The Spirit of a Squire: Celebrating Faith and Community through Scouting

By John Uricheck '25

At the end of J.T. Flaherty by the Delone Avenue gate, a cross now stands strong, lashed together like the ties that bond teammates, reminding our athletes that they play for the glory of God.  

After much preparation, research, and shopping, Delone Catholic student John Paul “J.P.” Groves ‘25 completed his Eagle Scout project on Aug. 16, 2024. Groves and members of BSA Troop 706 from Sacred Heart, Glyndon, Maryland, worked to construct the wooden in-ground cross.

Groves competes for multiple Squire teams, including soccer, where he ultimately got the idea for the cross. Groves recalls, “During soccer season, I had an away game at York Catholic. After the game, I mentioned to my dad that they had a cross for their prayer. At home games, we always had the flag for the National Anthem, but when we prayed, we didn’t have a cross.” 

A project like this one is not an individual task, so others besides Groves needed to step up to help. Groves stated that, “I live in Maryland, so the drive for the people in my troop was far. I only had about ten people to help.” Even through the long drive, scouts were still enthusiastic to support Groves with his project. Delone Catholic’s Head Baseball Coach Jimmy Smith ‘82 and his apprentice, Braeden Spielman ‘22 supplied lighting for the cross at night, in addition to the help from Troop 706. Several generous monetary donors also made this project possible. 

A cross for the end of the field is a great and unique idea for an Eagle Scout project, especially for a Catholic school where everything the school embodies is ultimately for the glory of God. Groves said, “I figured that it would stand out and be different from everyone else’s. I see people in my troop do their projects for their churches and around the community, but I wanted to be different.” 

Finishing touches still need to be done to complete the project. Groves explained, “Short term, the wood was delivered a couple of days before, so it couldn’t dry out, so I have to wait to stain it for a week.” The cross is made out of pretreated lumber to prevent outside weather from damaging it. A finishing coat of stain will bring out the final beautiful color of the cross. In addition to the finishing coat, Groves wants to add one more thing, “I also want to add a plaque with my name and the reason why I chose to do it for my school.” After the stain and plaque are added, school chaplain Rev. Dwight D. Schlaline ‘00 will bless the cross. 

John T. Uricheck '25, a senior at Delone Catholic High School, is a journalism intern with the Advancement Department.