On April 30, Boy Scout Troop 50 bestowed the Boy Scouts of
America’s highest rank during a ceremony honoring Creighton Wesley Wilson
Williams. He appeared before the Saugahatchee District’s Eagle Scout Board on
Jan. 24, becoming the troop’s first Eagle Scout of 2017 and its 13th since its
founding in 2012.
Lead Troop Guide Louie, who has served in various youth
leadership positions with Creighton throughout their time in the troop, called the
court of honor to order with the presentation of the flags and the recitation
of the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath and Scout Law. Michael Tullier, the
troop’s chartered organization representative, welcomed everyone as the master
of ceremonies. Rev. Charles Cummings, Auburn United Methodist Church’s
associate minister, offered an opening prayer, and
Saugahatchee District
Committee Chair Julie Hoff offered greetings from the district and council.
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Creighton receives congratulations and guidance
from his uncle, Gary Williams. |
In addition to the traditional elements of an Eagle Scout court
of honor, Creighton’s ceremony featured family, friends and relatives with Scouting
backgrounds—each of whom offered Creighton both congratulatory remarks and
reminders of the seriousness that comes with wearing the Eagle Scout badge. These
individuals included Ross Reed, principal of Auburn Junior High School, who
earned the Eagle Scout rank in 1986; Matt Clegg, a former neighbor of the
Williams family, who earned the Eagle Scout rank in 1990; and Gary Williams,
Creighton’s uncle, a former Scout, and immediate past council president and
current national council representative for the Palmetto Council based in
Spartanburg, South Carolina. The ceremony also included founding Troop 50 Eagle
Scouts Davis Baird (Eagle Class of 2011), Andrew Stanford (Eagle Class of 2015)
and Davis Tullier (Eagle Class of 2016).
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| Creighton accepts the Eagle Scout Promise |
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Sara Doornbos, Creighton's mother, pins the
Eagle Scout medal on his uniform shirt. |
Scoutmaster Andrew Baird issued the Eagle Scout Promise to
Creighton, who was joined by other Eagle Scouts in attendance. He then received
from his parents his Eagle Scout medal and Eagle Scout neckerchief slide, and
in return, he presented Eagle Scout mother and father pins to his parents.
Troop Committee Chair Rob Stanford presented Creighton with
several additional recognitions. These included membership in the
National Eagle Scout Association, sponsored by Troop 50, as well as a certificate of
recognition from the Sons of the America Revolution (of which Creighton’s
father and uncle are members), and congratulatory correspondence from U.S.
Senator Richard Shelby and U.S. Representative Mike Rogers. City of Auburn
Mayor Pro Tem and Ward 2 Councilman Ron Anders added to the special
commendations by presenting a proclamation declaring Sunday, April 30 as “Creighton
Wesley Wilson Williams Eagle Scout Day” in Auburn.
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Creighton accepts from Auburn Mayor Pro Tem Ron Anders a proclamation declaring April 30 as
"Creighton Wesley Wilson Williams Eagle Scout Day" in the City of Auburn. |
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Creighton presents Scoutmaster Andrew Baird
with one of the five mentor pins he awarded. |
Creighton concluded the ceremony by thanking those in
attendance and those who supported him throughout his Scouting
activities. He paid special tribute to five special mentors to whom he presented
Eagle Scout mentor pins:
- John Cottier, his former Pack 29 den leader, who
received the Eagle Scout rank in 1957 and who passed away in 2015
- Rob Stanford, his former Pack 29 cubmaster, as well as a current Troop 50 leader and Creighton's long-time D-Group leader at Auburn United Methodist Church
- Michael Tullier, his Eagle Scout project coach
and current Troop 50 leader
- Andrew Baird, his current Troop 50 scoutmaster
- Wes Williams, his father
Creighton, the son of Wes Williams and Sara Doornbos of
Auburn, previously served the troop as an assistant patrol leader, patrol
leader, troop instructor, troop guide and senior patrol leader. He currently
serves as the troop’s junior assistant scoutmaster and will serve as senior
patrol leader for the Chattahoochee Council’s 2017 National Jamboree
contingent. To date, he has earned 26 merit badges and accrued more than 50
nights of camping, 100 hours of community service, 40 hiking and backpacking
miles, and 15 paddling miles. In 2016, he completed the Boy Scouts’
National Youth Leadership Training, a six-day course equipping Scouts with leadership
skills and experience applicable to both Scouting and personal situations.
For his Eagle Scout leadership service project, Creighton and
the volunteers he led accrued 182.5 volunteer hours enhancing the
Auburn Celebration Grove at the City of Auburn’s Kiesel Park. Together, they
established a new trailhead and installed an informational kiosk. They also
created a navigational system that includes new tree plinths and a
corresponding web page listing the trees that comprise the Auburn Celebration
Grove and those for which the trees are named, a dedicated geocache, and new
benches for relaxation and mediation.
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Hunter was among the Scouts and leaders who helped Creighton complete his
Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project at Kiesel Park. |
Currently, Creighton is an eighth grader at Auburn Junior
High School. This summer, in addition to attending the
National Boy Scout Jamboree at The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia,
which will attract more than 40,000 Scouts and leaders, he will participate in
a 12-day backpacking expedition at
Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts’
largest national high-adventure base, which is located in Cimarron, New Mexico.
Since the first Eagle Scout was awarded in 1912, more than
2.5 million Boy Scouts have completed the Eagle Scout’s performance-based rank
requirements, which currently include serving in progressive leadership
positions, demonstrating outdoor and Scouting skill competencies, earning at
least 21 merit badges, and planning and executing a seminal Eagle Scout
leadership service project. Less than 2 percent of all Boy Scouts complete the
requirements for the Eagle Scout rank.
For more photos from Creighton’s Eagle Scout court of honor,
please visit the troop’s
online photo album.
