J 27: Congratulating Colin Fitzgerald upon the occasion of receiving the distinguished Eagle Scout Award, the most prestigious of Scouting honors

 Senate Resolution No. 27 BY: Senator PALUMBO CONGRATULATING Colin Fitzgerald upon the occasion of receiving the distinguished Eagle Scout Award, the most prestigious of Scouting honors WHEREAS, Colin Fitzgerald, through his diligence and rigorous efforts, has achieved Scouting's highest and most prestigious honor, the Eagle Scout Award; the ceremony will be held in November 2024; and WHEREAS, A Senior at Mattituck High School, Colin Fitzgerald is a member of Suffolk County Council Troop 39; and WHEREAS, In addition to his achievements with the Boy Scouts, Colin Fitzgerald is actively involved in his high school, serving as Senior Class President, National Honor Society Vice President, and the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) President; and WHEREAS, Colin Fitzgerald competed and won an invitation to compete at the International Development Career Conference in California and has maintained his position on the high honor roll since 7th grade; and WHEREAS, Colin Fitzgerald is an All-League Varsity Cross Country runner and has competed at the New York State Competition twice; and WHEREAS, This esteemed Eagle Scout is also a member of his school's Boys' Varsity Winter Track Team, and Boys' Lacrosse Team since 9th grade; and WHEREAS, Colin Fitzgerald is a leader in Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) where he has earned the rank of Cadet Petty Officer First Class; he has been a member of the Battalion since 9th grade; he is a three-time winner of the Outstanding Cadet Award; and WHEREAS, This exceptional young man is the Co-President of the Mattituck High School Mock Trial Team, competing as the Lead Attorney; and WHEREAS, Colin Fitzgerald volunteers his time helping the Rotary Club; he was selected and attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference, and in 2023, became the Rotary Interact Club President; and WHEREAS, When Colin Fitzgerald is not at school, he is an avid volunteer garnering over 200 hours of community service; he organized a Knights of Columbus food drive, facilitated donations for the Mattituck High School food pantry, served as a youth camp counselor at the 106th Rescue Wing supporting military families and their children and has undergone training to teach Mental Health Awareness; and WHEREAS, America has achieved her greatest heights of glory through the dedication, determination, and tireless efforts of the outstanding citizens of this Nation; and WHEREAS, It is only with the continued diligence and devotion of our youth, tomorrow's leaders, that America will maintain her glory; and WHEREAS, The Boy Scouts of America and its members are dedicated to the development of character and leadership in the youth of this Nation; and WHEREAS, Since 1912, Boy Scouts have sought to cap their years in Scouting with the prized Eagle Scout Award, which challenges boys to change the world; and WHEREAS, To earn the Eagle Scout Award, a boy must complete a rigorous set of service, leadership development, and skill-building tasks leading up to the final and most challenging requirement, the design and completion of an Eagle Scout Project; this project must be an issue of interest to the Scout and his community, employ team-based solutions, and educate and inspire others; and WHEREAS, For his project, Colin Fitzgerald designed, fabricated, and installed two fishing line disposal systems at two high trafficked local beaches; his goal for this project was to reduce the nearly 1 million wildlife killed by monofilament fishing line and spreading awareness about the benefits of keeping our beaches clean; and WHEREAS, This outstanding young man has been involved in Scouting for years, has lived up to Scouting's ideals and has attained all the necessary achievements; and WHEREAS, Colin Fitzgerald is a credit to his family, his school, his community, his State and his Nation, and there is no doubt that his future will be filled with accomplishments of equal importance; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations, in recognition of the significance of this meritorious achievement, to congratulate and honor Colin Fitzgerald upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of Eagle Scout; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Colin Fitzgerald.