T.O. youth awarded Eagle rank

Andy Horan

Thousand Oaks resident Andy Horan, 15, a member of Boy Scout Troop 753, recently received his Eagle Rank in a Court of Honor ceremony at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Newbury Park, which sponsors his troop.

An avid backpacker and rock climber, Horan organized a service project to benefit the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He supervised the building of a workbench and five storage boxes for trail maintenance tools.

Horan spent more than 40 hours planning and carrying out the project, which included an additional 150 hours of work from other Scouts and friends. Horan said he enjoyed working on this project because it combined his love of woodworking with his love of the outdoors, and he was able to contribute to the preservation of the trails he uses on a regular basis.

A member of the Topa Topa Lodge of the Order of the Arrow, Horan has earned 22 merit badges. He’s a sophomore honor student at St. Bonaventura High School in Ventura, where he’s active in A Chance to Serve, the school’s campus ministry program. He helps to plan liturgies, retreats, food drives and community service projects. Horan is also a member of the track team.