2 local Scouts get a crash course in being prepared

Be prepared.

That is one of the Scouts of America slogans that has carried weight for a long time, and recently, a pair of Killbuck Troop #315 Scouts took steps in learning more about being prepared by a couple of local officials who know a thing or two about preparedness.

Scouts Deacon Clemens and Jackson Baker, who will both be freshmen next year at West Holmes High School, were joined by their Assistant Scoutmaster Derwin Clemens, and the Scouts sat down with Holmes County Emergency Management Agency Director Jason Troyer and Assistant Director Jordan Tschiegg at the Old Jail meeting room in Millersburg, the pair of professionals walking the Scouts through the process of how the county prepares for disasters, the importance of being prepared for anything and some practical approaches to preparing emergency-preparedness kits.

“Have a plan and make sure it doesn’t collect dust,” Troyer said, introducing the Scouts to the Incident Command System and talking about the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee, which sets in place the county’s preparedness plan. “Everything changes, so you have to continually practice the plan to make sure you’re prepared.”

The EMA leaders also talked at length about the items that go into creating a variety of preparedness kits.

Prior to this meeting, the two Scouts had attended this spring’s Holmes County LEPC full-scale exercise at Harvest Ridge, seeing firsthand how county emergency personnel would respond to a chemical spill disaster.

This meeting was part of the process of the two Scouts preparing their own kits for camp at Seven Ranges Scout Camp in Kensington, Ohio starting July 14, where they will spend a week with countless other Scouts, having plenty of outdoor activities and learning valuable Scouting tools while also developing leadership and service-oriented skills.

“Camp is a tremendous experience for these young men, and they learn a lot that will help them in so many ways,” Derwin Clemens said.

This marks the fourth year the Scouts will have attended the camp, and they’ve enjoyed connecting with troops from all over the state and learning valuable life skills.

This particular meeting will help the Scouts earn their Emergency Preparedness Badge as they march steadily along toward earning their Eagle Scout Merit, one of the highest honors a Scout can achieve.

The meeting with local EMA officials is part of the requirement to achieve this particular badge, and once their assembled preparedness kits are judged, they will receive their respective merit badges.

The two Scouts are in the process of reaching the Scout’s Star Rank and will then advance to the Life Rank before finally achieving their Eagle Rank, all of which must be completed before they turn 18.

That Eagle Scout Rank is accompanied by a service project that aids their communities or county. The Scouts must create their own blueprint for their projects, find a way to earn the funding and then develop a plan to have it all come together, oftentimes utilizing the help of their fellow Scouts.

Deacon Clemens said he has thought about several possible Eagle Scout projects but hasn’t narrowed it down to a certain one yet, and Baker said he was thinking about something that would include introducing other people to Scouting and getting more involved in the community.

As for being a Scout, Deacon Clemens said he has learned a great deal from the experiences thus far.

“It’s taught me about leadership and responsibility,” said Clemens, who started Scouts in first grade. “We’ve done a lot in the outdoors and survival tactics, which has been fun.”

“It’s shaped me as a person,” Baker said. “There’s so much you can learn in Scouting and so many opportunities to help out others and our communities.”

He said experiencing activities like hiking and camping and educational opportunities like learning CPR and how to tie a tourniquet also have been valuable.

Both Scouts said getting involved with the community has been one of the more purposeful and joyful experiences of Scouting, and Scouts also are blessed to be able to properly retire the American flag.

Troyer said it is exciting to see the respect and servant leadership Scouts experience, noting seeing them take pride in their community and acknowledge the importance of helping others are attributes that will pay dividends.