By Taylor Boyd
Three members of Boy Scout Troop 7 received their Eagle Scout rank at a ceremony on May 16.
Troop leader Walter Scott said attaining the Eagle Scout status is as high as members can go in the Boy Scouts. The achievement is similar to graduating from high school.
“These boys have been working on this since they were 6-years-old. That’s why it’s so special. It’s not like it’s something that they started yesterday. This takes 10 to 12 years to accomplish,” he said.
Reaching this level shows dedication, Scott said.
“You know, hanging with stuff, anything you’re involved it has good times and bad times. The ones that stick it out all the way through are the ones that make it to the Eagle rank,” Scott said.
Attaining the rank shows dedication, loyalty, and how one handles life.
“It’s easy to get out of things sometimes, and what the eagle scout shows is you’ll stick with it, even if it’s bad and even if it’s good, and you’ll take the good with the bad. Boy Scouts is a lot of fun, and a lot of things go on there, but sometimes you don’t want to go because it’s raining or you don’t want to go because it’s cold, or you may want to go watch a football game or whatever. It shows that you will stick with something as life goes on,” Scott said.
To attain the rank, Scott said members must act like a contractor in that “he’s got to plan the project, he’s got to price the project, he’s got to get the money together for the project, the whole nine yards. So, there’s a lot more to it than nailing a sign and just building a landing pad. These boys have got to raise the funds to build it with, they have got to come up with what it’s going to cost before they start.”
Wren Williams, also an Eagle Scout, congratulated the three and stressed the importance of the milestone.
“Good or bad, I’m a product of the ‘everyone gets a trophy’ generation. Every year, we’d get a pizza party and a tiny, little trophy win or lose,” Williams said, but in scouts, not everyone gets a trophy.
“In Scouts, you have goals, accomplishments, targets, ranks, and achievements. Those scouts who are self-motivated, driven, and committed can push ahead and attain ranks and badges that their peers may not be able to complete or even desire to,” Williams said.
“My scoutmaster, Ron Meadows, used to encourage us to complete our Eagle Scout before we turned 16 and got our driver’s license because that was when ‘the fumes’ would hit us: Gas fumes and perfume,” Williams said, “and he was right. He’d seen so many get ‘distracted’ before and fail to complete what they’d set out to do.”
“While you should be very proud of yourselves and your accomplishments, never forget that you got here with the help, guidance, and encouragement of your teachers, your coaches, your scout leaders, and, of course, your families,” Lt. Col. Douglas E. Dunlap said, adding that very soon these boys will soon be helping, guiding, and encouraging the next generation after them.
When they become the next generation of leaders, Dunlap said there are a few things he wants them to remember.
“First: think for yourself you are intelligent. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. Do not fall into the trap of group-think. Think for yourselves. Second: respect those who disagree with you and defend their right to disagree with you. Don’t fall into the trap of group-speak,” Dunlap said, and added that if the trio can do this while also doing their duty in all things, he expects to one day see them amongst the teachers, coaches, and leaders of this county, state, and country.
