Photo courtesy of John Cannella | Alex Cannella ’19 poses for a picture next to an adult leader and fellow scout on Nov. 7, the same night the two boys earned their eagle.
By Alex Cannella
THE ROUNDUP
Obtaining the Eagle rank as a Boy Scout of America is a prestigious achievement recognized across the country. The award is held to national standards with many tedious requirements.
Many people don’t know the story behind accomplishing the Eagle rank.
In order to become an Eagle, one must complete the previous six ranks. At the end of each rank, there must be a leadership conference and a board of review.
Along the way, you must spend a minimum of 16 months in a leadership position, camp for at least of 24 nights, plan out an entire service project, and earn 21 merit badges.
The most important of those requirements is the Eagle Service Project. This project must benefit the community without being advantageous to a particular individual or the scout.
I completed my project on October 28, 2017 after a group of friends and I built garden boxes for Garfield Elementary. The project took weeks of planning and totaled around 93 man hours of volunteering.
I have been presented with so many opportunities thanks to the Boy Scouts as an organization. Some of the highlights include backpacking over 100 miles in the New Mexican wilderness and canoeing around the crystal waters of Catalina Island. My eyes have seen part of the natural world that many will ever be lucky enough to experience.
Only four percent of registered Boy Scouts obtain their Eagle rank. In 2017, just 55,404 young men became Eagle Scouts.
The rank opens doors to opportunities in life. For example, every foot that has touched the surface of the moon belongs to an Eagle Scout.
In recent years, Boy Scouts of America has gotten the reputation of being an “organization for nerds.” I could not disagree more.
Being a Boy Scout has been a part of my life since I was in the first grade. It has shaped me into the person that I am today. Many of the values and morals I stand by are a result of scouting.
Earning my Eagle isn’t just something I can put on a resume, it’s a foundation for me to live out the rest of my life.
