The American Boy Scouts is an organization in which boys and young men work on developing their character, citizenship, and personal fitness. They perform service projects, conservation projects, and building projects throughout their scouting career. They also complete many activities and are able to receive Merit Badges after they receive their first class rank.
The highest ranking a Boy Scout can achieve is the Eagle Scout rank. There are several Noll students who have achieved this rank and have worked very hard for it–much to the benefit of Bishop Noll. In connection with their merit projects, senior Peter Larson and sophomore Nick Anglin have completed several projects at Noll.
“Being an Eagle Scout is important to me mainly because it gives me something to live up to,” Anglin said. “I have the honor of a select group of people to uphold whenever I act. That causes me to think more carefully about how I present myself in speech and word. In addition, it is somewhat of a matter of pride to me that I am a member of such a select group of people; in the U.S., only about 4 out of 100 boys will become Scouts, and only about 4 out of every 100 Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts.”
In order to achieve the rank of an Eagle Scout, a scout needs to complete a service project.
“The service project is a test of the scout’s leadership skills,” said Larson. “If the scout can plan, lead and carry out the project then they have demonstrated their qualifications as an Eagle Scout.”
Larson, who has been a Cub Scout for two years and a Boy Scout for eight years, landscaped the main entrance with rose bushes and a rock edging. He also installed benches.
“I chose this project because I enjoy doing outdoor work and I wanted to improve the appearance of my high school,” Larson said.
Anglin chose Noll’s athletic wing to begin his work. The newly refurbished trophy case shows off the hard work and time that Anglin spent on his project.
“One of my mentors during the planning of the project was a Noll alumnus. He suggested that encasing the trophies on top of the main case might be a good idea, so I sort of took that and ran with it,” Anglin said. “Also, most of the recent Eagle Projects in my Troop had involved building benches of some sort, and I wanted to do something a little more original for my project. Finally, I wanted to leave a legacy to show future Noll students what has been done for the school, possibly encouraging them to do something as well.”
The service for the scouts does not stop at Noll. Both Anglin and Larson have donated their time and experience in other areas of the community. But it isn’t just about the badges. Both boys consider the projects to be more of a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
“I feel that I am doing the right thing by helping others when I do service projects, and that makes me feel good. I also enjoy performing manual labor, and many of the service projects that I have helped with involve that to a great extent,” Anglin said.