Brewer boy receives Eagle award

BREWER – Jake “Frenchie” Deschaine received the Eagle Scout Award at a court of honor held on May 20 at St. Matthew’s Church in Hampden.

For his Eagle Scout community service project, Deschaine completed construction of a room located in a barn near St. Matthew’s rectory. The room is used as a meeting place for the Christian Youth Ministry group of the parish.

Deschaine was responsible for the coordination of the project. He met with the town code enforcement officer and the fire marshal. He raised more than $1,200 for the project and received donations of materials and labor to complete it.

Deschaine started out on the Boy Scout trail as a Tiger Cub in Hampden. He achieved the Arrow of Light Award, the highest honor for Cub Scouts. He then became a member of Troop 8 in Bangor, led by Scoutmaster Dana Hunter. Deschaine’s adventures in scouting include two seven-day sea kayak trips, two seven-day Appalachian Trail hikes and a nine-day Allagash canoe trip.

While a member of Troop 8, Deschaine served as historian, librarian, quartermaster, junior assistant scoutmaster and senior patrol leader. He also attended Camp Roosevelt for seven years as a camper.

Deschaine was among several scouts who visited the State Capitol in Augusta and sold Trail’s End popcorn to Gov. John Baldacci. He was invited on the excursion because his 2003 popcorn sales total was more than $2,500, which reflected the support of family, friends and the employees of Dysart’s Truck Stop and Webber Energy Fuels Co.

Deschaine’s most recent accomplishment was the completion of the Pope Pius XII Catholic Religion Award, which he received May 23 from the Most Rev. Richard Malone, bishop, at the youth convention in Portland.

Deschaine, the son of Allan and Karen Deschaine of Brewer, is employed at McDonald’s in Brewer and was the recipient of the restaurant’s Employee of the Month Award in December 2004. He plans to become an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 8.