Dinan earns Eagle Scout rank

Steven Dinan, 17, a senior at John Carroll Catholic High School, has achieved Scouting’s highest rank, that of Eagle Scout. He is a member of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church Troop 71 under the leadership of Scoutmaster Don Peterson.

Dinan started in the scouting program as a Tiger Cub in 2000. He earned the Arrow of Light Award, Cub Scouting’s highest award and crossed over to Boy Scouts and began his journey to Eagle Scout. This journey included summer camp outings at Camp Sequoyah and trips to Pine Mountain, Hiawassee, Fort Morgan and the Smoky Mountains. Dinan also participated in the Rugged E Adventure trip to Emerald Bay at Catalina Island, Calif. and High Adventure trip to Florida Sea Base in the Florida Keys.

As a member of Troop 71, Dinan held a variety of troop leadership positions including Webmaster, Historian and Patrol Leader. He was selected to attend National Youth Leadership Training and was tapped into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s Honor Society. Dinan also earned the Ad Altare Dei and the Pope Pius XII Religious Awards enriching his development in the faith community. Dinan completed over 150 service hours and earned 35 merit badges on his journey to Eagle

Dinan grew up in Shelby County and visited Oak Mountain State Park often for camping, hiking and mountain biking. For his Eagle Scout Project, Dinan led a group of scouts and adult leaders to create the BUMP STOP REST AREA at Oak Mountain State Park. The rest area is for cyclists to gather, relax, visit and enjoy comfortable benches and picnic tables in a shaded area next to the BUMP changing stations, garage and washing station and bike rack.

His project included design, fundraising and leadership of scouts and leaders to complete the project, which required clearing the area by cutting limbs and removing debris, recycling of three picnic tables original to the Park, construction of two park benches, installation of a bat house for mosquito patrol, installation of a dusk to dawn light for added safety for those coming and going after dark, digging of a drainage ditch, and installation of an architectural boulder and ground cover to finish the area. The project was done in coordination with BUMP and Oak Mountain State Park.

Dinan is a four-year letterman on the John Carroll Cross Country Team, has performed in school plays, is a student ambassador, Peer Minister and member of Carroll Students Modeling Christ, Latin Club, Frassati Club and Art Club. Away from school and scouts, Dinan enjoys water skiing, wakesurfing and wakeboarding, cycling, playing guitar and piano and hanging out with friends.

He is the son of Mark and Martha Dinan of Inverness and grandson of Jim and Carol Newton of Chelsea and Bill and Marian Dinan of Indian Springs.