Preston Tischer of Salem honored as Eagle Scout

Salem - Preston Tischer of Troop 123, Salem, was honored with the highest award in Scouting, the Eagle Scout rank, on Jan. 3 at the Gardner Lake Fire House.

Preston, the son of John and Dawn Tischer, started scouting as a Cub Scout in Pack 22 of Salem and achieved the Arrow of Light before becoming a Boy Scout in June 2002. Since that time he has held multiple positions in the troop including being the troop Scribe, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader. He was also responsible for planning the troops annual ski trip; a job usually reserved for the parents, Preston took over and planned the trips by himself from the time he was 15 and continuing for three years.

He has earned 24 merit badges along with assisting junior scouts in the process of earning their own merit badges. He has been on many outings including a high adventure trek in New Mexico, summer camp in Maine and Connecticut, white water rafting in Colorado and Maine along with many other hiking and camping trips.

Preston's eagle project involved the construction of a 60- foot-by-60-foot fence to enclose a training pen for a Salem horse rescue, The Greener Pastures Rescue Home. After graduating East Lyme High School and completing an engineering internship at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, he is studying business and engineering at the University of Connecticut Storrs campus.