LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Three new Eagle Scouts join ranks of Lafayette's Troop 224


From left, Niko Vo, Ivan Dikov and Carson Blocker Photo Suzanne Campillo

Boy Scout Troop 224 of Lafayette members Carson Blocker, Ivan Dikov, and Niko Vo achieved Scouting's highest rank of Eagle Scout and celebrated their Eagle Court of Honor on June 24 at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church.

Troop 224, which began in May 1953, is a boy-led Boy Scout Troop dedicated to the ideals of the Boy Scouts of America national organization. The troop holds an annual Christmas tree sale next to the Lafayette Community Garden and meets at Happy Valley Elementary.

To achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, the candidate must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, including 13 Eagle-required badges, demonstrate leadership and scout spirit, and successfully complete an Eagle service project that benefits the community.

For their Eagle Scout projects, Acalanes High School junior Carson Blocker built sturdy redwood picnic tables for students at Acalanes High School; Ivan Dikov, also a junior at Acalanes, installed plantings at Springhill Elementary School, creating a protective green screen between the school playground and nearby roadway; and Niko Vo, a junior at Campolindo High School, built a "hugelkulture" permaculture garden mound for the science programs at Pleasant Hill Middle School.