With the recent annual number of Eagle Scouts earned averaging more than 50,000 nationally, it can be easy to forget that some communities go years, or even decades, between Eagle Scouts. In Nickerson, Kansas, a small town with a population of just over 1,000 people, it’s been 40 years since a young man has earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the community.

This year, though, it wasn’t just one new Eagle Scout. The town has two young men who earned the rank within a few months of each other.

Some towns and cities have a wealth of Eagle Scouts each year, meaning there are regular Eagle Scout projects being conducted to support those communities. In Nickerson, a town located in the Boy Scouts of America Quivira Council, the re-emergence of Eagle Scouts has brought much-needed community service.

One young man constructed a disc golf course to offer some recreation opportunities to the members of the community. The other Eagle Scout candidate installed a flag pole at the local fire station, giving the town a nice infusion of patriotism.

Now, even though both Scouts aged out of the program after earning the rank of Eagle Scout, each has returned to become an Assistant Scoutmaster with their troop.

To read more about how this town went 40 years between Eagle Scouts, be sure to read the full story in The Hutchison News.