MLHS senior Jacob Suess earns highest BSA rank
When Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin were the first-ever to land a lunar module (the “Eagle”) on the moon on July 20, 1969, Armstrong declared, “Houston, the Eagle has landed.”
Over the years, that expression has come to mean, “Mission completed.”
Now, another mission has been completed; and a new “Eagle” has landed.
That new Eagle is 18-year-old Mountain Lake Public High School (MLHS) senior Jacob Suess, who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout – the highest achievement in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
Involved in Scouts for nine years, Jacob has advanced through all seven BSA ranks – Scout, Tenderfoot, Second-class, First-class, Star, Life – and now – the coveted Eagle. “I started in Cub Scouts in third grade, and crossed over to Boy Scouts as a sixth-grader. It all began when I went to a Cub Scouts meeting with a friend. I liked all of the activities and broad array of things that were out there for me to learn about. And, I stuck with it,” Jacob shares.
In fact, Jacob, son of Dan and Charlotte Suess of Butterfield, didn’t realize how close he actually was to becoming an Eagle until it was noted that he was only a couple of merit badges away. “Once I saw that Eagle was within my reach, I was driven to finish it up,” declares Jacob.
En route to achieving the accolade, Jacob was inspired by his fellow Scouts – Michael Watkins, Paul Hanson and Scoutmaster Jason Kruser. “They all earned Eagle; and because of that, all three of them were my motivation to finish through to that level. I earned Eagle not just for myself, but to also be with these fellow Scouts from the same troop. Only 2% of Scouts nationwide earn Eagle; I am in good company.”
The designation Eagle Scout was founded over 100 years ago. Boy Scouts are granted this rank following a lengthy review process. The requirements necessary to earn the rank take years to complete. Jacob now joins the more than two million who, since the founding of the rank, have achieved Eagle Scout.
To reach this highest rung of the BSA ladder, Scouts, after achieving the rank of Life Scout, must be active in a troop in the areas of service and leadership. They must also live their lives daily demonstrating the principles of the Scout Law (A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.) and the Scout Oath (On my honor, I will do my best. To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.)
In addition, while a Life Scout, BSA members are to serve actively in a position of responsibility, such as patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader, Venture patrol leader, troop guide, Order of the Arrow troop representative, den chief, scribe, librarian, historian, quartermaster, junior assistant Scoutmaster, chaplain aide, instructor, webmaster or Leave No Trace trainer.
A total of 21 merit badges are be earned, gained from the categories of first aid, citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation, citizenship in the world, communication, cooking, personal fitness, emergency preparedness or lifesaving, environmental science or sustainability, personal management, swimming or hiking or cycling, camping and family life.
En route to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the Life Scout is also responsible for an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads and manages.
Eagle Scouts are presented with a medal and a badge. Additional recognition can be earned through Eagle Palms, awarded for completing additional tenure, leadership and merit badge requirements.
Jacob’s Eagle Scout project was to clean out underbrush, invasive species and dead trees along the Butterfield Lake Trail, all in order to improve air flow in order to reduce humidity. “I knew the work put into the project would be a good deed for the community,” Jacob notes. Jacob readily acknowledges that the most tedious part of the process was the documentation paperwork; keeping track of everything completed from beginning to end, along with those who assisted and what was learned from them.
“To me, Boy Scouts are all about not just making yourself a better person, but more importantly, improving the world around you,” states Jacob. He goes on to testify that, “Boy Scouts teaches life lessons; lessons used in everyday life. Yes, Boy Scouts have helped me in many ways with the way I grew up and live my life.”
+ Jacob joins another MLHS student, junior Michael Watkins, as members of the elite Scouting level. Both reached Eagle over the course of the past year. Read Michael’s story here: http://www.cross-countiesconnect.com/2016/04/soar-like-an-eagle/.
