LINCROFT – Eight years ago, John H. Griffin, Middletown High School South Senior and Boy Scout in Troop 246 lost his friend and fellow Cub Scout Timothy Pauxtis to a brain tumor when they were just 10 years old.
Griffin, now Middletown High School South senior and Boy Scout in Troop 246, never forgot Timothy nor the Boy Scout pledge to honor family and friends and do a good turn daily.
Recently, Boy Scout Troop 246, chartered by Lincroft Presbyterian Church, hosted an Eagle Court of Honor in April for Griffin for a project inspired by his friend. The project involved collecting toys and craft supplies for children receiving treatment at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
“When I was looking for the right project, I wanted to do something more than just satisfy an Eagle requirement,” Griffin said. “I wanted to remember Timothy in a positive way and make a difference and help others, which is what I really want to do with my life.”
Griffin began his project in September with his Eagle counselor John McQuade and contacted K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital Life Specialist Sarah Auerbach and Robert Wallers of the Meridian Foundation to coordinate the delivery of the toys.
Attending the Court of Honor were Griffin’s parents, Susan and John Griffin; his sister, Maddie; and Timothy’s mother Susan Pauxtis.
Boy Scouts making Eagle Scout account for only 2 percent of the 1.1 million Scouts nationwide.
Griffin, who earned 26 merit badges of which 21 are required for the Eagle rank in addition to his project, will graduate this month and will attend Misecordia University in Dallas, Pa. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, is the captain of Middletown South’s lacrosse team and also works at Christine’s Restaurant in Atlantic Highlands.
