East Cobb Students Earn Eagle Scout Rank The Cherokee Patrol, made up of eight high school seniors in East Cobb, is a unique group. Besides entering Cub Scouts at the same time, they have earned numerous awards including the Baden Powell National Honor Patrol, Veteran Summer Camper Award, World Conservation Award, and U.S. Heritage Award. “This is a special group of boys. Each Scout is involved in their school athletics and music programs. Each of the boys works, participates in school activities, and makes time to camp, fundraise, and lead fellow Scouts in their patrol and Troop, “said Al Friel, former Scoutmaster for Troop 1011. The Scouts from the Cherokee Patrol are exceptional and are a part of a movement of leaders that are preparing to lead our communities. “Eagle Scouts have a responsibility to themselves, their families and their communities. The Eagle Scouts are expected to achieve and lead. Last year the Atlanta Area Council awarded 527 Eagle awards, a new record for the council.
ssEast Cobb Eagle Scouts: Back Row (l-r:) Benjy Stamberger, George Merriam, Kirk Malcolm, Connor Crank; Front Row (l-r:) Joseph Privateer, Preston Ehlers, Alex Walgren. Not pictured is Jonathan Gopel, who will have his Eagle Ceremony at a later date.
In March, seven members of the Cherokee Patrol in Troop 1011 were honored when they were awarded the highest rank a Scout can earn, Eagle Scout. To achieve this rank, Scouts enter a strenuous program that includes earning 21 merit badges and completion of a highly involved service project. Due to the rigorous elements of the program, fewer than five percent of all Scouts entering the program achieve the rank of Eagle. It is even rarer that eight Scouts, who entered the Scouting program together, would reach the rank together.
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The new Eagle Scouts come from three different schools, Walton High School, Wheeler High School, and Woodward Academy. Next year each Scout will be attending colleges across the east coast. One Scout, Kirk Malcolm, will be attending the United State Naval Academy. In addition to Malcom, the other members of the patrol are George Merriam, Joseph Privateer, Alex Walgren, Connor Crank, Preston Ehlers, Benjy Stamerger and Johnathan Gopel. Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has been the nation’s foremost program of character development and values-based leadership training for youth ages 7-20. The Atlanta Area Council covers 13 metro-Atlanta counties including Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, and Rockdale. For more information on the Atlanta Area Council, visit www.atlantabsa.org.
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