Laurie Alm
Six CISD juniors extended their wings and became eagles this past weekend. It is the highest rank a Scout can achieve within the Boy Scouts program.
The six boys who achieved the rank include Brendan Alm, Jac Cunningham, Drew Carlton, Braxton Neiman and John and David Peebles. They were honored in a ceremony at 5 p.m. on Sunday at White’s Chapel UMC, which featured Mayor Pro Tem Shawn McCaskill delivering the honors on the Southlake City Council's behalf.
“All six of them started in Cub Scouts together 10 years ago,” Todd Carlton, CISD Place 6 Board Trustee and Drew’s father says. “From a rank standpoint, that is the top honor in scouting.”
Todd says the six boys first joined the Cub Scouts during their elementary years at Old Union Elementary High School. Twenty-one merit badges and several service hours later, these boys achieved the eagle scout ranking, which Todd says is not a simple feat: only four percent of scouts earn the eagle achievement.
“It takes a lot of dedication,” Todd says. “To stick with it long enough to be successful and see it all the way through really is a huge commitment.”
Besides the merit badges and leadership positions required to attain the eagle rank, scouts also have to pioneer a community service project. Drew’s service project benefited Christmas Is For Children, a Southlake nonprofit that has supported over 40,000 underprivileged children and their families during the holiday season, according to their web bio.
Todd says he’s proud of Drew’s accomplishments not only as a father but also as a Boy Scout himself.
“It is absolutely a huge point of pride,” Todd expresses. “Not only for myself but also for my wife Liz and his brother Alex.”
The Southlake Boy Scout group is designated at Troop 928. To learn more about their chapter and how you can get involved, go online at Troop928.org.