In May 2013, 10 Cub Scouts in Montecito Troop 33 crossed the bridge in Manning Park as a symbol of their bridging to Boy Scouts.
Since then, all 10 have received the Eagle Scout rank. The final two, Hunter Brownell and Ben Work, had their Eagle boards of review conducted remotely this spring due to COVID-19.
All the boys gathered recently to celebrate the achievement by standing on the same bridge in Manning Park — this time with a display of badges and some extra height, too — essentially recreating the 2013 photo line-up.
They were all inspired to finish their demanding Eagle Scout journey as a way to honor their former scout leader Dave Cantin, who died in the debris flow in 2018, along with his son Jack, who was an Eagle Scout. Telford Work is the scoutmaster of Troop 33, who adeptly coached and encouraged all the boys through the years to complete their Eagle rank.
Nationally, an estimated 4% to 6% of Boy Scouts achieve the Eagle rank. In the case of Montecito Troop 33, it was 100 percent.
The scouts came prepared for the event at Manning Park, wearing masks while they assembled for the photo and removing them momentarily while the image was taken.