Many of us know someone who is a part of the Boy Scouts of America or have at least heard of the nonprofit youth organization. But as recreational and extracurricular-worthy as it seems, being a scout takes more than wearing a uniform and challenging the outdoors.
What is the ranking in Boy Scouts?
For Boy Scouts, there are seven ranks from lowest to highest: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle. Each rank requires knot tying, camping, cooking and leadership skills. In
order to advance in rank, a scout is required to have a scoutmaster conference, in which he meets with the scoutmaster and a board of review, and undergoes an interview.
How does one become an Eagle Scout?
In order to become an Eagle Scout, a scout must collect at least 21 merit badges, actively play a leadership role in his troop, participate in a unit leadership conference and complete an Eagle project. This assignment requires a scout to make an impact on the community through a district board-approved service or renovation.
Senior Norman Chu went to an El Monte church and helped renovate a children’s walkway. The area was dirty and in need of repairs, but with the help of troop mates, Chu dusted off the nearby walls, repainted them white and used a concrete mix to patch up cracks and unevenness along the path. He also replaced the barbed wire outside the gate area of the church.
“In all honesty, I became a scout when I was in Kindergarten because my mom forced me to,” Chu said. “But throughout the years, especially around my middle school age, I ultimately discovered that scouting made me into a better person.”
Senior Nathan Leong revisited his past at his old preschool, Arcadia Christian School, where he made and repainted planter boxes for the gardening area. Additionally, he installed a water-efficient drip irrigation system.
“Becoming an Eagle Scout was exciting and came with a sense of accomplishment,” Leong said. “When I became one, I thought, ‘Finally I’m there.’”
Before Junior Ben Chen completed his official project, he finished a rejected project called the Multicultural Ride. He brought 50 scouts and adults to three different cultural museums in Downtown LA via the metro. The museums received donations from the event’s business sponsorships. His official Eagle Scout project involved planting six trees at Emperor Elementary School.
“I feel proud to be an Eagle Scout because I’m glad that I can support my community and live by the scouting principles,” Chen said. “Also, I am proud to be able to call Steve Lindsey, an astronaut who went to TCHS, a fellow eagle from the same troop.”