Boy Scout Troop 20 in Atglen, composed of boys who reside in the Pequea Valley and Octorara Area school districts, held its spring Court of Honor on March 8, during which Scouts were recognized for their achievements. The ceremony was held in the outdoor pavilion behind the Penningtonville Presbyterian Church in Atglen, where the troop meets.

During the Court of Honor, 18 Scouts were awarded a total of 27 merit badges. Through the merit badge program, Scouts have the opportunity to learn about various sports, crafts, trades and more. The merit badges awarded at the recent Court of Honor include Animation, Coin Collecting, Collections, Hiking, Leatherwork, Robotics, Public Speaking and Rifle Shooting.

In addition, a total of 14 rank advancements were presented, including eight Scouts who advanced to the rank of Tenderfoot, two who advanced to the Second Class rank, one who advanced to First Class and three who advanced to Life Scout. According to Scouts BSA, there are seven ranks - Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle - and the ranks must be earned in sequence.

"There are requirements for each rank," explained Christine Zink, a member of the troop's parent committee. "Once they earn the Life rank, they are Scouts for life."

Also during the Court of Honor, Noah Zink was presented the troop's Mitch King Award for Scouting. King retired from the Scoutmaster position in 2012 after serving in that role for 33 years. In honor of his longtime service to Scouting and to further recognize youths who share that enthusiasm for the Scouting program, the award was created in 2013.

The award is presented to the Scout who has best exemplified the aspects of the Scout Oath and Scout Law over the previous year. Nominations are presented to the Scoutmaster from other adult leaders. The winner is determined by the current Scoutmaster and King, who still remains an active part of the troop as an assistant Scoutmaster and treasurer.

Boy Scout Troop 20 meets at Penningtonville Presbyterian Church, 406 Main St., Atglen, on Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Boys ages 11 to 18 are welcome to join, and the troop welcomes visitors at its regular meetings.

Zink reported that the troop remained active during 2020. Scouts met via Zoom and took part in on-site camping trips. Additionally, the Scouts kept up their Adopt-A-Highway cleanup commitment, and they took part in the annual Scouting for Food drive to benefit the Octorara Area Food Cupboard.

"We (may) still have restrictions because we don't know what the summer looks like, but the boys have planned a full calendar," said Zink. "We are planning to go back to Camp Rodney in Maryland. Last year we could not go because we were out of state."

For more information about the troop, email zink.scouts@gmail.com.