Service in stone

In the woods outside of Wittenberg lies an almost-forgotten piece of local history: the Robin Road Cemetery, an old burial ground last used in 1913. For most, it’s just an overgrown patch of land hidden beneath moss-covered stones, but for 17-year-old Alex Brzezinski, it became a symbol of respect, service and achievement.

Alex, a senior at D.C. Everest High School and member of Boy Scout Troop 435 based in Weston, recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America. The skills he learned while in Boy Scouts converged in a community project that restored the neglected cemetery.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is no small feat. Since its creation in 1911, only 4% of Scouts have earned this rank.

Alex began his Scouting career in first grade as a Cub Scout. Over nearly a decade, he advanced through the ranks. Each step required mastery of new skills and greater responsibility, including camping, citizenship and public service.

The requirements for becoming an Eagle Scout includes earning at least 21 merit badges, with 14 specific ones required, such as First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Personal Management, Personal Fitness and others.

Alex said that he particularly enjoyed his aviation merit badge, which involved studying the principles of flight and even taking a flying lesson at Central Wisconsin Airport.

“The aviation merit badge was one of my favorites,” said Brzezinski. “We learned about planes and how to fly them.”

Beyond earning badges, leadership is a core part of the Eagle Scout experience, and Alex’s journey included completing National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT). NYLT is an intensive program designed to develop leadership skills through teamwork and problem-solving exercises.

“We pretty much tracked out in the middle of nowhere, and we were put into different patrols,” said Brzesinski. “That kind of forced us to work together towards a common objective.”

Alex said that the learnership skills he learned through NYLT helped prepare him for his Eagle project.

The most significant requirement for Eagle Scout is planning and leading a service project that benefits the community. For Alex, this meant restoring an abandoned cemetery that had become unsafe and overgrown.

Alex said that he found the cemetery almost by accident.

“My dad and I actually found the cemetery while geocaching,” Alex said. “It was really run down, with holes in the ground and overgrown brush.”

Geocaching, a modern-day treasure hunt using GPS, is a hobby Alex shares with his father, Shane, a connection that sparked his interest in local history and conservation.

To complete his project, Alex coordinated with multiple organizations: a member of his church who was part of a cemetery preservation group, the Wittenberg Historical Society, and the town chairman.

Together, they identified the work needed to be done which included filling holes, clearing debris, and cleaning headstones using D/2 Biological Solution, a safe and effective cleaner that removes moss and lichen without damaging the stones.

Alex led a team of fellow Scouts and community volunteers in the restoration effort. He described communication as the biggest challenge in completing his project.

“But we had a good group of volunteers,” he said. “Everyone was really interested in the project, which made it easier.”

The project not only improved safety but also renewed respect for the site and made future maintenance more manageable for the town.

“It’s important to honor those buried there,” Alex said.

Alex’s Scouting journey has taken him far beyond Wittenberg and Weston. He has traveled to destinations such as Washington, D.C., the Black Hills of South Dakota, West Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Another element that makes this accomplishment even more monumental is that Alex earned his Eagle rank exactly 35 years after his father, Shane Brzezinski, earned his.

“My dad got his Eagle after building some wood duck houses on DNR property,” Alex said.

The Eagle Scout rank not only holds a special place in the Brzezinski family, it also has a long line of history in American culture. Since the BSA’s founding in 1910, more than 2.5 million Scouts have earned the rank. Notable Eagle Scouts include astronaut Neil Armstrong, filmmaker Steven Spielberg and former U.S. President Gerald Ford.

Now that Alex has achieved Eagle Scout, he plans to continue serving his community while preparing for college at the University of North Dakota while studying aviation.

For young Scouts considering the path of an Eagle Scout, Alex offers encouragement: “It is possible, you can get your Eagle. Some places can be in really rough shape, but it can be done.”