Back in July, Manchester resident Jackson Thomas Surette became Troop 3’s 150th Eagle Scout. This was a huge milestone, both for local Scouting and for Surette, who was celebrated earlier this month at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony at the Amaral Bailey American Legion Hall in Manchester.
Jackson began his Scout experience as a Cub Scout and followed his brother’s footsteps through Troop 3. Thomas Surette earned his Eagle Scout Award in 2018. His grandfather Dave Metrano has been involved with scouting for over 60 years, as well as his Uncle Dan Metrano, who was the Scoutmaster for Troop 3 as well as the Chairman of the Committee.
Scouting has always been a bond between Jackson and his grandfather (aka Papa Dave). They spent countless hours working on numerous merit badges during Covid. The Scouts were not meeting in person at that time, and Dave was considered high risk, so the two of them continued with scouting requirements and swapping stories. Jackson chose his Papa to be his sponsor for his Eagle Scout journey. The following is the speech that Jackson wrote and recited for his sponsor.
“The person that I chose to be my sponsor did not take more than a second for me to come up with. This guy has been my mentor, my hero, my example, and one of my best friends for the last 17 years. I have always admired his dedication to Scouting, but one thing that has always made me sad is that he never achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He chose to serve his country in the Navy on a nuclear submarine during the Vietnam War, instead of finishing his Eagle Scout rank. This represents a selfless pride that even an Eagle Scout would admire. He has spent countless hours teaching through Scouts. He is the reason that I wanted to learn to scuba dive. I love to listen to his stories about his past Scout troops and all the things that they did, including taking scuba diving trips to Bonaire and other islands.
My whole life I always knew that there was nothing that he could not build or fix. When I came up with the idea for my Eagle Service Project, he was the first one that I went to for ideas and input on exactly how to build the depth markers, what kind of wood to use and how to fasten them to the pilings. He coached me on developing my written plan to present to the committees. Once I received approval from all the necessary boards, we began the project. He spent many late nights using the power tools that I was not allowed to, carving the measurements into the markers. He never once complained. My project was a success because of this man.
My family is a Scouting family. My brother Thomas is an Eagle Scout, my Uncle Dan is not only the Chairman, but also an Eagle Scout. Two of my sisters received their Girl Scout Gold Awards and my mom was a Girl Scout and has many different jobs in the troop. When you look back throughout my family history of Scouting, it all started with one man, my Papa, Dave Metrano. He and I spent countless hours during Covid working on merit badges. I thank him for all his dedication towards getting me to where I am at in Scouting. I am proud to have him as my sponsor. Saying thank you does not even come close to showing how much he means to me. Thank you, Papa.”
For Jackson’s Eagle Scout Service project, he designed, built, and installed depth markers for the docks in the harbor and at Tucks Point to assist boaters in determining if they had adequate depth to bring in their boats to the docks.
Jackson was celebrated with a traditional Eagle Scout Court of Honor on October 15, 2023. He was awarded numerous citations and well wishes from the Commander of the Amaral Baily Post, Senator Bruce Tarr and other officials. His ceremony was attended by family and friends.
Jackson is a senior at Essex Tech and has been accepted to the University of Northwestern Ohio for next Fall. He plans to study high performance engines and pursue a job with NASCAR upon graduation.
His family is extremely proud of his accomplishments and look forward to seeing where the next chapter of his life takes him. Congratulations Jack.
