Community Corner

Two Local Boys Become Eagle Scouts

Elijah Broadbent and Jeffrey Patterson get top Scout honors after hard work on their projects.

With college decisions made, many students relax during their senior year of high school.

Not so for Elijah Broadbent and Jeffrey Patterson who will graduate from in June. Both became Eagle Scouts at a Court of Honor celebration on Feb. 19. The two Scouts belong to Troop 702 which meets at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Plymouth.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America. A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle, for life. A key requirement in achieving this award is to plan, develop and lead a service project—the Eagle Project. In doing this, a Scout must demonstrate leadership and a commitment to duty.

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Broadbent’s Eagle Project was inspired by his younger sister who has type 1 diabetes. He wanted to do something that would help her and other affected youth manage their diseases. Working with The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Elijah decided to assemble kits with diabetic supplies for college students living away from home for the first time.

To get started, Broadbent,18, did a fundraiser at . He set up a table near the cashiers where customers were able to donate money or select supplies to purchase for donation as they passed through the checkout lanes. The supplies included such items as alcohol wipes, glucose tablets, and batteries.  

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The fundraiser was a big success. Not only did Broadbent collect the supplies to fill 100 diabetes kits, he also collected $600 in cash. The money was used to purchase plastic tackle boxes with individual compartments for the supplies.

“It was amazing how many people wanted to help," he said. "Everyone was so nice about it.”

Broadbent then recruited family, friends and church members to help assemble the kits. When the kits were finished, he added informational letters to the roommates of diabetic students. These letters explained how to use the kit to help diabetic friends in case of an emergency.

Broadbent also collected donations of items such as art supplies, books and small toys to put in a “treasure chest” and given to children as they complete their diabetes check-up at Children’s Endocrinology Clinic in Minnetonka. He was able to donate approximately 150 items to the clinic. 

He documented over 200 hours of community service while doing his Eagle Project. He is the son of Paul and Mary Catherine Broadbent of Minnetonka.

Jeffrey Patterson

In his search for a project, Patterson,18, contacted the city of Deephaven to find something that would benefit the community. 

He learned that Shuck Park, located at 20150 Cottagewood Avenue in Deephaven, needed lots of work. Restoring the park would involve power washing a wood playground structure, picnic table and benches. Then wood needed to be stained and metal components painted. A basketball pole, two swing sets and monkey bars needed scraping and painting. The basketball hoop needed a new net.

Patterson accepted the challenge of restoring the park with help from family and friends. The city agreed to fund the supplies and the use of a power washing truck.

The city of Deephaven recognized Patterson for his outstanding accomplishment. Until he came along and refurbished Shuck Park, the city had allocated money this year to buy a new playground. Now they will postpone the expense for a few years. The new Eagle Scout documented over 300 hours of community service for his Eagle Project. He is the son of Jim and Melissa Patterson of Deephaven.


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