How is this for a 50th birthday present: During this anniversary year, seven Boy Scouts from the Mount Baker Council Troop 312 either have or will achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
When you consider only about 4 percent of Boy Scouts ever become Eagle Scouts, that adds up to quite a 50th anniversary for the troop.
“These kids stuck it out,” said former troop leader Larry Swartz. “They are committed.” And with school and homework growing ever more complex during the seven years it takes to become an Eagle Scout, “it could’ve been easy to quit.”
The new Eagle scouts include Steven DuBois, Tim Maas, David Peters, Kevin Govan, Kyle Hawkins, Trevor Swartz and Eric Jones.
They finished without any older Scouts to set an example, Larry Swartz said. The troop had not had any Eagle Scouts in a number of years.
“This is a boy-run, boy-led troop,” said Swartz, who led the group for two years. “The Scouts are the ones who lead. They determine their outings and their service projects. The boys do it all themselves.”
To become an Eagle Scout, each of these boys earned 21 merit badges and completed an Eagle Scout Leadership Project during their time as Life Scouts.
In the end, they spent a couple hundred hours working toward the Eagle ranking. What motivates these kids to dedicate so much time and energy during their already busy high school years? Most are juniors and seniors, with one freshman and a few sophomores.
“It’s great to be involved as a leader,” said Steven DuBois, a senior at Edmonds-Woodway High School. For his final project, DuBois aided the troop’s chartered organization and home base, Edmonds United Methodist Church, by re-roofing their chapel and building new benches — a 160-hour project, plus volunteer time. “We try to create something of value for the community that lasts.”
They all agreed that the life and leadership skills gained as a Scout, from learning communication skills to learning how best to manage time and money on their final projects, is unparalleled.
“It teaches you to be proactive,” said Tim Maas, who built a storage area for the Mountlake Terrace High School sports department for his service project. “Nobody is going to do your project for you. You’ve got to think where you can go. You’ve got to be innovative.”
And while many of their high school friends may not have understood their dedication, the rank of Eagle should turn some heads.
“You do receive respect from adults,” said Daniel Peters, who collected and assembled emergency kits for kids at College Place Elementary. “From peers, [it[`]s] not necessarily always respect.”
And what about the girls? Do chicks dig an Eagle Scout?
“I don’t think girls know what it is,” Peters said, jokingly.
Excited to join alongside Steven Spielberg and Robert Gates, the Scouts believe an Eagle ranking is not at all the end of Scouting — quite the opposite, really.
“I feel I can have fun now,” said Kevin Govan, a senior at Meadowdale High School who built a holding pen and second gate to improve the safety at the Off-Leash-Area-Edmonds, known as the Dog Beach.
While they agree the confirmation process “teaches you commitment” and “how to be tenacious,” each is looking forward to a hike free of the looming pressure of a final project.
Also earning Eagle is Kyle Hawkins, who built a storage shed at the Jeremiah Center, a local youth hangout; Trevor Swartz, who organized a pet food and supplies drive at Petco to benefit PAWS; and Eric Jones, who organized the sports equipment collection and sports locker at the Edmonds Boys and Girls Club.
Soon an eighth Scout, Mac McDonald, will join these seven boys in their improved rank. Mac only awaits his final conformation, which he is likely to receive at the end of April.
“They will be tomorrow’s leaders,” Swartz said. “Hopefully in this city.”
Sign-up season for new Scouts has already begun, and the troop eagerly welcomes any Cub Scout curious about Boy Scouting.
Philip Pirwitz is a student in the UW News Lab.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
