June 14, 2025

Westfield Eagle Scout earns religious emblem

REGIONAL
By David Martin

WESTFIELD- Westfield Eagle Scout Brandon Cekovsky, a member of Troop 821 out of the Westfield Sportsman Club, received the Ad Altari Dei Scout Religious Emblem on March 29 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield during the 4 p.m. Mass. Cekovsky said he was glad to have the support of his family and friends. He explained the award is for Scouts in high school, typically underclassmen, and involves studying the different sacraments within the Catholic faith.

“I spent some time looking at Baptism and holy Communion, according to the Scout oath. You have to do your duty to God, so it really signifies the importance of doing your duty.  It was important to me once I got the first two religious emblems in Cub Scouting. I wanted to get all four in addition to the Eagle Scout, which is rarer than just the Eagle,” said Cekovsky.

While pursuing his religious emblem’s, Cekovsky also has been busy with his Eagle Scout project, which is  an incinerator to burn old flags. He said there were an abundance of flags at the Marine Corps League and no way of properly way disposing them. He pitched the idea to the Westfield Sportsman Club who were receptive to him building it there. Cekovsky added in the construction process, he tried to find the best resources and was pleased to have some companies donate some materials. Cekovsky and his father Chris Cekovsky invited IObserve to the Westfield Sportsman Club on Memorial Day weekend to view the project and demonstrate how the incinerator is put together.

He built the station on a single day, assembled the benches off site and transported them to the location. He built the patio out of concrete and made it complete. The elder Cekovsky is himself a five- year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and retired from the Air National Guard at Barnes Air Force Base in Westfield. Cekovsky said his son has always been very proud of the American flag and convinced him to erect a flag pole in their back yard.

“To have him recognize a problem that we are having with the proper disposal of the flag, come up with a solution and then carry that solution with his Eagle project was simply amazing. I think he definitely touched the heart and soul of every veteran’s organization in the area, as well as every proud American, that there is a proper way to dispose of your tattered flags when they are no longer able to be used.  As a veteran’s community, we are just very proud that a Scout was able to do that,” said Cekovsky.

Cekovsky said his family is very grateful to the Westfield Sportsman Club for housing Brandon’s project. He added that there are collection points throughout Westfield so they can drop off their beyond-use flags. The flags are then separated between nylon and cotton, which Cekovsky  discovered is better for the environment. Cekovsky was presented the religious emblem by Father Yerick Mendez, assistant pastor at St. Michael’s Cathedral and the chaplain for Scouts.

“Brandon, it is an honor and privilege to present you today on this Laetare Sunday, when we are called to rejoice in the Lord, with this Ad Altari Dei Emblem. Congratulations. God bless you,” said Father Mendez, back in March.

“It is always good to see a young man take seriously his faith and want to live that faith actively and I hope that this emblem ceremony will encourage us all to do the same and follow his good example,” said Father Mendez.

Cekovsky will receive his Eagle Scout medal on June 21.

A video version of this story will be on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS.