Earning the rank of Eagle Scout is an amazing achievement.  It would make a parent very proud to have a child reach that goal.  There is a family in Erie County where that pride is multiplied many times over. 

Mike and Stephanie Caulfield, of Summit Township, do not have just one son who is an Eagle Scout.  They have six!  

Mark Caulfield, 15, was awarded his Eagle Scout pin in April. He posed for a picture with his five brothers who became Eagle Scouts before him. Becoming an Eagle Scout is a Caulfield family tradition.  Joe Caulfield was the first to earn the honor about 16 years ago. Then came brothers Steve, Tim, Pete, Tom, and finally Mark.

"There was a lot of influence. More from younger brothers like Pete and Tim than from Joe,” says Mark.  “But I was influenced, I would say, by all of them.” 

About 6 percent of all scouts advance to become Eagle Scouts.  In the Caulfield family, it's 100 percent among the sons.

"I think it's a testament to the family.  I think it's a testament to the way our parents raised us,” says Joe.  

None of the brothers felt any pressure to become an Eagle Scout even after older brothers received their pins.  It was an individual choice to pursue that goal. Steve, the second oldest, remembers that he couldn't wait until he became 11 years old and he could become a scout like his brother Joe.

"Honestly, the camping seemed like a lot of fun when he would come home from camp.  He smelled like smoke and everything.  It just seemed like, ’I want to do that too.'  So, I was like ready,” remembers Steve.

Pete Caulfield is the fourth oldest brother.

"I could see the road map that was in front of me,” he says.  “The trail had already been blazed' is an expression they use in Boy Scouts a lot.  The path was made in front of me and I knew approximately what I needed to do to get there at the end."  

Among other things, a scout must earn 21 merit badges to qualify for Eagle Scout. The scout must also complete a community service project.  Picnicana Park, in Summit Township, is the recipient of a project from the youngest Caulfield son and the oldest.  15 years ago, Joe constructed a bird house and some interpretive panels about birds.   This year, Mark built a picnic table and two benches. All were donated to the park. Their father, Mike Caulfield, is proud.

"To be able to make that park a better place for our neighbors and friends is a wonderful thing to be able to point to and say, 'Yeah, the boys did that.”

All the Caulfield brothers earned their Eagle Scout honors with Troop 96 at Saint George Church on Peach Street.