After 10 years of scouting, Robbinsville twins Dustin and Dylan Roberts work together to become Eagle Scouts.
Nothing has shaped twin brothers Dustin and Dylan Roberts quite like joining Boy Scouts has.
The 17-year-olds have been a part of the organization since they were Cub Scouts. They have been on dozens of camping trips, earned over 40 combined merit badges, and formed the majority of their friendships through the association. Now, 10 years after they first joined, the boys are both taking the final steps towards the highest rank a scout can achieve: Eagle Scout.
“Being very active with them in the scouts, it’s a great transition to see,” said Don Roberts, the boys’ father. “They went from just wanting to run around and play and not really understanding the structure of the organization to really focusing and learning. As they started advancing in rank, the requirements went from being hands-on to more knowledge- and application-based. They really learned how to think things through.”
Don recalled an early learning experience that he considers to be particularly influential.
“One of the first things they learned was how to use a pocketknife,” he said. “They received cards that indicated they knew how to use it, but if they used it improperly, they got a corner torn off. If all four corners were removed, they got it taken away. They started learning things like personal responsibility at a very young age.”
Now, it’s apparent that lesson and others have stuck with them. They have each earned the 21 merit badges required to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, as well as demonstrating leadership in and out of the troop and writing a detailed final project proposal. Once the project is put into action and completed, they will be officially recognized as Eagle Scouts. Dustin put the finishing touches on his project on May 4.
“It was a lot of work,” he said. “There were a lot of emails. I had to talk to a lot of people. There were a lot of meetings and a lot of announcements. I felt so relieved.”
With good reason. Dustin decided to renovate one of the most well-known buildings in Robbinsville: “Little Red,” also known as the old township schoolhouse, now located near the library.
“I wanted to work on Little Red because the basement area is where our troop keeps all of our supplies,” he said. “Whenever we go on a camping trip, we pull our trailer into the parking lot area and take everything we need out of the basement. Our meetings are in the senior center that’s right next to it. I wanted to give back to the community for all the years my troop was able to use Little Red and what that meant to us. I wanted to get all of the new younger scouts involved so that they could develop an appreciation for the building as well.”
Dustin had to pitch his project to a number of Boy Scout committees before he could proceed. He had to include lists of supplies and materials, as well as deciding how to delegate different jobs and taking photos of what exactly he planned on renovating and why.
He then had to meet with a committee of township officials to make sure what he wanted to do was plausible before he got started. Because the interior is structurally sound, Dustin and his team wanted to focus solely on the exterior.
Once he outlined the proposal, he was given the OK, provided that he abide by the restrictions laid out by the township historical society. He could proceed as long as he used cedar wood in any additions and matched the new coats of paint to the original shades.
Dustin’s role was minimal in terms of actual work. The Eagle Scout applicant is supposed to do as little work as possible. Instead, he is meant to act as a sort of project manager. His job is to delegate tasks and help as needed.
One of their major tasks was constructing new shutters.
“The old ones were 10 or 12 years old, so they were rotting,” Dustin said. “They were getting to the point where they were about to fall off. It took one weekend to build all of the shutters and one weekend to put two coats of primer on them. It took another weekend to paint them white.”
Another was repainting the porch. Due to a mishap, this took two weekends to complete, one longer than expected. The first weekend, some younger scouts didn’t follow Dustin’s specifications, and the job had to be redone the next weekend.
They also powerwashed the building, trimmed hedges and shrubbery and adjusted the glazing on the windows. Dustin and his team of family, friends and other scouts logged more than 500 hours of work during the project’s five weeks.
Dylan worked with Dustin every step of the way. The only times he didn’t, he said, were when he was working on his own project. He is planning on sending 100 care packages to a military troop in Afghanistan.
Both Dylan and Dustin are planning on going into the armed forces after college, so the cause is close to both of them.
“I just wanted to give back to the troops who are out there right now,” Dylan said. “My whole family is into the military, so I talked to my cousins and got their advice. That pushed me a lot. While I was making up a list of what I was going to be sending, I asked soldiers, other family members and anyone who was interested what they suggested.”
One of his cousins helped him find a troop to sponsor, but as he started to type up his proposal, the troop returned home. Luckily, he found another soon after.
Because of operations security, Dylan does not know the exact demographics of the troop. He was told that there are around 80 soldiers in the troops, but to shoot for 90. He decided to go for an even 100. He plans on sending materials like food, toothbrushes, DVDs and even two coffee makers. His sister, a fifth-grade teacher, will have her students write letters to the soldiers.
“They really enjoy getting letters from anyone,” Dylan said.
Any little bit helps, he said.
“This troop is unfortunately living in really rough conditions,” he said. “They have no refrigeration. They’re not close to anything. It’s like a camp. They don’t have a coffee maker, so, with the help of my father, a gentleman is donating two propane-powered coffee makers that would have cost $200 alone.”
He is also accepting cash donations to cover shipping costs. He will donate any leftover money or materials to a local soup kitchen, something that he had to outline in his original proposal.
The boys started filling out their Eagle Scout paperwork last August but have been preparing for this much longer. Their mother, Nina, said she’s seen them grow a tremendous amount through Boy Scouts.
“There are several badges that are based on nation and community, as well as all of the community service projects that they do, including their Eagle Scout projects,” she said. “Dylan’s is based on the nation, and Dustin’s is based on the community. Those are two great components of the Boys Scouts that I see in both of them. They’re developing into leaders, and it’s all based on the Boys Scouts.”
Don agreed.
“As the boys got older, there were more advanced things that they could do,” he said. “It opens their minds in many different ways. Some of the challenges they’ve had to do even include learning communications. It has really stretched them.”
Both boys said they can’t imagine a life without scouting. Dylan hopes to serve in the Army and Dustin in the Marines, and both said staying active in the Boy Scouts all but made the decision for them.
“It has been the biggest influence on me,” Dustin said. “It’s how I got into everything I’m into. I have no idea what I would be like if I hadn’t joined Boy Scouts.”
What makes is better for them, though, is that they’ve gotten to experience everything with each other.
“It means a lot that we’re able to work together,” Dylan said. “We help each other out. The whole Boy Scout community helps each other out one way or another. If we’re Boy Scouts, we’re there to help people.”
Dustin and Dylan Roberts stand in front of the old schoolhouse located at the municipal complex. Dylan fixed the building up for his Eagle Scout project. Dustin is currently working on his own Eagle project. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.),
