ANAHEIM.–Boy Scout Troop 578 of the Orange County Buddhist Church (OCBC), founded in May 1978, proudly announces and commends five scouts who recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

On Nov. 16, 2024, an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony was held at the OCBC in recognition of Gavin Abo, Tyler Nakashima, Jeffrey Nishida, Grant Lock and Ryan Shimada.

The Eagle Scout is the highest rank one can achieve in the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) Scouting Program, with only 46% of scouts earning this distinguished rank. The scout must progress through six ranks, actively holding the Life Scout rank for at least six months; earn a minimum of 21 merit badges (including 13 Eagle-required badges); serve six months in a troop leadership position; plan, develop and provide leadership to a service project benefiting their local community; take part in a scoutmaster conference; and finally, complete an Eagle Scout board of review with the District Council.

Through the BSA Scouting Program, these five scouts have gained invaluable leadership, organizational, and community skills that will guide them in a lifetime of service. Completing their Eagle Scout service project marks the peak of their scouting journey, showcasing their commitment to helping others and making a positive impact both locally and globally.

Gavin Kai Abo, son of Justin and Larissa Abo. and brother to Emi Abo, is a senior attending Valencia High School in Placentia. In addition to his completion of the Val Tech Program and being a member of the National Honor Society, he is a four-year member, three-plus-year member of Varsity Cross Country and Track and Field, and MVP scholar athlete. In the fall, he hopes to study business and chemistry at a university where the weather allows the use of shorts and slippers all year.

Gavin began scouting as a Wolf Cub with Pack 578 at OCBC in 2014. Over the course of seven years, he has served multiple leadership roles for Troop 578, with his final and most rewarding role as troop guide.

On May 28, 2024, Gavin was awarded the Eagle Scout rank. 29 merit badges and the following awards were earned during his years as a Boy Scout: Keith Higa Award, Leduc Backpacking Award, Hanano Award, Seven League Boot Award, Eagle Palm, and Mile Swim BSA Award.

Under the guidance and tutelage of Assistant Scout Master Mike Nishida, Gavin successfully executed and completed his Eagle Scout service project that would benefit Lifesong Community Church in Chino. His project was to build two sturdy carnival games that were attractive, portable, and easy to store.

Gavin’s most unforgettable scouting memory is the Philmont Scout Ranch High Adventure in New Mexico. 12 days and 60 miles of hiking through valleys, meadows and plains in rain and near-freezing temperatures tested his will and resolve. Going without deodorant for days, never wanting to see another pack of tuna and crackers, hoping to see another pouch of Mountain House spaghetti with marinara, and singing Disney songs to pass time along the trail are priceless memories.

Tyler Nakashima, son of Ken and Lori Nakashima, is a senior at Valencia High School in Placentia. Tyler is a four-year member of the school’s wrestling team, the later two on the varsity. While on the team, he was awarded the Tiger Award, which is given to the most inspirational wrestler. As a sophomore he placed second in the league finals.

A student in the Val Tech Program, a Scholar Athlete Award recipient, and an Honor Roll member, Tyler has also participated in various campus clubs. During his high school years, he earned a black belt in karate and is currently active in the Orange County Optimist organization, where he holds the position of vice president of activities.

During his six years as a scout in Troop 578, Tyler has held the positions of scribe, quartermaster, assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, patrol instructor, and Trail to First Class instructor. During his scouting career, Tyler has camped over 100 nights and hiked over 100 miles, thereby earning the Hanano Award. Other awards and achievements he has garnered are the Le Duc Award, Keith Higa Award, Outdoor Ethics Award and National Youth Leadership Training Award.

One of Tyler’s favorite memories as a scout was camping in Belize. There he ziplined through tropical jungles, saw exotic animals, and climbed ancient Mayan pyramids.

For his Eagle Project, Tyler’s love of animals inspired him to make adoption care packages for the Orange County Animal Shelter. His goal was to help these animals get adopted easier by lessening the financial burden of adoption. These packages consisted of homemade blankets, homemade toys and leashes.

Tyler would like to thank Ron Nakahira, Edwin Wakabayashi, Earl King and everyone associated with Troop 578 for helping him reach the rank of Eagle Scout.

Jeffrey Nishida, son of Michael and Cynthia (Nishimoto) Nishida, is a senior at Whitney High School in Cerritos. He plans to pursue a degree in real estate and business management this fall.

He joined OCBC from birth, having attended the church services and activities with his older brother. He was an active member in Cub Scout Pack 578 from Tigers and obtained the rank of Eagle with Troop 578 last year. His fondest memories of his scouting career were made while attending summer camps, where he had the opportunity to bond with his fellow scouts for seven days straight and eat countless “grizzlies” (hot dogs) at the campfires at night. While in the troop he served as patrol leader, historian, outdoor ethics guide, quartermaster and scribe.

Jeffrey chose the Orange County Ronald McDonald House as his beneficiary because he has spent years volunteering with the organization. When he learned about the house expansion and opportunity to build an emergency supply cabinet to accommodate the increasing number of the house’s guests, with occupancy doubling from the original floor plan, he was eager to use his scout skills obtained in first aid and emergency planning. In addition to constructing the emergency supply cabinets, he revised the house’s emergency evacuation plan and fundraised enough money to fully stock the cabinets with radios, first aid supplies and emergency food rations.

The leadership skills Jeffrey obtained in scouts has helped him succeed in his roles outside of scouts, such as co-captain of his Varsity basketball team and Southern District Jr. YBA, where he serves as president. The leadership and life skills he has learned in scouting have played a large role in his decision-making process about what he wants to major in and what career paths he wants to pursue.

Grant Kenji Jin Lock, son of Chris and Jaime Lock, is a junior at Los Alamitos High School. Grant ran three years on the LAHS Cross Country team and is an active member of the LAHS Advanced Film Department, where he helps film various LAHS sporting events and film projects. Last year he worked as an intern with Marah Fineberg Financial Associates, where he completed research on local tax professionals and placed phone calls to arrange meetings with local businesses. Grant volunteers every summer as a junior counselor at Kizuna Summer Camp.

Grant is an active member of OCBC, is the cabinet historian for the OCBC Junior Youth Buddhist Association, and a volunteer of the OCBC audio-visual team.

During his time in Troop 578, Grant served as a patrol leader, historian, and patrol instructor.

His favorite scouting event was shotgun shooting, and he attended BSA summer camps at Camp Lost Valley, Camp Fiesta Island, and Camp Three Falls. He participated in camporees, Invitational Field Days, and backpacking trips.

For Grant’s Eagle Project, he directed a group of scouts and produced an OCBC promotional video titled “The Heart of OCBC.” OCBC benefited from the promotional video by posting and sharing it online on their YouTube Channel, to both attract new church members and reconnect current members with Buddhism, the sense of community, and the church’s culture.

Grant feels a great deal of gratitude to OCBC and Troop 578. Being a part of Troop 578 gave him the opportunity to develop his leadership skills, equipped him with valuable life lessons, and provided him with countless cherished memories. The impact that OCBC has had on Grant’s life was captured in “The Heart of OCBC.”

Ryan Hideyoshi Shimada, son of William and Susan Shimada, is a senior at Brea Olinda High School. He has one brother, Rex, who is currently a Star Scout in their troop. Some of his activities include being an advanced member of OCBC’s Daion Taiko group, Jr. YBA, and OCBC Basketball. He’s also an active member of his high school Japanese Club. Ryan is very interested in Japanese culture and plans to participate in a study abroad program in Japan. He is looking forward to college and plans to pursue a career in real estate and business. Scouting has prepared him for whatever challenges in life that may come his way.

During his time as a Boy Scout, Ryan was elected by his peers to the highest leadership position, senior patrol leader. He also earned the prestigious OCBC Ryo Hanano Award by camping under the stars for over 100 nights, backpacking over 100 miles, and camping at Rock Creek Lake in the Sierra Nevadas. This past summer, he attended the Summit Bechtel High Adventure Reserve, located in West Virginia. There, he kayaked and white-water rafted over 50 miles in class 15 rapids down the New River Gorge.

Ryan completed 34 merit badges and attended over 40 troop events. He also earned the BSA Religious Metta and Sangha awards in Buddhism. He earned the rank of Eagle on Oct. 22, 2024. For his Eagle Project, Ryan chose as his beneficiary the AVID Program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) at his high school. He’s been involved with this program since the seventh grade and it helped shape him into the student he is today, setting him on a clear path towards college. He led a group of scouts and friends to build a display case to house college brochures for his current AVID teacher, and two storage cabinets for his other AVID teachers.

Ryan’s favorite troop event was his first overnight backpacking outing at Mt. Lowe. This trip had both physical and mental challenges. However, the most significant experience was encountering a lost hiker. This person was not prepared, and the scouts and leaders assisted with keeping him safe.

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