Anirudh Srivastava, a member of Livingston’s Boy Scout Troop 12, recently became an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. He was formally inducted as an Eagle Scout in an Eagle Court of Honor on March 9.
The journey to becoming an Eagle Scout is long, requiring commitment and dedication. A scout has to learn the scouting fundamentals, earn merit badges to exhibit the knowledge gathered, contribute to society through service projects, participate in hiking and camping activities, and complete an Eagle project that yields a positive outcome for the community. According to Boy Scouts of America, only about six percent of the scouts achieve this rank.
At Srivastava’s Court of Honor, when he took the oath to become an Eagle Scout, Livingston Council member Ketan Bhuptani presented Srivastava with a plaque. The plaque recognized his achievements and contributions to the community. Close to 120 people, including his troop and close friends, attended the event. On the day of the ceremony, a US flag was flown at the nation’s capital to celebrate Srivastava’s achievement; the flag will be sent to Srivastava in the coming months.
In his address to the troop, Srivas (Continued on Page A-10) tava urged the younger scouts to enjoy their scouting journey and participate as much as possible to get the most out of scouting. He also mentioned that getting involved in scouting was one of his best decisions and that he has not only enjoyed the journey, but also learned valuable life skills.
Since childhood, Srivastava has been interested in outdoor activities. He began his scouting journey in the fall of fourth grade in 2017, when he joined Pack 16’s Webelos Den 6. He enjoyed learning scouting skills, participating in numerous activities, and attending many camping and hiking trips. Most of all, he says, he cherished all the time spent with his fellow Cub Scouts.
One memorable event for Srivastava was the Pinewood Derby, where scouts made creative wooden toy vehicles and raced against each other. He combined his passion for Marvel and Star Wars to create his cars. He won the “Most Realistic Design Finalist” award category in 2018 and won “Most Original Name” in 2019 for his car “Excelsior” named in honor of Stan Lee.
Srivastava bridged over to Troop 12 in March of 2019. He says he loved the independence that came with being a Boy Scout. He participated in challenging hiking and camping trips, including one trip where the temperature plummeted to below ten degrees Fahrenheit. He has also gone through extensive hands-on learning, as exemplified by his 33 merit badges. For example, the merit badge for swimming requires scouts to swim in an open lake, and the merit badge for kayaking requires scouts to survive a capsized kayak in open water.
After being in the troop only for a few months, Srivastava volunteered for the bugler role in November 2019 and continued in this role for years. During COVID-19, he played “Taps” outside his home on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and during the troop’s virtual meetings. In addition to being the bugler, he became den chief and then an instructor. He also served as a patrol leader and is now an assistant senior patrol leader.
Over the years, the troop has recognized Srivastava’s commitment to scouting through numerous awards. He received the Robert Henry Carl Memorial Award in 2022, which enabled him to complete a rigorous leadership course, the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) at Camp Turell. This training is mandatory for taking up senior leadership positions in Troop 12. He also earned the 50th Anniversary Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Award in October 2021; the Kean Award for the best attendance in troop activities in 2022; the World Conservation Award in June 2022; and a gold pin in the National Outdoor Awards for Camping in 2023. Recently, he earned the Saint Peter’s Church Outstanding Scout Award and the innagural Phil Pondiscio Commitment to Scouting Award in February 2024.
Srivastava completed his Eagle Project at the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland, where he has regularly volunteered since 2021. His project involved improving the Lenape educational site, where children learn about the NativeAmerican tribe. It included creating a fence to protect plants, building benches, constructing displays that exhibited how the tribe dried fish and deer hide, and making mortar pestles to show how grains were processed. The project required scouts to dig holes for 30 wooden poles for the fence, make wooden benches using planks and tree stumps, use coal to create pestles out of wooden stumps, and create the drying racks by collecting and tying large tree branches. The project required several months of planning and varied contributions from fellow Boy Scouts over several days.
The project’s sponsor was David Alexander, the senior naturalist at the Essex County Environmental Center. When asked about his experience with Eagle Projects, he said, “I do my best to sponsor service projects that provide scouts the chance to develop knowledge, skill, and leadership abilities that work to improve access to nature, environmental education opportunities and conservation benefits for our Essex County Park System.”
Alexander added that Srivastava “has consistently demonstrated maturity, reliability, and responsibility and used his initiative to take the proactive steps necessary for high-quality work. Scouts like Ani exemplify the best of our community, always looking for ways to actively give back and provide stewardship, leaving places better than they found them.”
Srivastava is currently a sophomore at Livingston High School. He is a member of the Livingston High School marching band, the Science Olympiad team, and the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
Troop 12 has been operating in Livingston since 1926 and will celebrate its centennial in two years. Anyone interested in joining Troop 12 can contact committee chairman Richard Waxman at 201-247-4351, or Scout Master Ravi Mukkavilli at 201-388-2474.
