BY MICHAEL BENAVIDES
Staff Writer
A Holmdel teenager was full of confidence in his pursuit of attaining the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve – Eagle Scout.
Trevor Kiss, 14, said he felt confident that he was going to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, which he received on Nov. 29, 2016.
“I remember sitting at the table during my Board of Review wondering if I was going to achieve this award,” Trevor said. “Many scouts have gone before me and failed but I felt confident in my project and what I had accomplished.”
Trevor said he wanted to do something for a group that has shown selfless acts toward the community and came up with the Woman’s Club of Matawan.
His grandmother has been a member of this club for many years and Trevor witnessed the many hours of community service and the local charities such as the local domestic abuse shelter, the Veterans Home in Menlo Park and several children’s’ charities that the Woman’s Club supports.
Trevor was asked to fund raise for and assemble a 6 foot by 4 inch free standing sign that would face Main Street in Matawan. The sign would advertise the hall that the Woman’s Club of Matawan has and also the building itself.
Trevor held two fundraisers during rummage sales, worked at a booth at the comic book convention in October in New York and painted curb addresses on peoples curbs to raise the funds.
He received donations from the Kiwanis Club of Holmdel, Rotary Club of Matawan –Aberdeen, Dunkin Donuts of Matawan and many other people. He obtained the services of the law offices of Lawrence W. Luttrell in Holmdel, pro bono, to help obtain the variances needed.
Trevor began in June 2016 by weeding the area where the sign would go. He then proceeded to put down weed barrier and place red rose bushes. Once this phase was done he placed mulch around the area and waited anxiously for the variances to be approved. On Nov. 7, 2016 he received notice that the variances were accepted and he finished his project on Nov. 13.
He was able to obtain his Board of Review on Nov. 29 and received his Eagle Rank that evening. With more than 230 hours of community service, time working on merit badges and helping other scouts obtain their ranks Trevor has shown the true spirit of a Boy Scout.
Trevor began his journey as a Tiger in Cub Scouts and loved all that engulfed the Cub Scouts. He enjoyed making Pinewood Derby cars with his dad, carving out the Rain Gutter Regatta boats with his mom and advancing with his Den to get his “Arrow of Light.” So it came as no surprise when it was time to cross over and join the Boy Scouts, Trevor chose to join Troop 331 in Holmdel with a few other boys from his den.
Trevor advanced quickly in Boy Scouts as he climbed the ranks from Scout to Tenderfoot to Second Class and then to First Class. He began to fervently work on merit badges at Forestburg Scout Camp, merit badge fairs and troop meetings. He then received his Star and Life rank in 7th grade.
Trevor said that he joined Troop 331 because he wanted to get involved with all of the great community service projects that they were doing.
“I joined 331 because we visited other Troops, but Troop 331 was the most welcoming to my family. My parents wanted to be involved and Troop 331 allowed that,” Trevor said.
“I also witnessed first hand the many activities that they do for the community, such as planting and gardening at Village Elementary School, supplying food for the food pantries in the area and the many Eagle Projects we do for the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association,” Trevor said.
Trevor has been the chaplain’s aide for two and half years. He served as an assistant patrol leader when he first joined Troop 331.
Trevor is an 8th grade, honor student at William R. Satz Middle School in Holmdel. Trevor plays percussion instruments for the Satz band, enjoys taking Latin, he is a member of the 4H Clubs and the Shooting Stars and is an active member of his Student Council and his church youth group.
His parents, Darlene and Andrew Kiss, are very proud of their son, whose future plans are to follow in his older brother Tyler’s footsteps and go into engineering.
Trevor also said he wants to become an assistant scoutmaster after graduates high school.
“I plan on continuing to help the younger scouts achieve what I have. I also want to be involved in my troop after I graduate high school as an assistant scoutmaster,” Trevor said.
