With seven very specific stages of requirements, a list of needed skills and merit badges, timing limits and all the requirements of the many ranks before it, Eagle Scout certification isn't something that happens every day.
Sometimes, however, it happens several times in one day, such was the case on the weekend of July 1 and 2, when four Eagle Scouts joined countless others before them in achieving the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. Derick Bishop, Evan Line, Sam Meyer and Bryce Follette celebrated together that weekend as they made the last great leap into scouting.
"It feels pretty darn good, it was a lot of work and it paid off, it's a great thing to have on a resume or anything like hat and teaches me a lot of skills for life," Follette said.
Bishop's celebration was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints on July 1, as that is where his scouting journey started. Bishop was originally part of Troop 406, based out of the church, with no intention to join Troop 212, the more widely-known Columbus area troop. Not too long ago, the church and the troop parted ways, resulting in the troop disbanding. This was close to Bishop's Eagle Scout certification, however, so he is officially the last Eagle Scout of Troop 406.
People are also reading…
"I decided to go with 406. I joined in February, they were there until December so I was with 406 but also wanted to stay in Boy Scouts, earn my Eagle, go on all these adventures, so I decided to join another troop. For a year-ish, I was with 212 and 406," Bishop explained.
As a result, he was also the last Eagle Scout to receive an osage orange walking stick and bow from the troop, a tradition they had for Eagle Scouts.
"I didn't realize I was the last one until today, so I never really thought about it that way, it's a really cool opportunity, it's really cool to be in this position," Bishop said.
Bishop is happy to have reached the rank after all his hard work and at 15, no less. Now, he said, he wants to give himself some breathing room and start leading other scouts down the same paths he took.
"It's a breath of fresh air, like we have to do all these permits, Eagle merit badges, this time I can relax more," Bishop said. "Before I was relaxed too, now a little more. I don't have to push toward Eagle anymore, I can step back a bit and lead others, kind of breathe."
On July 2, Evan Line, Sam Meyer and Bryce Follette celebrated their achievement with a joint ceremony at St. Isidore's Catholic Church. Line, a 2023 Lakeview High School graduate, said something similar to Bishop in that it is a great relief and sense of achievement to finally achieve Eagle rank.
"I always wanted to do it, I feel peace. The hardest part would be continuing it over the years with all the different activities and interests in line," Line said. "The biggest difficulty would be the Eagle Scout project, getting other people together, talking to people and businesses and whatnot."
His Eagle Scout project, a renovation of Immanuel Lutheran's playground, was meaningful to him as a way to give back to the school he attended as a child. He added that he plans to continue being involved in scouting in some capacity in the future as well.
Sam Meyer, another 2023 graduate, said he also feels a great sense of satisfaction from being an Eagle Scout after all his hard work, a new chapter of sorts. That chapter, however was strongly influenced by scouting as earning his aviation merit badge helped him decide his path of attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha for aviation. He joins many family members among the boy scout ranks.
"My grandpa was real involved in scouting for a long time and my dad and uncles went for a long time too, so it's kind of a family thing," Meyer said.
Bryce Follette, the fourth Eagle Scout presented his rank that weekend, has been influenced in yet more ways as his mother and brothers are heavily involved in scouting and it helped him to advance his planned military career before he even sets foot in training. He will join the Army as a private, first-class due to his experience as an Eagle Scout. Having his mother along for the journey, Follette said, was a good experience.
"When I was younger it made everything easier having your mom there but after that she let me do my own thing," Follette said.Â
Being a boy scout, Follette said, was not the only thing that influenced his wanting to join the military, but it definitely enabled him to pursue it a little more seriously.
"A big part of that was one of my mom's clients was in the National Guard and I always looked up to him when I was younger but I feel like this fueled that little spark," Follette said.