Anirudh Srivastava, a member of Livingston’s Boy Scout Troop 12, recently became an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. He was formally inducted as an Eagle Scout in an Eagle Court of Honor on March 9.The journey to becoming an Eagle Scout is long, requiring commitment and dedication. A scout has to learn the scouting fundamentals, earn merit badges to exhibit the knowledge gathered, contribute to society through service projects, participate in hiking and camping activities, and complete an Eagle project that yields a positive outcome for the community. According to Boy Scouts of America, only about six percent of the scouts achieve this rank.At Srivastava’s Court of Honor, when he took the oath to become an Eagle Scout, Livingston Council member Ketan Bhuptani presented Srivastava with a plaque. The plaque recognized his achievements and contributions to the community. Close to 120 people, including his troop and close friends, attended the event. On the day of the ceremony, a US flag was flown at the nation’s capital to celebrate Srivastava’s achievement; the flag will be sent to Srivastava in the coming months.In his address to the troop, Srivas (Continued on Page A-10) tava urged the younger scouts to enjoy their scouting journey and participate as much as possible to get the most out of scouting. He also mentioned that getting involved in scouting was one of his best decisions and that he has not only enjoyed the journey, but also learned valuable life skills.Since childhood, Srivastava has been interested in outdoor activities. He began his scouting journey in the fall of fourth grade in 2017, when he joined Pack 16’s Webelos Den 6. He enjoyed learning scouting skills, participating in numerous activities, and attending many camping and hiking trips. Most of all, he says, he cherished all the time spent with his fellow Cub Scouts.One memorable event for Srivastava was the Pinewood Derby, where scouts made creative wooden toy vehicles and raced against each other. He combined his passion for Marvel and Star Wars to create his cars. He won the “Most Realistic Design Finalist” award category in 2018 and won “Most Original Name” in 2019 for his car “Excelsior” named in honor of Stan Lee.Srivastava bridged over to Troop 12 in March of 2019. He says he loved the independence that came with being a Boy Scout. He participated in challenging hiking and camping ...
