WCA Boasts Four Eagle Scouts
Becoming an Eagle Scout involves years of hard work and motivation. Four Wake Christian students-Seniors Tyler Brittain and Zane Chandler and Juniors Ethan Britt and Adam Jones-have recently achieved this honor. These young men especially appreciate the character traits, friendships, and memories that Scouting has given them.
Zane began Scouting in first grade and Tyler in third. Ethan and Adam each started Scouting during their middle school years. Ethan heard about Scouting from a friend, while Adam’s family encouraged him to become a Scout. Adam recounted, “I started Boy Scouts not knowing what to expect. My parents actually got me involved when they heard about it from my cousin. [Only] later did I know Boy Scouts was the most impacting series of events in my life.”
Scouting has been a great way for the boys to create lasting memories. Zane said, “One of my favorite memories was attending Leave No Trace Training at Camp Durant and then being able to bring these lessons [I had learned] back to my Troop and training others in the Leave No Trace Principles.”
Ethan’s favorite memory, he related, would have to be “going to Scout Camp and making some of the best memories of my childhood!”
Adam recalls “waking up extremely early to watch the sunrise on [one of] the tallest mountains in the United States.”
An important aspect of Scouting is giving back to the community. To become Eagle Scouts, the boys each had to complete a service project. Zane explained, “My Eagle Scout Project was building a stage/riser/storage unit for my youth Sunday school room. This seating riser allows for us to comfortably utilize the space in my Sunday school room in a variety of ways. I became an Eagle Scout January 9, 2013, and we held my Eagle Scout celebration April 6, 2013 in the Christian Life Center at Garner United Methodist Church.”
For his Eagle Scout project, Tyler built three benches for Camp Oak Hill, a Christian summer camp in Oxford, North Carolina, that has special significance for Tyler since he first started attending there when he was seven. As his favorite activity there was always archery, Tyler placed the benches in the archery area to assure safe seating for campers waiting their turn to use a bow and arrow.
Ethan said that for his project he “designed and helped lead a group of men and boys to create a pathway and stone wall at my church,” concluding that it was “much harder than I expected.”
Adam’s service project directly benefited Wake Christian Academy.
“My Eagle Scout project was to build a storage shed for our new practice field to store dummies, paint, footballs, and soccer equipment,” he stated.
Most importantly, Scouting has helped the boys to build character and their relationships with Jesus Christ. Zane revealed that his spiritual life has been directly impacted by Scouting, citing part of Scout Law as helpful to Him in that “the 12th point of the Scout Law is “A Scout is Reverent,” and I certainly keep this point in front of me always,” adding, “I have participated in the God and Country Studies offered by my Pack, Troop, and Church, as well as bringing God to my Troop by holding the position of Chaplain’s Aide.”
Adam stated, “My favorite lesson that Boy Scouts taught me [is] to be trustworthy and loyal to my word. That is the most important trait that I believe a person can have.”
Ethan said of Scouting, “[It] has helped me realize the importance and responsibility of being a leader. In the same way we are all spiritual leaders to everyone around us, and people are watching everything we do, consistently being an example of Christ is very important to not only yourself, but those around you!”
Zane, Tyler, Ethan, and Adam have had to put plenty of time and energy into the accomplishment of becoming an Eagle Scout. Some of them continue to encourage younger Scouts to stick with the program. For example, Tyler mentors a Cub Scout Pack. The four young men consider Scouting definitely worth it because of the lessons they have learned and the memories they have made.