Sunday, Jan. 12, brought out the best of Felton Scout Troop 604 as four of its members achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in a ceremony attended by family and friends at the Elks Club in Santa Cruz.
Ryan Clark, Gabriel Dobson, Caleb Jones and Jackson Schmid each gave a short speech about their Scout journey, then honored a mentor and their families, and finally gave a token to a younger Scout to encourage them in their own Scouting quest.
To achieve the Eagle Scout rank, a Scout must earn 21 merit badges, demonstrate leadership, complete a service project and pass an Eagle Scout board of review. It generally takes three to six years to become an Eagle Scout, with the average age of 17.
Read on to learn more about those who fly high amongst us:
Ryan Clark
CURRENT SCHOOL + POST-GRAD PLANS: Senior, 17, at Scotts Valley High School; plans to attend college after graduation.
SERVICE PROJECT: Created two tripods and a photo display system for Holy Cross Food Pantry in order to help people there understand what food items are available.
LESSONS LEARNED: At Camp Wolfeboro, I learned what it means to be a leader. During camp, there was a repeated issue with some of the older scouts demonstrating immaturity by doing whatever they felt like, ignoring leadership, which the younger scouts copied. I turned to the adults for advice, and they advised me to talk to the older scouts and teach them how to become better examples for the younger scouts.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS: What I got about from Scouting and becoming an Eagle Scout is that it isn’t just the end result, but it is the entire Scouting journey and the skills and people you meet along the way. My advice for people reading about their achievements is to think of all the work and joy it took in order for this to happen. And it doesn’t end when you achieve your achievement or become Eagle Scout. There are many ways to teach others about what you have learned and to move forwards in the future.
Caleb Jones
CURRENT SCHOOL + POST-GRAD PLANS: Senior, 18, at Harbor High School; plans to work in construction or on a demolition crew after school.
SERVICE PROJECT: I worked with the Brook Knoll Elementary School principal; my final project was the installation of a Waste Sorting Center (garbage/recycling/compost) and the priming and painting of both Gaga Ball Pits.
LESSONS LEARNED: The path to Eagle is like climbing a mountain–it has its ups and downs. You have to persevere through the hard times and if you keep at it, you will achieve your goal.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS: As you pursue your goals, lead others along with you. Then you will have good friends and a great future!
Gabriel Dobson
CURRENT SCHOOL + POST-GRAD PLANS: Senior, 17, at Pacific Collegiate School; plans include pursuing school in either the west coast or at the Naval or Air Force Academy with a goal of pursuing either medical school or a career as a pilot.
SERVICE PROJECT: My service project was tearing down an old fence at Saint Philips Episcopal Church in Scotts Valley, fundraising $750, and constructing a new 60-foot hog-wire fence in its place, ridding the area of the unsafe landscape and the blight which plagued the church and the community. After constructing the fence, I planted roses and a potato vine to grow along the fence to provide privacy for the church.
LESSONS LEARNED: Through Scouts I’ve learned to be a leader through projects such as my Eagle project, serving as Senior Patrol Leader for camp High Sierra, camp restorations, trail restorations and many other service activities as well as participating as a Senior Patrol Leader twice.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS: Pursue what you believe in. The only person who can stop you from pursuing your dreams is yourself, but don’t forget to have fun.
Jackson Schmid
CURRENT SCHOOL + POST-GRAD PLANS: Senior, 18, at Santa Cruz High School; after graduation, I plan on getting my EMT, continuing my education towards a Fire Science Management degree and entering the fire service as a firefighter.
SERVICE PROJECT: I built a large lending library for Bonny Doon Elementary School.
LESSONS LEARNED: Be yourself, whether you’re here to have fun or to go the full mile. Make your own path, stand out from the rest.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS: Don’t give up. It gets tough at times, and there are times when your body is telling you to quit, but your mind wants to continue. Try to overcome that challenge and see the hope on the other side.
Thank you for this article about Scouts. It’s great to highlight the Eagle Scouts who spent years to achieve their goals. I especially appreciated the lessons they all learned along the way. Soar high Eagle Scouts!