The Saturday morning summer sun shone down on a team of friends and Troop 113 Boy Scouts on July 16, as they stretched a yellow measuring tape across fresh lumber alongside the leadership of project manager, Eagle Scout candidate and rising senior at Rome High School, Cai Sabino.
The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest degree of achievement a Boy Scout can reach, and Cai has been working toward that achievement since he was five years old.
To earn Eagle Scout status, there are several requirements that a Scout must satisfy before their 18th birthday, one of those being a service project. For his project, Cai decided to return to Rome Middle School and offer his service there.
The project involved building benches for the soccer/football field and creating raised beds for the RMS garden and outdoor classroom. The Scouts were resourceful as they took down the benches that were in weathered condition and used the materials to create the raised beds for the garden.
Sabino said that when he was considering what to do for his Eagle Scout project, he remembered his influential relationships and memories made at RMS and wanted to give back.
“I had a really good experience in middle school,” Cai smiled. “I had a great connection with [Principal Parke] Wilkinson and I had a lot of fun. It was nothing but awesome.”
Cai explained the reason behind his project leading up to his Eagle Scout achievement, “The project is meant to teach leadership skills for the Eagle Scout candidate, and also to bring service to your community.”
Cai also had the help of his younger brother, Clay, older brother and Eagle Scout, Caleb, as well as his father, Dr. Henaro Sabino.
“In terms of life skills, I think it’s very important for them to learn leadership, planning and organizing, and how to plan for the best and prepare for the worst,” Henaro said.
He smiled as he added, “Whether they want to do construction, engineering or medicine in the future, this is just the beginning.”
Since the origin of the Eagle Scout rank, in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have achieved its coveted title. Through the service project requirement, Scouts implement what they have learned and gain valuable experience.
Cai said that he must attain his Eagle Scout status by his 18th birthday, which is coming up September 3, however, he hopes to achieve that goal by mid-August.
“We’ll be celebrating with the Eagle Scout Court of Honor,” Cai explained. “It’s a whole ceremony and banquet involving all of the Scouts who have achieved Eagle Scout status at the same time.”
Cai said that as he embarks on his future, he will always take with him the memories that he has made throughout the years in the Scouts.
“I think my favorite experience that I’ve had so far was the one I had this summer at Sea Base in the Florida Keys,” he said. “We had the opportunity to travel to each of the Keys by sailboat and learn about the four ecosystems.”
He smiled as he said that he will definitely be helping his fellow Scout friends with their Eagle Scout projects in the future; all giving back together.
