to Troop 40 in 2004 after earning the Arrow of Light. He has served Troop 40 in leadership positions including scribe, instructor, assistant senior patrol leader, and senior patrol leader. Alex attended the 2005 National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill and the 2009 Sea Base sailing and snorkeling “high adventure” trip in the Florida Keys.
During his time at High School South, he showed distinction in academics and sports. A peer leader for three years, he has also been a member of the Math Honor Society and the National Honor Society. This spring, he is captain of the Pirates’ varsity lacrosse team after playing for the team since his freshman year. Rohrbach also played wide receiver, defensive back, and place kicker for the Pirates’ varsity football team, serving as a captain this year. He has worked as a lifeguard at the West Windsor community pool for the past three summers.
“Scouting is like playing with Legos,” says Rohrbach. “If you give a box of Legos to 10 different scouts, you will end up with 10 different creations. Each scout finds his own way to put it all together.” He plans to study international business in college.
Brian Reil led 52 volunteers working well over 200 hours to build nine sandwich boards for the High School South music department. Positioned around town, the sandwich boards draw attention to events and fundraisers for the school’s choirs, bands, and orchestras — helping to increase attendance at events and spurring more success for the fundraisers that enable these groups to perform locally and abroad.
Reil, active in the performing arts, is co-director of three Pirate Players drama productions, in which he has also appeared. He has also performed in each of High School South’s spring musicals and been a member of the Concert Choir, which included a tour through Vienna and a recent performance at Carnegie Hall.
He is also a member of the National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society, serves on the Senior Class Council, is a Red Cross lifeguard, and works at Laser Park. Selected to attend American Legion Jersey Boy’s State at Rider University, he was one of the 40 general assemblymen among 900 fellow rising seniors from New Jersey.
Reil earned the Arrow of Light as a Cub Scout in Pack 66 and bridged into Boy Scouts and Troop 40 in 2004. He has held leadership positions including librarian, Chaplain’s aide, instructor, assistant senior patrol leader, and senior patrol leader. He attended the 2005 National Jamboree in Fort A.P. Hill Virginia as a member of Troop 2047, participated in the Sea Base high adventure camp, sailing and snorkeling with his crew to Key West, Florida.
“The trail to Eagle, and all the years I spent in scouting, helped me develop the skills needed to be a leader in our current society,” he says. He will attend the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University in the fall.
