Rest for the weary

The crew modeling their new Philmont arrowhead patches.

Friday evening, Crew 612-N made it back to base camp after covering over 70 miles of backpacking across Philmont’s backcountry.

The crew hiking out of Miranda on the final leg of their Philmont trek.

Although the crew planned to sleep later than usual and arise at 7:30 a.m., a leader in an adjacent campsite had other plans — deciding to awaken his crew by banging on a metal pot at 6:00 a.m. The upside was that there was plenty of time to eat breakfast and pack up before heading over to the Miranda range to shoot .50 caliber black-powder rifles. The mountain men provided instruction on loading and firing the weapons and how to handle them safely. Then, each member of the crew was allowed to load and shoot three rounds apiece at a variety of metal targets and some carefully placed bandanas belonging to various crew members. Everyone had a good time and some of the bandanas were returned with holes in them.

 

The crew's final time together on the trail enjoying lunch and reminiscing, before heading back to base camp.

Following this, the crew loaded up its packs and headed up the trail — for the last mile-and-a-half — to the Maxwell turnaround to meet the bus and head back to base camp. They had time to eat their last trail lunch and share some reminisces of their time on the trail before the bus arrived.

The crew all cleaned up and prior to the closing campfire.

Once back at base camp, the group scurried to get all of the Philmont gear cleaned and turned in at the proper places before they could get cleaned up and back in Class A uniforms before dinner. The crew looked (and smelled) quite different after a thorough scrubbing. After dinner, they attended the closing campfire and received their Philmont arrowhead patches.

During the 12-day trek, the group enjoyed a wide variety of experiences, including climbing spar poles, gold panning, challenge course events, and shooting. The food preparation also ran the gamut from crunchy cheddar rice to chicken and stuffing — and a nice dehydrated beef stroganoff. Of course, everything tastes great on the trail.

The trek also included a good deal of fun and inside jokes. The next time you meet a member of Crew 612-N, be sure to ask what the water word for the day was, who held the position of High Cardinal, why the crew always seemed to be plotting a coup against crew leader Jake’s authoritarian regime in favor of forming a communist collective, and why you should never ask a member of the crew to say grace.

The crew hits the asphalt trail (i.e., the paved road home) to Auburn on Saturday for the two-day return trip, arriving Sunday with plenty more of stories to share.

Check out all of the crew's Philmont adventures here on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Who wants to be a 'mountain man'?

Jake (left) and Rhett (background) blacksmithing in French Henry.

The crew was delayed at Baldytown on Wednesday, so they skipped the hike over to French Henry in favor of going Thursday morning. French Henry is a mining camp with numerous activities. The crew started in the blacksmith shop, where they made an S-hook they can use as a lid-lifter for the troop’s Dutch ovens.

Jackson and his new S-hook addition
to the troop's equipment inventory.

Next, the Scouts received a history lesson on placer mining and hard-rock mining around Baldy that occurred from the late 19th century through the 1940s. This led to a chance for the crew to pan for gold in the spring-fed creek that runs through the center of the camp. According to the staff, they find flakes of gold fairly regularly, however, the crew struck out today despite their best efforts.

The crew then took a short hike up to the former Aztec mine, where they donned hard hats with headlamps and traveled about 100 yards into the mine. The name is attributed to 1776 when friars settling the area finding large, ancient ruins that were believed to have been built by the Aztec Indians of Mexico. The staff member explained the process of drilling out the rock in preparation for blasting. In addition to the history lesson, a few ghost stories were told as well. The Scouts didn’t seem fazed at all.

The crew outside the Aztec Ponil 1 Mine

Lunch outside the mine followed before the group began an approximately seven-mile trip over to Miranda. The theme at Miranda is mountain man life that includes tomahawk-throwing, trapping and black-powder rifles. The crew is scheduled to shoot in Friday morning. Tonight, the crew will attend the mountain man rendezvous, where music and tale-telling are promised.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

On the Rooftop of Philmont

The crew summits Baldy Mountain

On Tuesday, the crew hiked into Baldytown then on to Copper Park, which is their staging camp for hiking up Mount Baldy. Officially known as Baldy Mountain, this scenic peak is often the centerpiece of Philmont photography. The highest peak at Philmont, it stands at 12,441 feet above sea level—making it the challenge to conquer for Philmont backpackers. 

Always happy for a photo spot, the crew takes a break for a scenic pose.

At least one Scout was able to muster enough
snow for a snowball fight.

This morning, the crew left Copper Park at 6:30 a.m., had breakfast along the trail, and summited the mountain at 10:08 a.m. The weather was beautiful and perfect for the hike. On the way down, the crew had lunch in a meadow next to a snowbank. The Scouts took the opportunity to have a snowball fight after lunch.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the crew is back in Baldytown, where they will take a respite before heading to French Henry for some gold panning. Hopes are high that enough gold will be panned to offset the cost of the trip.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Father's Day on the trail

Scouts toast their dads from the trail as they observed Father's Day.

While the crew has been out of contact with the civilized world, it’s been easy to lose track of the days. When Scoutmaster Andrew Baird reminded the crew that today was not only Sunday, but was Father’s Day, they wanted to send out a salute to their fathers. Scouts paused along the trail this morning to toast their dads with their water bottles.

Scouts took their turn climbing spar poles.

Following lunch on Saturday, the crew continued across Wilson’s Mesa where they ran across a bear on the trail. Fortunately, as soon as he spotted the crew, he went running off in the opposite direction. The crew continued on the way to Pueblano, which is home to the Continental Tie and Lumber Company. They quickly put the crew to work climbing spar poles. With harnesses, belts and gaffs on their boots, most everyone made the attempt to get to the top of the poles. It was a good chance for the Scouts to try something very different.

 
Today, the crew hiked up to the Head of Dean—admittedly unsure who Dean is or why they have his head 😉. They were greeted from the porch of the staff cabin with a loud “War Eagle!” The camp director is a current Auburn University graduate student in wireless engineering. He was happy to see a crew from Auburn. The crew is identified by its crew number, 612-N, which they pronounce using the NATO alphabet as “612 November.” However, when asked the crew number at Head of Dean, they changed it to “612 NoBama.”

The program at Head of Dean is challenge course events. The crew spent the afternoon on a variety of elements, trying to plan and work together toward a successful conclusion. On Monday, they will work on a conservation project before moving on to next camp at Baldy Skyline.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Trails and streams

The crew left Iris Park as the sun was rising Friday, with the goal of covering 8.5 miles to Rich Cabins by 11:00 a.m. so that Ranger Danny could switch places with Ranger Dylan. The group made it there only 10 minutes late after a challenging hike that included crossing two creeks, a marsh and a mountain ridge. The Scouts set a good pace and even sang songs as they hiked. It was inspiring to hear them singing "Amazing Grace" as the group traversed the meadow at Iris Park in the early morning sunlight.

Daisy Mae the Donkey at Rich Cabins enjoyed attention from the boys.

The group enjoyed the homesteading program at Rich Cabins in the afternoon and even returned to the cabin in the evening for their music program.

The crew enjoying lunch in the shade of a tree.

Today, the crew hiked up Wilson's Mesa on the way to Pueblano. The climb was very strenuous but the view was worth the trip. The crew enjoyed lunch beside the lake on the mesa and will be moving to the next camp shortly.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Leave No Trace

As of Thursday evening, Crew 612-N has been on the trail for three days and has hiked around 13 of the 65 miles that are part of their planned itinerary. All is going well and they've had no issues other than some sore legs and sunburn.

Philmont practices a low-impact form of camping. The crew must use established trails and campsites along with various procedures for cooking and cleaning. However, Thursday evening, the crew camped in the Iris Park campsite, which is located in Philmont’s northern neighbor, the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest. This is true Leave No Trace-camping in that the area is complete wilderness without the fire rings, sumps, bear cables, and latrines that are found in Philmont campsites. It is, ironically, the first location the crew has had a cell signal since leaving base camp. Here, the crew must follow a specific set of procedures to camp. Because there is no water in the campsite, the crew had to pack in full loads of water from its previous campsite six miles away. The weight of the water slowed down the group Thursday morning, but the crew still arrived at Iris Park in time for lunch.

Jake (left) and Rhett prepare an evening meal of rice and summer sausage.

Food on the trail must also be carried by the crew. Breakfast and lunch meals are mostly packaged foods that don’t need to be cooked. For example, lunch on Thursday was tuna, spread on crackers, along with various snack foods. Dinners are cooked using hot water in a single pot. Wednesday night, the crew had mashed potatoes with chicken. It was quite good after a day on the trail; however, the first night, the crew's chefs didn’t cook the rice long enough and the group wound up with crunchy rice with salmon added.

Harrison wows the crowd with his piano rendition
of  "House of the Rising Sun"

The crew has engaged in several programs at staff camps they've visited. At Ponil, they stopped by the cantina, where Harrison entertained those present on the piano. Scouts also practiced their lassoing skills on a simulated cattle herd. At Dan Beard camp, the crew went through the challenge course and worked together as a team to get through the course.

On Friday, the crew is heading to Rich Cabins, which is a homesteading camp.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Trail Ready

The crew reviews plans for their 11-day, 65-mile backpacking trek.

The crew during their visit to the National Scouting Museum.

The day dawned clear but cool Tuesday morning. Crew 612-N got everything packed up and returned the excess gear to the van. After some map training with Ranger Danny, they still had time this morning for a quick trip across the street to the National Scouting Museum. The museum moved in 2017 from the Boy Scouts of America's national headquarters in Irving to Philmont in order to share Scouting's rich history with more visitors. As the museum has moved from its original New Jersey location, where it was founded in 1959, to Murray State University in Kentucky, then to Texas, and now at Philmont, it has continued to preserve and tell Scouting's rich story and the positive impact Scouting continues to have on youth and families.

Lunch continued the international theme with calzones and was the crew's last meal before 11 days of trail food. The final activity before departure was to drop off the Scouts' phones at the security office, where they will lie in repose until their return.

Scouts load up the bus with their gear as they ready to depart for the trailhead.

The bus is ready to carry the crew to the Ponil trailhead. Cell signals in the back country will be sporadic, so posts may have long gaps between them in the days ahead.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

☔ Rainy Days and Mondays

The crew shakes down its gear ahead of Tuesday's departure.

Sunday evening into Monday morning saw a prodigious amount of rain that made the crew grateful for the walled pavilion at the campsite. The rain continued through the morning but did not stop the crew from checking into Philmont just after 9:00 a.m. The crew met ranger Danny Pearthree who will be leading training for the next few days. He checked the crew into the trailbound side of tent city and moved everyone through the registration, medical recheck, trail logistics, and emergency procedures.

The crew also drew tents and gear from the Philmont quartermaster and four days' worth of food from the commissary. During a break in the weather, Danny conducted a gear shakedown to make sure everyone had all of the gear needed for the trek. Lunch and dinner was consumed in the base camp dining hall. Lunch was Asian-oriented with mini egg rolls, fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken. Dinner was Mexican with burritos, rice and churros. It will be interesting to see if the crew will be touring the world through cuisine.

Monday evening's opening campfire.

 After dinner, it was time for advisor, crew leaders, chaplain’s aides, and Wilderness Pledge guia (Spanish for "guide") meetings. This was followed by religious services for various faiths, including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The night ended with an opening campfire full of stories and music. The crew leader, Jake, was commissioned along with the other crew leaders to serve their crews well. It was a great send-off for Troop 50's trek.

On Tuesday, the crew will hit the trail for the next 11 days, with an expectation to cover 65 miles or more. Here's a little of what the crew has to look forward to.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Been There, Dune That!

 The Philmont contingent left Foss, Oklahoma early yesterday morning for a long day of travel. Along with stops for gas and lunch, the trip included a stop at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. The scouts wandered the field but a large quantity of mud kept them from approaching to closely. 

The destination for the evening was the Oasis Campground at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Mosca, Colorado. Following camp set-up and preparation of a nice dinner of chicken alfredo pasta, the crew settled in for a restful evening, despite the late night musical selections of the neo-hippy cult in the adjacent campsite. 

This morning took the crew a short distance over to the park for a hike up the sand dunes. This unusual formation of sand dunes among mountainous terrain is the result of hundreds of thousands of years at the conjunction of two mountain range watersheds. The wind did the rest of the work. After a tricky navigation across Medano Creek, the ascent up the dunes began. The fine grained sand made for a difficult climb and the higher altitude challenged those used to life on the Plains of Auburn. The elevation of the dune summited was 8587 feet above sea level. This should help prepare the crew for the challenge of Philmont. 

Sometimes the climb upward seems never ending

     

Summit reached!

The arrow indicates the dune climbed by the crew

The obligatory pose in front of a sign

Following a stop at the visitors center and a respite in the picnic area for lunch, the crew hit the road for the trip down to Cimarron, New Mexico, the home of Philmont Scout Ranch. Tonight finds the crew in a pavilion at the Ponil Campground in Cimarron. Due to rain expected overnight, the campground manager was gracious to provide alternate shelter so that the crew does not have to deal with wet tents in the morning. After the exertion of today's hike, every morsel of dinner was consumed with gusto. 

Check-in to Philmont occurs tomorrow morning for a full day of check in, logistics, training, and a welcoming campfire. Tomorrow's blog will follow the progress towards getting out on the trail. 

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

Off Road, for a time

Friday's travel did not continue as planned for the troop's Philmont Expedition Crew 612-N. About an hour west of Little Rock, they heard a suspicious thump followed by the tire warning light illuminating. After moving to the side of the interstate to change the tire, they quickly discovered two things. One, the lug wrench was missing and, two, the spare was also flat (it had a large screw embedded in it). The Enterprise customer service representative, reading from a script on the other side of the world, made several promises that, let's say, were not in keeping with "A Scout is Trustworthy."

The Scouts found a spot in the shade and began to play cards. After a couple of hours, and more frustrating calls to Enterprise, Assistant Scoutmaster Matt Podemski put his Scouting spirit to use and hiked back down the interstate a mile to a truck stop. He returned with a patch kit and compact inflator, fixed the tire, and got enough air in it to make it to the next gas station that had an air compressor. (Every troop needs a professional engineer and in-house MacGyver.) Since then, he has also patched the spare and bought a lug wrench at Walmart in case it's needed. The only thing the crew got from Enterprise was an email telling them their service was marked completed!

The four-hour delay for the tire meant the crew didn’t roll into their Foss State Park campsite until 9:45 p.m., but they quickly had the tents up and passed a mostly restful night—except for some “light rain” in the early morning hours.

As of Saturday morning, the crew is back on the road heading to the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Mosca, Colorado. Here's hoping to “be prepared” for whatever comes next!

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

On the Road, Again

Thursday evening, the troop's Philmont 612-N contingent arrived after dark at Wall Doxey State Park in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and settled into their tent camping area. It was a nice space, though the state of Mississippi has apparently not discovered the allure of mountain biking money to supplement the funding of their parks like the mainstay mountain-biking opportunities at Chewacla State Park.

After a pleasant night's sleep and hot pancakes straight off the griddle of the camp stove Friday morning, the crew loaded up in the van for a full day on the road en route to Foss State Park on Foss Lake in western Oklahoma. The crew's route includes crossing over the Mississippi River in Memphis into Arkansas (with the hopes of no razorback sightings).

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

On the Road to High Adventure

Troop 50's Philmont Crew 612-N departed Auburn today for a two-week adventure in the mountains of northern New Mexico. The crew, including eight Scouts and two leaders, loaded up the van for the cross-country trip. The group will camp along the way in preparation for 65 miles of backpacking beginning Tuesday, June 13. They will arrive at Philmont on Monday and hit the trail through the mountains on Tuesday.

Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts of America's largest national high adventure base, is located in Cimarron, New Mexico. It challenges Scouts and Venturers with more than 214 square miles of rugged northern New Mexico wilderness.

Continue to follow the troop's 2023 Philmont adventures on the troop blog and check out photos of the trip in the troop's online photo album.

A Troop 50-style Christmas

Troop 50 Scouts with many of the toys donated through the troop's Toys for Tots drive.

Luke opens the court of honor as
master of ceremonies

On Sunday, Dec. 16, Troop 50 Scouts, leaders and families gathered for the troop's final event of 2018 — its annual December court of honor and Christmas party. It also included the swearing-in of new youth leaders elected and appointed at the troop’s meeting on Monday, Dec. 10.

To complete one of the requirements for Communications Merit Badge, Luke opened the court of honor and served as its master of ceremonies. Following the opening flag presentation, Scoutmaster Andrew Baird offered parents a brief overview of various high-adventure opportunities the troop was considering for future summer outings. These options include Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, Northern Tier High-Adventure Base in Northern Minnesota/Southern Canada, Florida Sea Base in the Florida Keys, and The Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve in West Virginia.

Whit receives Architecture Merit Badge from Senior Patrol Leader Joe (left)
and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Jason (center)

Following a brief break so Scouts and families could enjoy a buffet of sweet and salty treats, the ceremony resumed with the presentation of ranks, ranging from Tenderfoot to First Class, to four Scouts. Additionally, the court of honor included the presentation of 15 merit badges — including Architecture Merit Badge, which three Scouts earned as part of the troop’s Merit Badge Day held the previous weekend.

Scoutmaster Baird administers the troop's oath of office for elected and appointed youth leaders.

During the court of honor, youth leaders elected and appointed at the troop’s Dec. 10 meeting were installed. They include:

• Senior Patrol Leader: Camp
• Assistant Senior Patrol Leader: Hunter
• Lead Troop Guide: Joe
• Lead Instructor and Bugler: Jason
• Troop Scribe: Trey
• Troop Chaplain’s Aide: Rhett
• Instructors: Michael V. and Luke
• Junior Assistant Scoutmasters: Louie Harris, Aiden Lytle, Liam Schallock, Nicholas Zuk and Creighton Williams
• Pop Tart Turtles Patrol: Boone (patrol leader), Luke (assistant patrol leader) and James (quartermaster)
• Radioactive Snowmen Patrol: Miles (patrol leader), Tyson (assistant patrol leader) and Will (quartermaster)

Joe and Scoutmaster Baird

The ceremony was the final troop event under the leadership of outgoing Senior Patrol Leader Joe. To mark his six-month tenure, Scoutmaster Baird presented Joe with the traditional handmade neckerchief slide that has come to distinguish Scouts serving in the troop’s top youth leadership position.

At the conclusion of the official court of honor program, Scouts and a few leaders set aside formalities (and, some might say at times, civility) for the troop’s annual “Dirty Santa” gift exchange. As with past year’s gift-exchanges, highly coveted and exchanged presents included camping gadgets like flashlights and multi-function tools, as well as a few technology items like Bluetooth speakers.

Connor celebrates opening one of the frequently "stolen" pocket knives as part of the troop's "Dirty Santa" game.

The court of honor also included the troop’s annual holiday service project — a Toys for Tots drive to support the efforts of the City of Auburn's Public Safety Department. Gifts donated by Troop 50 families included bicycles, sports gear, board games, books and toddler toys. Typically, after all the court of honor activities are over, Scouts and leaders would walk the donations to the main City of Auburn fire station; however, because the station is under construction, the toys were later delivered to the city’s Department of Public Safety office.

The troop’s Patrol Leaders Council will meet on Monday, Jan. 7, and the troop will resume its regular Monday evening meetings on Monday, Jan. 14.

For more photos from the court of honor, visit the troop’s online photo album.

Zuk honored as Troop 50’s 15th Eagle Scout

On Sunday, Aug. 12, Troop 50 bestowed the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank during a ceremony honoring new Eagle Scout Nicholas Emil “Nick” van Zuk. He is the son of Rose-Marie Zuk and the late Dr. Gary Zuk of Auburn. At the time of his Eagle Scout Board of Review, Nick was the troop’s youngest Eagle Scout and its 15th since its founding in 2012.

Nick’s ceremony, held at Monarch Estates senior living and retirement community — the site of his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project — included many of his fellow Scouts and adult leaders who have been in Scouting with him since his days as a Cub Scout, and who have served with him in a variety of troop leadership positions. It also included his pastor, Rev. Msgr. William Skoneki of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, who offered the invocation.

After accepting the “Eagle Scout Charge” from Scoutmaster Andrew Baird, Nick’s mother, Rose, the Eagle Scout medal on Nick and presented him with an Eagle Scout neckerchief slide. He in turn presented his mother with an Eagle Scout mother’s pin. Mr. Baird presented Nick with a framed Eagle Scout medal, noting that Nick was the first Eagle Scout in the troop to have enough merit badges at the time of his Eagle Scout Board of Review to receive all three Eagle Scout palms. Concluding the troop’s recognition was Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier, who acknowledged the troop’s gift of membership in the National Eagle Scout Association.

Also on hand for the ceremony was Ron Anders, Ward 2 councilman and mayor pro tem for the City of Auburn. On behalf of the city and Mayor Bill Ham, Mr. Anders congratulated Nick on his achievement and his example of leadership. In recognition of those achievements, Mr. Anders presented Nick with a proclamation declaring Aug. 12, 2018, as “Nicholas Emil van Zuk Eagle Scout Day.”

Nick honors the contributions of Mark Hankess, one of five individuals he presented with Eagle Scout mentor pins.

During Nick’s closing remarks, he acknowledged his fellow Scouts and the adult leaders who had supported his efforts to earn the Eagle Scout rank. As is customary, he singled out individuals who played a special role, presenting each with an Eagle Scout mentor pin. Among those were:

• Andrew Baird, his scoutmaster
• Rob Stanford, the troop’s committee chair who also served as his Eagle Scout project coach
• Jeff Sibley, a family friend who assisted Nick with his Eagle Scout project
• Mary Rainey, a long-time family friend and supporter of Nick’s Scouting efforts, who also has taught several of Nick’s homeschool classes
• Mark Hankess, a family friend who has been present through Nick’s life and has taught him life skills ranging from “how to fish, drive a boat and use a hammer.”

After earning Cub Scouting’s Arrow of Light as a Webelos Scout in Auburn's Pack 29, Nick joined Troop 11 before later transferring to Troop 50 in 2015. Since then, he has served as patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader, lead instructor, and currently junior assistant scoutmaster. Through his Scouting participation, he had earned 39 merit badges by the time of his ceremony, qualifying him for a bronze, gold, and silver Eagle Palm. He also has accrued more than 75 nights of camping, 100 hours of community service, 100 hiking and backpacking miles, and 20 paddling miles.

Nick receiving the 2017 James J. Baird Jr. Honor Scout
Award from Scoutmaster Andrew Baird at the
troop's August 2017 Court of Honor

Nick received the troop’s 2017 James J. Baird Jr. Honor Scout Award; was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society; served as a youth counselor at Camp Half Moon at Camp Frank G. Lumpkin; and earned the BSA Mile Swim Award. He completed National Youth Leadership Training, an intensive, six-day leadership development program, which provides Scouts with leadership skills and experience applicable to both Scouting and other situations demanding leadership.

Nick and fellow members of the June 2017
620-B Philmont Expedition.

In addition to various troop-related outings and campouts, in June 2017, Nick participated in a 12-day backpacking expedition at Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts’ largest national high-adventure base located in Cimarron, New Mexico. He also has participated in a seven-day sailing expedition at the Boy Scouts’ Florida National High Adventure Sea Base in the Florida Keys.

For his Eagle Scout leadership service project, Nick designed and raised funds for a Veterans Memorial Garden at Monarch Estates retirement community in Auburn. Family, friends, and fellow Scouts and leaders logged more than 520 service hours planning and constructing the project. The garden provides residents with an accessible concrete pathway; four benches that convert to tables, which allow residents and visitors more places to socialize; two self-watering raised planters; a butterfly garden; and a fountain.

Nick's completed Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project at Monarch Estates.

After completing the Eagle Scout rank requirements, which included planning and executing his service project, Nick appeared before the Saugahatchee District’s Eagle Scout Board on Sept. 19, 2017. He is among the four Troop 50 Scouts to earn the Eagle Scout rank during 2017.

Currently, Nick is a ninth grader at Auburn Junior High School and is a member of the Auburn High School swim team. He and his family attend St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Auburn, where he is an altar server.

Since the first Eagle Scout was awarded in 1912, nearly 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. During 2017 alone, 55,494 Boy Scouts earned Scouting’s highest rank.

For more photos of Nick's ceremony and service project, visit the troop's online photo album.

Harris honored as troop's 14th Eagle Scout

New Eagle Scout Louie Harris with (left to right) brother and fellow Eagle Scout John, and parents Diane and Robert.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, Troop 50 bestowed the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank during a ceremony honoring new Eagle Scout Robert Louis “Louie” Suess Harris. Louie appeared before the Saugahatchee District’s Eagle Scout Board on Aug. 15, 2017. He is among the four Troop 50 Scouts to earn the Eagle Scout rank in 2017, and the 16 Scouts to earn the Eagle Scout rank since the troop’s founding in 2012.

Senior Patrol Leader Rusty calls the court of honor to order.

Louie’s ceremony, held at the Founder's Chapel of Auburn United Methodist Church, included many of his fellow Scouts with whom he has served in leadership positions since joining the troop in 2013 after earning Cub Scouting’s Arrow of Light. As a founding member of the troop, he has served in leadership positions that have included patrol leader and assistant patrol leader, troop guide, instructor, senior patrol leader and assistant senior patrol leader, and his current role as junior assistant scoutmaster. The ceremony began with the traditional flag presentation (accompanied by a bugle call) and an opening prayer, followed by a ceremonial candle lighting by his fellow troop members, and welcomes from Scoutmaster Andrew Baird and Saugahatchee District representative Julie Hoff.

The reading by Assistant Scoutmaster Wes Williams of “100 Scouts” provided a poignant segue to a motivational speech by Will Herring. Herring, an Opelika native and friend of the Harris family, was an Auburn University football standout before an NFL career that included playing with the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams. He challenged Scouts and others in attendance to find something about which they can be passionate, and to devote their efforts on pursuing that passion and developing a strong work ethic.

Louie's mother pins his Eagle Scout medal to his uniform.

Louie pins a father's Eagle Scout recognition pin on his father.

As part of presenting Louie with the Eagle Scout rank recognitions, fellow Scouts outlined the challenge of being an Eagle Scout, and Scoutmaster Baird administered the official Eagle Scout Charge and Promise. His mother, Diane, presented him with his Eagle Scout medal, and father Robert and brother (and fellow Eagle Scout) John presented him with an Eagle Scout neckerchief slide. Because Louie had earned 26 merit badges at the time of his ceremony, he qualified for a bronze Eagle palm.

Mayor Pro Tem Ron Anders presents Louie with a
proclamation from the City of Auburn.

Following the presentation of his rank insignia and Eagle Scout mother and father pins to his parents, Louie also received membership in the National Eagle Scout Association as a gift from the troop. In addition to these recognitions, City of Auburn Mayor Pro Tem Ron Anders presented Louie with a proclamation declaring Jan. 20, 2018, as “Louie Harris Eagle Scout Day” in Auburn.

In concluding the ceremony, Louie expressed appreciation to those who had played roles in his development, education and advancement in Scouts. He honored several special individuals by presenting them with Eagle Scout mentor pins. Those included Scoutmaster Andrew Baird, Assistant Scoutmasters Wes Williams and JP Pendleton, Chartered Organization Representative Michael Tullier, Troop Committee Chair Rob Stanford, his brother John Harris, Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve Outreach Administrator Jennifer Lolley (who supported his Eagle Scout leadership service project benefiting the Forest Ecology Preserve), and family friends Jack Robertson and Gaines Lanier, both of whom shared valuable cattle management and life skills with him.

New Eagle Scout Louie Harris with Spirit, Auburn University's bald eagle, and other Troop 50 Eagle Scouts.

The Harris family arranged for a special guest to be present following the court of honor. Spirit, the only bald eagle that has ever flown in Jordan-Hare Stadium, made an appearance at the ceremony. Now under the care of the Southeastern Raptor Center, Spirit was discovered as an injured fledgling in Florida in 1995 and came to Auburn in 1998 to join the Raptor Center’s educational collection. His damaged beak makes him non-releasable. Spirit’s first pre-game flight in Jordan-Hare Stadium was in 2001. Bald eagles like Spirit are found throughout Alabama, and wild ones can sometimes be seen soaring in the skies above Auburn.

Louie (black hoodie) and the rest of Expedition 620-B atop Philmont's Mt. Baldy in June 2017.

To date, Louie’s Scouting participation has included accruing 81 nights of camping, 130 hours of community service, and 81 hiking and backpacking miles. He received the troop’s 2016 James J. Baird Jr. Honor Scout Award, earned the BSA Mile Swim Award, and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society. In addition, he completed the Boy Scouts’ National Youth LeadershipTraining, a six-day course equipping Scouts with leadership skills and experience applicable to both Scouting and personal situations. Among his other Scouting activities is participating in a 12-day backpacking expedition at Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts’ largest national high-adventure base located in Cimarron, New Mexico, in June 2017.

The finished product of Louie's Eagle Scout leadership service project at the Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve.

For his Eagle Scout leadership service project, Louie and volunteers constructed three arbor swings for the nature playground at the Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve in Auburn. These swings provide a place for parents and visitors to sit and relax comfortably while watching their children play. His project accrued 353 volunteer hours from planning to completion, including the 84 hours he spent personally planning, leading and supervising the various stages of the project. Louie received contributions and support for the project from an Auburn University Concession Board grant, the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, the Lee County Soil and Water Conservation Committee, Russell Building Supply, Garden of Eden Landscaping, and family and friends.

Outside of his Scouting involvement, Louie currently is a 10th grader at Auburn High School, where he plays trombone in the symphonic band and is a member of the Junior Honor Society. He and his family attend Opelika United Methodist Church.

Since the first Eagle Scout was awarded in 1912, more than 2.4 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. During 2016 alone, 55,186 Boy Scouts earned Scouting’s highest rank.

For more photos from Louie’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor and Eagle Scout leadership service project, visit the troop’s online photo album.