Eagle Scout upholds a family tradition

If you were stranded in the woods or dealing with a disaster, you’d want Maika Watanabe and the men in his family at your side.

The 16-year-old Kaimuki resident is a third-generation Eagle Scout. His father, both his grandfathers and three uncles earned the honor, which is the highest rank in Scouting. Only 4 percent of Scouts attain the status.

Maika, a junior at Roosevelt High School, is a member of Troop 201, which meets at Maemae School in Nuuanu. For his Eagle Scout service project, the teen organized a project at the Hawaii Audubon Society’s 1-acre coastal preserve at Black Point. He rounded up some of his buddies to build more than 40 nests for shearwater seabirds, plant about 100 native plants and remove invasive species, which filled 10 large trash bags.

Maika’s dad, Colin Watanabe, 54, serves as the troop’s assistant scoutmaster. He received his Eagle Scout rank with Troop 60 of Hilo in 1977. For his service project, the elder Watanabe planted plumeria trees at the Church of the Holy Cross. He also performed safety checks and painted fire alarms and lines in the parking lot.

"Requirements were similar for me, my father and my son," he said. "But I think it’s harder for the boys now because they have more stuff to do."

Maika’s grandfathers, Stephen Motokawa and Herbert Watanabe, and uncles Mark, David and Nathan Watanabe attended the teen’s Eagle Scout ceremony in uniform June 14.

"Because of our history, we keep all of our Scouting stuff," said Colin Watanabe. Some people sell their medals on eBay, but they hold a lot of sentimental value for us."