On June 17, 2017 at 10 a.m., Nicholas Bombardier, age 18, of Troop 66 Garden City, completed his Eagle Project. He held a Flag Retirement ceremony at Camp Champlin to celebrate the achievement at the time.

For his project, he led a citywide flag collection in conjunction with Benny’s in which a total of more than 1,500 flags were gathered to be properly retired with a ceremonial burning.

The flags included 7 American flags, 2 State flags, 1 City flag and 1 POW flag from the City of Cranston brought to Nicholas from Councilman Chris Paplauskas. Representative Robert Lancia, Councilman Chris Paplauskas and Councilman Paul McAuley were in attendance as well as members of Troop 66 Garden City.

“We were quite surprised with the number of flags we received,” said Nicholas’ mother Amanda. “I’m glad Nicholas’ project was able to help so many people who didn’t have a way of retiring their flags properly. We’re very proud of Nicholas and the young man he has become through his years in Boy Scouts and all the community service he has been a part of.”

Bombardier is the 153rd Eagle Scout from Troop 66 Garden City and his Eagle Court of Honor was held this past Sunday, Feb. 3 at Woodridge Congregational Church.

A senior at Cranston High School West, Bombardier has applied for acceptance to Brown University where he plans on studying mechanical engineering. He has been an honor student as well as a member of the National Honor Society.

“Thank you all for being here today,” he said Sunday. “To be able to see as many friendly faces around feels special in its own way. The journey towards the rank of Eagle was, and still is, not easy to follow. There are times where you may have no clue as to where to go, and other times you may lose your way. It should be said though, that this is not a summit that must be reached alone. By my side, my family supported as well as my advancements and my mentor, Mr. Steve Parenteau, helped to show myself the path.”

Bombardier presented Steve Parenteau with a Mentor’s Pin during the Eagle Court Ceremony.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Nick and he has shown a lot of determination that we rarely see, “said Parenteau.

“My Eagle Project was to collect worn and tattered flags in the city of Cranston to be respectfully retired,” said Bombardier. “With the help of Scouts and other volunteers we passed out over 1,000 flyers to local neighborhoods. I was able to have write-ups in the Cranston Chatter Column written by Meri Kennedy from the Cranston Herald as well to spread awareness of the project.”

He became a Boy Scout in 2014 and his Scouting achievements include Eagle Required Merit Badges in: first aid, citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation, citizenship in the world, communications, cooking, personal fitness, emergency preparation, environmental science, personal management, swimming, camping, and family life.

Additional Merit Badges that Bombardier earned were in: archery, fingerprinting, kayaking, small-boat sailing, mammal study, fishing, theater, salesmanship, skating, and farm mechanics.

He also held the position of Troop 66 Garden City’s Chaplain's Aide. 

“If it was not for the scouts here today, and some who are not, who volunteered their time to help the community through my eagle project, the efforts would have been for naught,” he said. “I thank you all for your aid and hope to see you all rise to the challenge of eagle one day. Though remember, most importantly, enjoy your time as a scout, for when the dust settles, and all has come to pass, the friendships and memories that you make here will last for a lifetime.”