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WILKES-BARRE — You could say Noah Taylor, a 16-year-old Boy Scout working toward the rank of Eagle, inherited his giving spirit.
As a little kid, he’d tag along when his grandfather, Ronald Mika, delivered donations of food and clothing to Ruth’s Place, a shelter for women in Wilkes-Barre.
“He told me they might not have a family, or sometimes their husbands are mean to them,” Taylor said Saturday afternoon, recalling the simple explanation his grandfather offered as to why a woman might need shelter. “I knew I would hate it if something like that happened to my mom.”
“It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to do this for my Eagle Scout project,” he said as about a dozen of his fellow athletes from GAR High School and fellow Scouts from Troop 43, which is sponsored by St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre, helped carry paper products, slippers, socks, non-perishable food, bottled water and other donated items into Ruth’s Place.
“I always tell people we can use the same things you use in a typical week at your home,” said Crystal Kotlowski, director of Ruth’s Place, who showed the young men where to stock the items. “We need cleaning supplies because we do chores every night here.”
Taylor said he collected items at GAR after the principal gave permission for a drive. Pennsylvania American Water Co., where his father works, also made a generous donation.
The Scout has only a few more requirements to meet before he approaches the Eagle Scout Board of Review in Moosic, but his road hasn’t been easy. Diagnosed with severe dyslexia in fourth grade, Taylor transferred from St. Nicholas-St. Mary School in Wilkes-Barre to the DePaul School in Scranton, traveling two hours on a van each day to a place where he could learn techniques that use his muscles to train his memory process.
A device called a memory board and “repetition, repetition, repetition,” have helped, said Taylor, who graduated from eighth grade at the DePaul School and then enrolled at GAR, where he became a starter on the varsity football and baseball teams as a freshman. This fall, as a sophomore, he captained the football team.
He credits Scouting with honing his leadership skills. “You learn to keep your head even if things go wrong,” he said, “and to encourage other people to do their best.”
Fellow Scouts and fellow athletes said Saturday they were glad to follow his lead and help with his project.
“I’ve been friends with Noah for 10 years,” said Mason Bagusky, 15.
“This means a lot to him,” said Owen Martin, 16, “and it will help him become an Eagle Scout.”
“I want to help and give back to the community,” said La’Jean Berry, 15.
Taylor, who said he would like to work as a counselor someday, is the son of Emily and Rod Taylor of Wilkes-Barre.
Before he can approach the Eagle Scout Board of Review, he still has to fulfill a camping merit badge requirement of camping at an elevation of 1,000 feet. He hopes to accomplish that soon at Ricketts Glen State Park.
