Triplets in West Babylon soar into history as Eagle Scouts

Three teenage siblings from West Babylon finished a project in June to spruce up the Brightwaters Town Hall, and in the process, entered the history books.

Helaina Rivers, Henri Rivers IV and Henniyah Rivers, all 17, became the first Black triplets in the United States to reach Eagle Scout status — Scouting America's highest honor. They also are the first triplets in New York State to become Eagle Scouts.

The three gave credit to their father, himself a scout in his youth, for sparking their interest. Henri's scouting stories, after he joined first, settled it for Helaina and Henniyah.

"We basically followed in his footsteps ... We heard a lot about all the camping trips he would come back from and all the knots he would learn and merit badges and we're like, 'we can do this too,'" Helaina told Newsday in an interview with her two siblings.

Scouting into history

History was also in play for Helena and Henniyah, who were in the Girl Scouts of the USA before joining Henri in 2019. After nearly a century, Scouting America, then known as the Boy Scouts of America, began to let girls become scouts. Troop 43 was boys only until 2019, when it split into 43B and 43G. The sisters joined 43G and then formed their own troop, 430. 

For their father, Henri Rivers III, "Watching them come out with a finished project that the Brightwaters town is behind 100% and thoroughly enjoy shows maturity."

And also the culmination of months of hard work.

To become an Eagle Scout, one must earn at least 21 merit badges. They must also serve in a leadership position as a Life Scout for at least six months, participate in a Scoutmaster conference and complete a service project, in the triplets' case, Brightwaters Town Hall.

"The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Scout can achieve and is a key indicator of leadership ability and good character. To have the Rivers triplets all earn Eagle Scout is an amazing achievement," Scouting America director Scott Armstrong said in an email.

A mayoral seal of approval

Brightwaters Town Hall was overdue for an upgrade, Mayor John Valdini said.

The village has helped scouts reach Eagle status since 1929, Valdini added.

"This is a project that would’ve been too much for one scout. I thought the triplets would be perfect for this, and they jumped right on board ... The residents are appreciative of the kids for getting this done," Valdini said.

Helaina replaced the deteriorating wooden flagpole with a 25-foot fiberglass one, Henri positioned new benches and Henniyah designed paving stones and placed planter boxes. The triplets said it was eye-opening to see what they were able to accomplish together.

"It was a great experience to be around my siblings during this long and tedious journey. A lot of Eagles do this by themselves, but having both of them by my side and myself by theirs was really inspiring and helpful," Henri said.

Said their mother, Helen Rivers, "A big part of watching them do this was knowing it was going to happen and convincing them they could do this."

The triplets also received the Suffolk County Sheriff Office’s Community Leadership Award, which recognizes residents who lead by example and create meaningful change.

"Helaina, Henri and Henniyah exemplify that spirit through their service-driven leadership and their historic achievement as the first Black triplets in the country to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Their dedication is both inspiring and a powerful reminder of the impact that purpose, perseverance and service can have," Sheriff Errol D. Toulon said in an email to Newsday.

After graduating high school, the triplets will take a year off from scouting and school to focus on alpine ski racing. Their dad said they've been skiing for 16 years and hope to create space for people of color in a sport that has historically been exclusionary.

For now, the siblings said they want use their achievement to inspire other scouts to keep working toward their own Eagle Scout badge.

"I would like to see everyone finish this path so we can go to as many ceremonies as possible and see our troops do well," Henniyah said. "They're putting in so much time and effort to cross the finish line ... If we can do it, they can do it."