New Eagle Scout Adrian Ayala with his parents, Lorena Sanchez and Lazaro Ayala. --Supplied photo

New Eagle Scout Adrian Ayala with his parents, Lorena Sanchez and Lazaro Ayala. --Supplied photo

Troop 1441 Scout earns Eagle rank

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From staff reports

A journey that began years ago for Adrian Ayala recently culminated in Boy Scouting’s highest honor.

Ayala, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1441 (sponsored by the St. Mary Star of the Sea Holy Name Society) was honored at an Eagle ceremony at Duggan Hall on Jan. 13.

The Eagle rank is a performance-based achievement. Less than 10% of those in Boy Scouting will ever achieve he rank. More than 2.25 million Boy Scouts have earned the Eagle rank since 1912.

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New Eagle Scout Adrian Ayala with his parents, Lorena Sanchez and Lazaro Ayala. –Supplied photo

Ayala began the journey on his Scouting trail as a Bear Cub in Cub Scout Pack 4441 at St. Marty Star of the Sea, later earning the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouting’s highest award and attending Owasippe Scout Reservation in Twin Lakes, Mich. as a Webelo Scout.

He later crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 1441. As a member of the troop, he volunteered for three Summers at Cub Scout day camp as a den chief. He served as a Den Chief for Pack 4441, also holding the positions of assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and Troop 1441 scribe while attending yearly visits to Owassipe Scout Reservation and other Boy Scout camps.

Ayala also volunteered to clean West Lawn Park and at the Greater Chicago Food Depository on multiple occasions. Along the way, he earned 42 merit badges.

His Eagle project was to build, paint and anchor several benches for the activity field at Epiphany Church.

Ayala graduated from Acero High School and is currently attending Illinois State University, majoring in English.

His older brother, Arron, is also an Eagle Scout. His younger brother, Alexi, is a newer troop member. The Ayala boys’ parents are longtime troop committee members.

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Plant Chicago is a non-profit that encourages the growth neighborhood-based start-up businesses and which promotes what it calls a circular economy. It promotes a community-wide adoption of business models designed to recycle and reuse materials, money, expertise and more. Initially headquartered in a century-old warehouse in Back of the Yards, Plant Chicago has relocated to what was a vacant firehouse at 45th and Marshfield. Its indoor farmers markets are possibly its best-known and most popular events. The next market is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29 at its headquarters. For details, visit plantchicago.org. --Supplied photo

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