Eager Eagle

For earning the honor of Eagle Scout, 18-year-old Rohan Masani of Pennsylvania was felicitated by the executive board of Cradle of Liberty Council, Boy Scouts of America, with a "resolution of commendation.” As explained on the website scoutlander.com "Eagle Scout… means you have achieved Scouting’s toughest challenge. Scouting’s goal is to develop each and every Scout in three basic (areas): physical fitness, good citizenship and good personal character. To advance through the system, strengthens each of these skills, with Eagle being the culmination of it all. Eagle means you have finished 21 or more merit badges, been a leader of your troop, and known what it means to be of service to others. When you are an Eagle Scout, you are what in Scouting would be considered to be the best.”
"Only about one percent of all Boy Scouts attain the Eagle rank in the US,” Rohan’s mother Nivedita shared some insights with Parsiana. Having joined the movement 12 years ago, he plans to continue his association by becoming a Scout master so that he can now guide young Scouts. For his Eagle project Rohan led a "Warehouse in a Box” effort collecting 38 huge bags of clothing and toys including monetary donations for children of low income and homeless families. Members of the Zoroastrian Association of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (ZAPANJ) as also Rohan’s Boy Scout Troop 231 led by Tom Johnson generously supported his mission, notes a write-up sent by Behram Dastur, former chief executive officer of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet. After sorting the gifts they were delivered to the organization Cradles to Crayons, in spring, at a time when donations dwindle but the needs of the community keep increasing.

At his Court of Honor ceremony on August 23, 2013 Masani received a citation from Mark Painter from the 146th Legislative District of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania. On behalf of the Zoroastrian community he was felicitated by Katayun Kapadia, president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, and the guests included teachers from his school and religion class.
Two years ago Rohan had been conferred the Good Life Emblem award in recognition of his involvement with community activities like the Red Cross walk, South Jersey Food Bank drive, United Way days of caring and compiling a book of Good Life Emblem essays written by young members of ZAPANJ. This compilation was dedicated to the memory of Dr Rohinton Balsara, a renowned pediatric surgeon and past president of ZAPANJ. Copies of the book were sold as a fundraiser organized for the Zarathushti Cultural Center. Being ordained as a navar, he assists his father Ervad Adil in performing jashan and navjote ceremonies in the US, notes his life profile.
Currently studying in the 12th grade at The Hill School in Pennsylvania, Rohan is the captain of his school soccer team. He aspires to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. While Adil is a financial advisor, Nivedita is a senior manager at an investment company. Rohan’s younger sister Zenia is in the sixth grade and also a girl scout. The family believes that Zoroastrianism teaches the path to righteousness and in following the tenets of the faith one will find happiness and peace.