Thomas Buechel, Brian Nilssen earn Eagle status

WEST MILFORD — Thomas Geoffrey Buechel and Brian Kenneth Nilssen will receive their Eagle Scout recognition at a Court of Honor ceremony on May 23, 2015 at St. Joseph’s Church in West Milford.

Thomas and Brian both earned their rank as members of Troop 114, chartered by St. Joseph’s Church and led by Scoutmaster Jeff Hanson.

The son of John and Donna Buechel, Thomas is a junior at West Milford High School. He became a Cub Scout in 2004 and has served as quartermaster, troop guide, patrol leader, and assistant senior patrol leader. He attends Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Hewitt and is a second generation Eagle, following in the footsteps of his father, uncle, brother and cousins.

Brian is the son of Ken and Laura Nilssen and a freshman at County College of Morris. Brian became a Cub Scout in 2002 and has served as quartermaster, assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, instructor and senior patrol leader. He attends Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park.

To earn the Eagle Scout Rank, the highest advancement rank in Scouting, a Boy Scout must fulfill requirements in leadership, community service and outdoor skills. To advance through the different ranks, a Boy Scout must pass specific tasks, which are organized by requirements and merit badges signifying the mastery of certain Scout craft skills. Of the more than 150 merit badges available, 21 must be earned to qualify for Eagle Scout.

Thomas’s project
Thomas chose his Eagle project shortly after hearing fellow Eagle Scout JP Cazorla’s speech at his Eagle Court of Honor. JP mentioned that he would like to see the chapel he started, expanded upon. Friends, family, and dozens of scouts helped Thomas complete an outdoor chapel for St. Joseph's Church in West Milford.

The chapel addition consists of 10 wooden benches, a wooden cross, a lectern, and a concrete bench for the priest. Thomas spoke at all the masses on Memorial Day weekend last year, and was met with overwhelming support from the parish.

Thomas’s first plans were to make all the benches from concrete, but after constructing a test bench with his dad, it was decided that wooden ones would be more manageable to construct and use. The test bench is what was finally used for the celebrant’s bench.

All the materials were ordered and delivered and it was time to start clearing the current mulch with help from Icon Landscaping and the Basket family. As the adults began to cut the wood, the scouts began to dig the holes. After realizing there was an abundance of rocks in that area, the Graf family offered their help and excavator and the project continued sailing along. Once the posts were set, the benches were built on them and sanded to finish. Plaques were installed on the benches for special donors.

The last hole for the cross was dug and, after assembling, was secured into the ground.

The final touch, the lectern, was installed and a cover was purchased to protect it from the elements.

After all of the installations, the chapel was ready for its inaugural Mass on Sept. 28, 2014, celebrating St. Francis’ feast day.

Thomas thanks the Basket family and Icon Landscaping, the Graf family, Kuiken Lumber, North Jersey Stone and Stove, all of his friends, family members, and scouts who helped with the labor, and the parishoners of St. Joseph's Church who financed the project. Special thanks to Fr. Steve, Bob Sautter, Sister Geraldine and Sister Janet for all of their encouragement and support for Troop 114.

Brian’s project
Brian’s Eagle Scout project was chosen as a response to one of St. Joseph’s Church’s requests for beautification in connection with the church’s 250th year jubilee celebration. Since St. Joseph’s has been the charter organization behind Troop 114 for 55 years and has provided a place for the scouts to meet each week, Brian was happy to be able to help the church with this project.

The project itself included raising money for materials, building a new cemetery sign, and cleaning and refurbishing a nearby cemetery rules and times sign. The new cemetery sign was constructed with pressure treated lumber, all weather-proof hardware and features it’s own roof, all to best withstand the elements. Weighing in at about 300 pounds, the sign is appropriately anchored in concrete deep into the ground. The sign incorporates art from the previous sign, a year badge which identifies the year of the church’s founding in 1765, and a two-foot-by-four-foot message section that the church can change at will to present messages of hope or direction as they see fit. The sign is expected to serve St. Joseph’s church for decades to come.

Brian thanked Fr. Steven Shadwell at St. Joseph’s Church for the opportunity to work on this project and for highlighting the fundraiser at church services; Bob Sautter, maintenance manager for St. Joseph’s, for his willingness to coordinate and his assistance on site; the Scout leadership, throughout his scout years, and for their guidance and help on this project. Additional thanks to the scouts, Eagle alumni and Scout dads for their many hours of work on site and their technical guidance; his friends and family who helped build and place the sign and for supporting him throughout the project.