Palisadians Achieve Eagle Scout Rank

Three Boy Scouts from Pacific Palisades Troop 23 have reached the rank of Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts’ highest rank attainable.

In an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony at the Bel-Air Bay Club on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Daniel Allen (grandson of Jack and Diane Allen), Mitchell Burdorf (son of Gary and Sherry Burdorf) and Austin Jones (son of Finn and Kristin Jones) received their Eagle medals and badges.

For each of these 10th-graders who grew up in the Palisades, the award culminated five years of work, including earning at least 21 merit badges, holding troop leadership positions and providing service to the community.

One of the final requirements for Eagle Rank is an extensive service project that each Scout plans and leads. All three boys chose a service project in the Palisades.

Allen, a sophomore at Palisades High School, built a very challenging obstacle course at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA Simon Meadow.

Burdorf, a sophomore at Harvard-Westlake, built six large stage platforms to be used at numerous performances at Temple Kehillat Israel.

Jones, a sophomore at Brentwood High School, prepared the ground and replanted an area at the Pacific Palisades Lutheran Church.

Allen has earned 41 Merit Badges as well as the Bronze and Silver Palms. He is a graduate of the Boy Scout National Youth Leadership Training Course and the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience Course. He now serves as an Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Instructor at the National Youth Leadership Training Course, according to Assistant Scoutmaster Jack Allen.

Troop 23, led by Scout Master John Wilson, has been active in the Palisades for over half a century and has awarded over 700 Eagle Scouts, more than any other troop in the United States, according to Michele Trout.  Only approximately 7 percent of all Boy Scouts across the nation earn the Eagle Scout rank.

—Jack Allen contributed to this report.