ASHTABULA – Corban Shaffer isn’t the kind of teenager who likes to fall short of his objectives.
Facing a deadline of 18 years old and having joined the Boy Scouts later than many boys his age, Shaffer decided he was going to be an Eagle Scout. Just six years later, he celebrated reaching his goal with the Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 21.
“I don’t go into things to fail,” Shaffer, the son of Michael and Jeannie Shaffer, said. “I find it the strangest thing ever for people that don’t want to make the best out of everything. I joined scouts, as my scout master mentioned, a little bit later than most people. With an 18-year-old deadline, I had to persevere, and I had to go very quickly. I knew if you want something done, you’ve got to start it, and you’ve got to hold true to that. That’s exactly what I did. I always made sure to go above and beyond, impress my leaders, impress people around me, and it paid off.”
Shaffer joined Kingsville Troop 11 as a scout on Aug. 15, 2020, became a tenderfoot on March 1, 2021, and a Boy Scout 2nd Class on March 7, 2022. Boy Scout 1st Class was achieved on Nov. 28, 2022, Star Scout was reached on Aug. 9, 2023, Life Scout was achieved on July 3, 2024. On Oct. 12, 2025, he became an Eagle Scout.
“It’s probably one of the best honors,” Shaffer said. “It means commitment. It means perseverance despite adversity, despite oppression, and it’s probably one of the best honors I’ve had in my very young life. It means duty to God and to country. It means being clean, being reverent, being an honorable person, being a person of integrity.”
Shaffer is now one of a very small group of Scouts, as less than four percent of Scouts in the United States become Eagle Scouts.
“It’s a very old tradition,” Shaffer said. “It started in Great Britain in 1912 and it came over here to America. It’s always had its root in the military. Throughout both World Wars, it was a big part of the effort. It’s a way to make that transfer from being a boy to being a man, preparing boys, and now girls, as of recently, for a life of patriotism, a life of devotion to God.”
During his time with Kingsville Troop 11, Shaffer served as senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leader, historian and scribe for Troop 11. He earned recognition as 2023 Troop 11 Scout of the Year, 2024 Lake Erie Council Camper of the Week, 2024 Troop 11 Scout of the Year, Order of the Arrow Ordeal Member, Fire of A’chawi and Gold Eagle Palm.
“I’m willing to bet that Corban’s achievements are even more unique because he joined our Scout troop without any previous experience in Cub Scouts,” Kingsville Troop 11 Scout Master John Repasky Sr. said. “He was the only scout in the troop from Lakeside schools, and made friends with everyone in no time. He was self-motivated to advance through the ranks and challenged himself by earning extra merit badges and serving multiple terms as senior patrol leader.”
A total of 33 merit badges were earned in just more than six years as a scout.
“His proficiency in the various traits and skills specified for the Eagle Scout rank has been checked in the records of merit badges earned and has been approved and certified by the officials of the Lake Erie Council,” Repasky said. “Corban Schaffer has demonstrated his capacity and willingness to exert leadership to his peers and in activities that are constructive and meaningful to his community. His record has been checked in troop leadership, school affairs and other fields of work and service.”
“He has demonstrated loyalty and duty to God and country,” Repasky continued. “As a two-time winner of the Troop 11 Scout of the Year Award, we know that he is qualified to receive the rank of Eagle Scout.”
Shaffer’s involvement with his church, Lighthouse Baptist in Ashtabula, as well as Troop 11, led him to his Eagle Scout project.
“I talked with the church and they had some recommendations, carpet ball tables,” Shaffer said. “They’re very common in our denomination of churches and camps. There was a lot of interest for someone to make one, because it’s not really something you can go buy. I came across some instructions for it, acquired the money, acquired the materials, acquired the support, and I made it happen.”
Carpet ball is a blend of shuffleboard and billiards where each player sets up seven balls (stripes and solids) on their end of the table. Each player takes turns attempting to knock the others into the gutter using a cue ball.
Shaffer secured donations from mostly friends and family and enlisted members of both the church and Troop 11 to assist him in building the tables. Donna Manupella served as his mentor on the project.
“She was the one who got that ball rolling,” Shaffer said. “I did the majority of the work, but she helped with information, stuff that I needed to know with (the Boy Scout) Council, with paperwork. She was probably the biggest help overall.”
Once work commenced on the tables, they didn’t take long to build.
“I got it all done in six workdays of about four hours, probably about two weeks,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer was grateful for the assistance of his family, his church, and Troop 11, as well as for the opportunity to have the experiences Boy Scouts has given him.
“I’m unbelievably grateful,” Shaffer said. “I strongly believe that I had the largest part in it, yes, but that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t have done it without them. They provided so much for me at lower points during the project. I finished a project two weeks before I turned 18, not the table itself, but the paperwork. I had to get that all turned in. It was really in the nick of time that I got it.”
Shaffer made a point of thanking fellow Troop 11 scouts John Repasky Jr. and Luke Stevens.
“I would specifically like to thank John and Luke,” Shaffer said. “It was a pleasure growing up with you guys. We made a lot of great memories along the way. John, you helped me so much with the project. It’s going to be great seeing your ceremony here soon. Luke, you’re doing a great job with the troop. I also look forward to working with you on your service project. I believe I will be in the audience for that ceremony, as well.”
Repasky Sr. and Mike Corbett served as Scout Masters for Shaffer.
“They always stayed committed to the troop and to me,” Shaffer said. “I will forever be in debt to them.”
