Boy Scout Troop 192 in Davisburg celebrated an unprecedented seven new Eagle Scouts this summer during their first Court of Honor since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The ceremony honored Owen Gilliam, Elijah Ekstrom, Jared Ekstrom, Matthew Lacey, Benjamin Sanders, Shane Kenyon and Jacob Mattson for their achievements.
Brandon Kathman, Scouting’s local district executive, said Kenyon Ekstrom and Mattson Ekstrom attended home school programs and the remainder of the Scouts attended Holly High School. “In 18 years with Scouting, I have never heard of so many boys making Eagle at once,” Kathman said.
According to the Boy Scouts of America, the rank of Eagle is the highest honor a youth can achieve in the traditional Scouting program. Official statistics suggest that only 4% of youth who enter the movement achieve the award, making so many new recipients at once very rare.
“We’re very proud and excited to see this progress, especially in the face of last year’s challenges,” Jennifer Sanker, chairwoman for Scouting’s Pontiac-Manito District, said. “We’re also excited to see where these scouts go in the future.”
In order to attain the rank of Eagle, each of the seven Boy Scouts completed a large service project for the benefit of the community. During the Court of Honor, Scoutmaster Daniel Hornback recounted how each youth planned and executed their own project.
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“The Eagle Scout service project requires the candidate to plan, develop
and lead others to a successful completion of a service project,” Hornback said. “Although there is no time requirement, the project must involve considerable hours and represent the youth’s best effort.”
Most of the boys dedicated their efforts to the preservation of Michigan’s natural places. The seven projects created protection measures for threatened animal species, removed invasive plant life, and introduced gardens and nature libraries for public use. Altogether, they accounted for hundreds of service hours from dozens of local Scouters.
For Assistant Scoutmaster John Coleman, the ceremony was especially moving. Coleman holds two positions in Scouting, also serving as Cubmaster for Pack 192, a unit for elementary-aged youth. He recalled when several of the boys were first graders in his “Tiger” den nearly ten years ago.
“Four of them were Tigers under me,” Coleman said. “It was very rewarding. I would love to see every boy come in as a Tiger and make it all the way to Eagle.”
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECTS
Owen Gilliam — He designed and directed the building of four raised mobile flower beds for Mission Point Nursing Home in Holly so that the residents could tend their vegetables and flowers from their wheelchairs.
Elijah Ekstrom — He built two hibernacula for the endangered Massasauga rattlesnake. A hibernaculum is a place where snakes can hibernate during winter without freezing. There was a key property managed by the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy north of Davisburg that is a sanctuary for Massasauga rattlesnakes.
Matthew Lacey — He created a native plant garden and bench for the North Oakland Headwater’s Land Conservancy that is along a walking and biking path. He designed the garden and led volunteers in removing invasive species, planting native plants and installing a park bench.
Jared Ekstrom — He built bee “hotels” for native bees on three properties managed by the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy. These three habitats were lacking bee population.
Benjamim Sanders — He cleared two invasive species (Russian Olive and Purple Loosestrife) from the river bank and Mill Pond park to reduce the risk of their spreading into the Shiawassee Basin.
Shane Kenyon — He built bat houses for Camp Wathana, which helps preserve the bat population and continues the good will between Troop 192 and Camp Wathana.
Jacob Mattson — He designed, built and installed three Little Nature Libraries for a Detroit Audubon project in which underutilized parks are being restored to native meadowlands for bird habitat and public enjoyment and education.
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July 14, 2021 at 03:11AM
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