North Aurora Boy Scout Troop 104 celebrates first two Eagle Scouts

Boy Scout Troop 104 celebrates the first two members in its history to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

Connor Harms, 18, of North Aurora, and Antonio Del Toro, 17, of Aurora received their promotions to Eagle, Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank, at a ceremony on Nov. 20 at Living Hope Church in North Aurora.

For his Eagle Scout service project, Harms collected 500 pounds of food for Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry in Aurora and earned more than 30 merit badges. Del Toro gathered 2,410 pairs of socks for clients of Mutual Ground domestic violence shelter in Aurora for his service project and earned 24 merit badges.

At the Eagle promotion ceremony, Thomas Brooks, Troop 104 founder, and Scoutmaster Chris O’Brien presented Eagle scarves, badges, parent pins and mentor pins. Fox Valley Marine Detachment 1233 presented a K-Bar Marine fighting knife to each Eagle.

Del Toro is a West Aurora High School senior, while Harms graduated from West Aurora in May and is studying civil engineering at Purdue University.

“It is very fitting that our sole remaining charter member of Troop 104, Connor Harms, and his good friend Antonio Del Toro, succeeded in their goals of becoming Eagle Scouts, they are excellent young people,” Brooks said.

Harms joined Boy Scouts in second grade, and in high school, he played soccer, graduated in the top 5% of his class and was a member of National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society.

Del Toro joined Scouting in 2010, and after graduating from West Aurora, he plans to move to Finland as an exchange student sponsored by Aurora Rotary Club. His long-range goal is to become a commercial airline pilot.

About the Eagle Scout rank

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America.

Requirements to become an eagle scout include earning at least 21 merit badges. The Eagle Scout must demonstrate Scout spirit, an ideal attitude based upon the Scout Oath and Law, service and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. Eagle Scouts are presented with a medal and a badge that visibly recognizes the accomplishments of the Scout.