GILROY — In the wild, Eagles are known as predators who
normally keep to themselves. But not these Eagles.
The four new Eagles in Boy Scouts of America Troop 707 are birds
of a different feather, as they were introduced into the Scout’s
highest ranks Saturday evening.
GILROY — In the wild, Eagles are known as predators who normally keep to themselves. But not these Eagles.
The four new Eagles in Boy Scouts of America Troop 707 are birds of a different feather, as they were introduced into the Scout’s highest ranks Saturday evening.
Less than four out of a hundred scouts ever earn the honor of Eagle, but the Gilroy troop was astounded as four of its members – Steven Dickson, 15, Jerom Lance, 16, Daniel Dickson, 16, and Michael Jernigan, 17 – were inducted together on the same night at the troop’s Eagle Court of Honor ceremony in front of 150 family members and friends at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 7790 Miller Ave.
“Just one is a momentous event, but to have four is remarkable,” former Eagle Scout Gene Larson said. “It used to be just two of a hundred. They’ve updated that and it’s now 3.8 percent.”
Cousins Steven and Daniel Dickson finished their requirement for Eagle Scout near the end of the summer, but they wanted to wait until their two friends had finished their requirements.
The Dicksons and Lance started together in the same Cub Scout troop when they were eight years old.
“Me, Jerome and Steve have been here since the start,” Daniel Dickson said.
But the three welcomed Jernigan to the group four years ago, and the four of them have been going on adventures together ever since. In the meantime, they learned the valuable lessons of scouting.
“You learn a lot of skills, but you can’t do it alone,” Jernigan said.
The ceremony was the culmination of years of hard work, earning nearly 30 merit badges each and camping trips for the four young men.
“For these men, it’s been eight years of hard work,” Scout Master Jeff Scherck said. “And for the dads and moms – especially the moms – it’s been eight years of hard work. But getting here is an adventure.”
And it was. They entered scouting as Cub Scouts when they were 8 years old and spent their days doing small projects, learning to tie different knots with rope and doing the perennial Scout favorite, the Pinewood Derby.
In two years’ time, the boys had worked their way through their original yellow handkerchiefs to blue ones and then to plaid ones as they made their way up to the rank of Webelos Scouts.
As the Scouts continued to get older, they moved up from the den mothers of Cub Scouts and traded in their blue shirts for khaki-colored ones and became Boy Scouts.
“At this point, they are putting in time. They go on 50-mile hikes, 50 mile backpacks, they eat their own cooking, they go hungry …” Scherk joked as he talked about the evolution of the Boy Scout to an Eagle. “And all along, they’re building the best friends they’ll ever have.
“I want them to know that I’m very proud of them. I thank you guys for the time.”
Lance was the 19th member of his family to earn the honor of Eagle. He was given his award by his grandfather, who was wearing his old Boy Scout uniform he still fit in. He challenged his grandson to put his uniform on once a year and do community service.
Steven Dickson’s older brother also was an Eagle Scout. However, the honor of earning Eagle began a new tradition for Jernigan, who was the first in his family to receive the honor.
“It was a big deal for my grandfather,” Jernigan said. “He wanted to be an Eagle, but in World War II he went to a concentration camp.”
Bill Bradley, Ross Perot, Steven Spielberg and Neil Armstrong were Eagle Scouts. Of 293 current and former astronauts, 211 were Scouts and 20 percent of them were Eagle Scouts, Larson said.
Five responsibilities of an Eagle Scout include honor, loyalty, courage, cheer and service, all of which are represented on the red, white and blue badge.
“The foremost responsibility of an Eagle Scout is to live honorably,” Larson said.
