Seaford’s Emily DeGroat perseveres in pursuit of Eagle Scout project

Emily DeGroat recently completed the requirements for an Eagle Scout. The project journey was a rocky road for the Seaford High School senior, but her perseverance and support forged her forward.

Emily’s father, Timothy DeGroat, was a scout in his youth, and once the organization permitted girls into the Scouting program, Emily joined. The goal of becoming an Eagle Scout was paved by her friend and mentor, Piper Redington.

“Piper has aged out, but she guided me all the way,” said Emily DeGroat.

Emily began to work on all the requirements called “trails” with one requirement of achieving 21 merit badges as well as planning a major service project. Each step toward becoming an Eagle may take six months or more.

Emily pondered what her community project would be, “I started working on it when I was just starting in scouting and was a freshman in high school. I reached out to the Galestown Council in Maryland and got everything approved to be able to do my project there.”

Emily said she had an important mentor in her life in Howard J. Bradshaw. “He was a woodworker, refinished furniture, and did a lot of carving,” Emily said. “He showed me how to work with wood and took me duck hunting. He was always there, and then he passed away in 2021.”

Bradshaw was also the former mayor of Galestown. To complete her Eagle community project in the town that Bradshaw was mayor was personal to DeGroat. The planning began and Emily wanted to build a pavilion in memory of her mentor. “He lived there his entire life in a home built by his pop,” she said.

Unfortunately, her plan never came to fruition. “I was to receive a $1,500 grant from the town to begin the project and get the materials but at a follow-up meeting, I was informed that the funding was no longer available to me,” said DeGroat. Emily thought to herself, “I can fundraise for the project,” but added, “But at a meeting they looked right at me, and they go, ‘sorry, you can’t have your Eagle project here anymore’.”

DeGroat was devastated and because you must complete all requirements before your 18th birthday, and she was 17, she needed a new location quickly. Emily said she wanted to give up totally. “It took me a full year to get all the paperwork done and everyone on board for the project, how can I regroup?”

Emily said that is when she spoke to Dave McKinney in Mardela Springs. “He is the owner of a hardware store, and he heard about my project,” she said. Emily explained her situation to McKinney and he told her that he has a permit to build at the Adkins Museum. Emily learned that they needed a bandstand cover over an existing platform.

“God is so good and it went through council and the paperwork didn’t need to be changed because it was basically the same project, just a different set-up,” said DeGroat.

Emily soon learned that McKinney had also been a long-time friend of Bradshaw. “He understands my project and where the name was coming from for the pavilion. He told me that he wanted me to keep going on it,” DeGroat said.

Emily said the number of volunteers and supporters was amazing. Culpeper donated six of the 20-and 24-foot long 6×6 salt treated lumber. Emily then went to 84 Lumber in Millsboro. “I got talking to him, and he was like, ‘I want to help you as much as I can’,” she said.

Emily said there were other donors and the hardware store donated concrete and wood. “I would run into an issue of needing something for the project and when we would go to purchase, he (McKinney) said, ‘take it for the Eagle Project,’ That was amazing,” said DeGroat.

DeGroat had 18 adult helpers including her parents, Timothy and Naomi DeGroat, and nine youth helpers for the installation project. “I cannot explain how grateful I am to everyone,” Emily said.

The base was built in 2011 by another Eagle Scout and through the years became weathered, so Emily’s project put a roof on it which she completed with the help of the Eagle Scout whose original project was the base. Emily said her parents have been instrumental in her life and have always supportive of her journeys.

DeGroat also is a Future Farmer’s of America member, in the NJROTC at Seaford High School, a member of the Delaware State Grange, Scouts of America Venturing Crew, and the current Miss Seaford 2025.