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DALLAS — David William Oley, 17, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouting, during a Court of Honor on Feb. 15 at the Apple Tree Terrace attended by local dignitaries, Scout leaders, fellow Scouts, teachers, family and friends. Oley completed the requirements and met with an Eagle Board of Review on Sept. 17, 2014, becoming the 149th Eagle Scout from Troop 281.
Oley has been a member of Pack 281 and then Troop 281 in Dallas since 2004. Both units are sponsored by the Dallas United Methodist Church.
He is also a member of Venturing Crew 163 in Shavertown. He earned Cub Scouting’s highest award, the Arrow of Light in 2009.
As a Boy Scout, he has had the opportunity to participate in numerous adventures, including canoeing on the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers, hiking historic trails in Gettysburg and New York City and the Boston Freedom Trail and whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River in Colorado.
He attended the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia and completed an 83-mile trek at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico in 2013. He has backpacked the Loyalsock Trail, the Delaware Water Gap, the Old Logger’s Path and in the Adirondacks. He has attended summer camps at Goose Pond Scout Reservation, Resica Falls Scout Camp, Trexler Scout Reservation and Camp Tuckahoe where he was recognized as an honor Scout. He recently attended the U.S. Naval Academy Merit Badge Jamboree with his troop in January.
Oley has held the positions of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Assistant Patrol Leader, Bugler and Den Chief. He was awarded the Den Chief Service Award in 2011 and he has earned a total of 56 merit badges to date.
In 2014, Oley served on the camp staff at Camp Acahela and was the Scout skills program area director. He has been elected to the Order of the Arrow and is a Brotherhood member of Lowappaneu Lodge #191. He completed National Youth Leadership Training in 2014 and earned the further distinction of the Sassafras award. He has also recently been awarded a Bronze Eagle Scout Palm.
As a member of Shavertown United Methodist Church, Oley is active in the chancel choir, youth group and God’s Handful youth choir. He has earned the God and Me, God and Family, and God and Church awards and is nearing completion of the God and Life award.
For his Eagle Scout project, Oley chose to renovate and landscape the grounds around the parsonage at Shavertown United Methodist Church which had become severely overgrown. He also mitigated a drainage problem in the front lawn. The project was completed on time and under budget due to generous donations of materials from local businesses and over 333 man-hours of volunteer work completed by fellow Scouts and parishioners.
Oley is the son of Dr. Richard and Rebecca Oley, of Dallas. He is a grandson of J. David and Joan Roskos, of Shavertown; Raymond and Beverly Condo, of Wyoming; and Richard and Rosemary Oley,of Elysburg. He is a junior at Dallas High School where he is active in the drama club and chorus and is a member of the National Honor Society.