Two Scouts from BSA Troop 267 in West Hempfield Township recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout: Hempfield High School junior Bryson Long and Lancaster Country Day School senior William Calder. Bryson's and William's achievements follow several years of hard work and dedication to the Boy Scouts and to the local community, and the members of Troop 267 will honor the two young men during a banquet on Wednesday, May 22.

Each Scout completed a service project as one of the prerequisites for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Bryson's project entailed the construction of hockey stick racks, which he installed in the storage room of the York Polar Bears ice hockey team. Bryson, who has played for the Polar Bears for the last seven years, said the racks were a sorely needed addition to the room; previously, players placed their sticks on the floor between games and practices. "I've been with (the Polar Bears) for a while, so I have a good relationship with everybody," Bryson said. "I wanted to do something for the team, versus another organization I'm not familiar with."

"It was really important to him to support the team," said Bryson's father, Richard Long, of the Eagle Scout project. "The team has given back to him a ton over the years as far as social and physical development. This was the perfect way for Bryson to combine his love of hockey and Scouting." The York Polar Bears is an ice hockey program that seeks to give children and young adults with special needs an opportunity to participate in the sport in an environment that caters to their individual needs and abilities.

With the help of fellow Troop 267 members and parents of other players on the team, Bryson spent several months planning the project, budgeting for supplies and communicating with local vendors. Once the details were squared away, Bryson and his helpers spent four hours assembling the racks to complete the Eagle Scout project in March 2024.

William's Eagle Scout project involved designing five bat boxes, which are artificial roosts used to foster bat populations in areas with few roosting sites. William led a team of troop members to build the boxes and install them at Susquehanna Riverlands State Park in York County. William also serves as Troop 267's historian and patrol leader.

"We are thrilled to celebrate William and Bryson's incredible achievement of reaching the rank of Eagle Scout," Troop 267 leadership said in a post on Facebook. "This rank is the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America, symbolizing a commitment to excellence, leadership, and community service."

For more information on Troop 267, visit http://www.bsa267.org.