WEST MANCHESTER — National Trail High School senior Hunter Lee recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 280. His Court of Honor was held on Saturday, March 2.
Lee was presented with a proclamation from Preble County Commissioner Rodney Creech in honor of the occasion.
Boys can enter the Boy Scouts when they are age 11 or in fifth grade and they age out when they are 18 years old. Throughout the years, they earn their way up the ranks, meeting various requirements and earning merit badges. The highest rank is Eagle Scout.
There are 13 Eagle Required Merit Badges and then there are non-required badges each scout has to achieve a certain number of to become an Eagle Scout. Every scout must have a total of 21 badges to complete the rank.
After the required 21, every additional five merit badges earns the scout an Eagle Scout Palms. The first give earns the scout a Bronze Palms and the next five earns them a Gold Palms.
Lee earned a Gold Eagle Scout Palms after earning 31 total merit badges.
For Lee, the most difficult merit badge he sought was personal management, which required him to keep a log of all his finances.
After achieving the required merit badges, a potential scout must complete a Service Project. The scout’s project must benefit a non-profit organization and cannot benefit the scout.
“At National Trail, by the weight room, there is an outdoor classroom. There are benches, with a platform in the middle that the teacher can stand on. No one really used it. Sports teams used it for practice, but it was really run down,” Lee said.
“It had really been neglected and needed work. We tore off old boards and power washed the whole thing. We cleaned it and rebuilt the platform. What we found, there was trash under the platform. We filled that in, so no trash could get underneath in the future. We replaced the boards on the benches and stained the whole thing. Now it looks really good.”
Lee was overwhelmed during his Court of Honor, but happy to be recognized for his hard work. His father, Eric Lee, was the picture of a proud parent.
“It is hard to put into words, but it makes you very proud. He put in a lot of work, dedication, and commitment to see it through to the end. Knowing what it means for his future, people are going to look to him and know that he has high morals, good ethics, and leadership qualities that people are going to look up to and need in their organizations, lives, and friendships,” Eric Lee said.
Hunter Lee added, being an Eagle Scout sets you up for success in the future.
“I plan on joining the Coast Guard after high school and when you are an Eagle Scout you go in as a higher rank. Opposed to an E-1 I would go in as an E-3. Any job opportunities, it would give me an advantage because it shows leadership and dedication. Being an Eagle Scout means I have good leadership skills, I’m dedicated, and willing to work hard for anything I put my mind to,” he said.
