William Nathan Morong was born in New York City on October 8, 1988. He and his family then moved to Encino, CA when he was two years old and to La Cañada when he was five years old. William attended Palm Crest Elementary School, where many of his friends were in Cub Scouts, so when he was old enough he decided to join Boy Scouts and chose Troop 509. He joined in January 2000 and quickly got involved in the many outings and opportunities the Troop offered. He especially enjoyed his three summer camps at Camp Cherry Valley, the whitewater rafting trips, Joshua Tree camp outs and any outings related to rock climbing. William had the opportunity in 2005 to participate in the Oak Badge Leadership Training Conference. He did so well that he was invited to return as a staff member for the 2006 session, which he greatly enjoyed. Along the Scouting trail, William rose up through the ranks and leadership of the Troop, becoming a Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and finally a Senior Patrol Leader.
Along the Scouting Trails
William is the oldest of three children. He has a brother, James, who is sixteen. In April 2005, his family went to China to adopt his little sister Sarah, who is now two and a half years old. Having a baby sister has caused quite a few changes in William's life, but it has all been for the better. In December 2005, he completed his Eagle Rank Leadership Service Project, which was installing a brick pathway on the playground of a local day care facility, the Child Education Center. The work took two days, over a thousand bricks, and 21 volunteers to complete. Thanks to the hard work of William and all of the volunteers the project went smoothly and the results were very good. The Child Education Center staff and parents were delighted and impressed with his project.
In addition to scouting, William is active in the La Cañada High School band, playing baritone horn and serving in the position of section leader for baritones. He plays in the marching band, jazz band and orchestra. During the past two summers he has sharpened his musical skills by attending the Idyllwild Music Academy Jazz Workshops.
Outside of school William also enjoys playing the piano. He has been taking lessons for twelve years. He is also very active academically, achieving the award of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. He is a senior at La Cañada High School and is also currently busy applying to colleges. When not doing any of these things, William enjoys reading (especially about astronomy or particle physics), surfing the Internet and socializing with his friends.
William is very grateful for all the help others have given him in his progress toward Eagle Rank. In particular, he would like to thank the excellent adult leadership of Troop 509, his parents and everyone who helped on his Eagle Project. He encourages every scout to work toward the rank of Eagle, and believes it was absolutely worth the time and effort it required.
