Once an Eagle, always an Eagle

by whitneyrandolph0x75f3c8000x7ad3d3700x4cae66e00x749b5e000x749a57d00x7495d9400x71431d500x749af3500x412c0e000x7499d2700x749a37a0O0x749b68800x749a3040n Saturday, May 11, Alex Kirkpatrick, after years of hard work and dedication, can now be called an Eagle Scout along with a few others in his troop. Kirkpatrick had his Eagle Scout ceremony at the Wooster United Methodist Church and his fellow troop members were there beside him as he received this honor.0x7499e1600x43b8e1100x7499e3200x749b60600x75d6df900x749ac7000x7499b5d0Kirkpatrick is a junior at Wooster High School. He is involved in band as a trumpet player and is actively involved in Teen Institute. The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. Since its introduction in 1911, more than two million young men have earned the Eagle Scout rank. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life: Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.Becoming an Eagle Scout takes time and dedication, and most start with cub scouts. A scout must be active in their troop for a period of six months. They must try to live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. A scout must have 21 merit badges. There are 12 required merit badges and nine personal choice badges. They must also hold a position of responsibility in their troop and take part in a leadership conference. A scout must complete an Eagle Scout project on top of six hours of other community service work. Then they must successfully pass a board of review. Kirkpatrick’s Eagle project was building a nature retreat near Cornerstone Elementary School. Kirkpatrick said that he is excited that he has made it to this point and is glad that his hard work has paid off. “I am excited that I completed it and now I can relax and enjoy it,” said Kirkpatrick. John Scott, Kirkpatrick’s scoutmaster, is very proud of Kirkpatrick’s accomplishment. Scott said, “It means a great deal, because not a lot of boys achieve this accomplishment. Typically, I think it is one out of 50 scouts that earn the rank of Eagle and that is nationwide.”Within the month of May, three members of Scott’s troop, including Kirkpatrick, will earn the rank of Eagle. Nathan McCollum received his earlier in May and Cody Daugherty will earn his later this month. “To have three boys all in the same month get their Eagle, that is a really good feeling,” said Scott. Scott has known these boys for the last 10 years. Scott said that he has spent so much time with all of them that they have become his extended family. Boy Scouts is a great way to build leadership skills that will last a lifetime. “I think that is the reason why the scouts have you do an Eagle Scout project, because it builds confidence. It makes them think, hey I can conceive a project, I can take ownership of it and I can complete it. They have a sense of accomplishment,” said Scott. Boy Scouts is a way for boys to be a part of something that brings out the best in them. Scouting allows them to be a part not only of a group, but also a family who is always there to help you succeed. Alex Kirkpatrick has joined an elite group of scouts who have put the time and effort into their scouting to be able to earn the rank of Eagle.