Six Scouts on the Sentinel High School Spartan football team are prime examples of citizenship, exceptional character, and leadership – on the team and across Missoula, Montana.
Of the six football players, five are Eagles Scouts and one Life Scout is well on his way to earning Scouting’s highest honor this year. These distinguished students represent a rare group of young men who began their Scouting journeys as Cub Scouts and continue to go beyond the call of duty serving their community, their churches, and excelling as student athletes.
“They represent what’s best about the Scouting program and I am proud of each of these fine young men,” said Greg Beach, assistant scoutmaster in the Mullan Trail District. “All of them come from different backgrounds, yet as brothers in Scouting, share a common bond. Scouting has instilled in them the knowledge necessary to make them successful in life; how to be leaders, how to be a good citizens, and how to get along with people who have different temperaments, talents, and convictions.”
Their goal of achieving Eagle Scout may be shared, but their individual accomplishments are diverse.
As members of the same troop, Chris H., Colin H., and Nolan S. have participated in a variety of community and Scouting endeavors together. Twins, Chris and Colin H. are Honor Roll students vying for Montana’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship and plan to attend college in Montana. The brothers planned and executed individual landscape projects at a local church and historic Lewis & Clark encampment.
Nolan S. is also a star student hoping to attend college in Montana and excels in multiple sports including football, track, and cross-country. For his Eagle project he built a fence surrounding the grounds of Fort Missoula in Montana. Together, the three boys also completed a 50-mile floating trip on the Flathead River.
“ I have enjoyed having them as members of our troop,” said longtime Scoutmaster Bill Hoffman. “They went out of their way to mentor and help the younger Scouts. They were model Scouts in every respect.”
With a perfect GPA on his transcripts, Byron R. will receive academic and athletic scholarships to play football for the Montana State Bobcats and contemplates majoring in engineering or pre-med. David B. serves as senior patrol leader of his troop in addition to being on the staff of National Youth Leadership Training courses. For his Eagle project, he constructed book carts, a picnic table, and memorial urn box for the Military Museum at Fort Missoula and the Western Montana Veteran’s Cemetery. Aspiring Eagle, Walker K. is currently working toward earning the highest achievement in Scouting after fulfilling requirements in leadership, service, and outdoor skills.
With a successful football season behind them and college applications approaching, there’s no doubt these Scouts have a bright future ahead.
To check out the post and photos that inspired this story, head over to the Montana Council Facebook page. For related posts, see Bryan on Scouting’s Meet the “Double Eagles” of Abilene, Texas, and Boys’ Life’s For These Swimmers Achieving Eagle is the Norm.
