George Matthew Spoerl was recently awarded the Eagle Scout award, the highest rank achieved in Boy Scouts.
He began his Scouting career in first grade in Pack 110 at St. Patrick church in St. Charles. He later crossed over to Boy Scouts and joined Troop 10 out of St. Patrick church. He transferred to a new troop (Troop 33) out of St. John Neumann Church, also in St. Charles, serving as its first senior patrol leader.
Spoerl’s Eagle project was for the Air Classics Museum of Aviation in Sugar Grove. The museum chronicles the role of aviation, promoting military and civil careers with artifacts and hands-on exhibits using aircrafts, vehicles, uniforms and memorabilia dating from the 1930s to today.
For his project, Spoerl connected three separate building passageways into each other; and also included painting the outside of the buildings. He organized a work force of 28 people, raised more than $1,500 in funding and materials for the project, and finished in 253 hours.
According to a news release, one of the highlights of Spoerl’s Scouting journey was a backpacking trip in the Philmont, N.M. mountains, where he reached the top of Baldy Mountain.
He is the son of Mary Lou and Steve Spoerl. He has an older brother, Steve Spoerl Jr., and sister-in-law, Jennifer; three older sisters and brother-in-laws; a younger sister, Jacquelyn Spoerl, and seven nieces and nephews.
Spoerl is currently a junior at St. Charles East high school.
He is a member of the National Honor Society, is the secretary in Key Club and also participates in Auto Club. He was a recipient of the Breakfast of Champions at school from the technology department, and is a member in Peer Leadership. He also plays tennis year-round and has been part of the varsity team since his freshman year. He ran for his school’s cross country team for two years and completed one of his bucket list goals at the end of the second season by running a marathon in Peoria.
Spoerl has been an altar server at St. John Neumann church for five years and is on the Peer Ministry Team at St. Patrick church, where he attended school for nine years.
He hopes to attend college and have a career in engineering.
An Eagle Court of Honor will take place Friday, Jan. 11, at St. John Neumann Church.
