Forbes Keating And Ben Zinser Earn Eagle Scout Rank

Nantucket Boy Scout Troop 97 held its year-end Court of Honor at the Public Safety Building Monday evening and honored two of their newest Eagle Scouts - Forbes Keating and Ben Zinser. Only about four percent of scouts achieve Eagle Scout status in the country.

Troop Leader Jason Zinser said his son Ben built tree swallow houses for the Conservation Foundation wetland restoration at the bogs. Zinser said Keating designed and installed a giant chess board and seating area at Our House.

Scouting was established on Nantucket in 1925 and only 55 island scouts - including Zinser and Keating - have achieved the Eagle Scout rank.

Since 2022, 10 scouts of those 55 scouts have earned the Eagle Scout rank - a credit to Zinser and the rest of the scout leaders.

08/25/22: Gabriel Zinser

8/25/22: Jeremy Caspe

11/05/22: Quinn Keating

02/02/23: Reuben Eldridge

07/17/23: Colin Lynch

07/17/23: Owen Wilson

11/04/23: Tomas Young

01/20/24: Timothy Sullivan

08/01/24: Forbes Keating

12/16/24: Benjamin Zinser

To earn Eagle, one must climb seven Scouting ranks, earn 21 merit badges, complete an Eagle Service Project, become a leader within their troop, and prepare their final Eagle Scout Binder.

Photos below from the ceremony were taken by David Creed.