An honor showcasing local Eagle Scouts

After interviewing 16-year-old Keegan Freese last week about his Eagle Scout project, I wanted to find out just how many Boy Scouts we’ve featured in my 10 years here at the Monticello Express. 

Keegan is our 12^th Eagle Scout that we’ve interviewed since I started in August 2009. (You can read Keegan’s story inside this week’s Express.) 

The list of Eagle Scouts follows, in no particular order: 

• Mason Reuter 

• Keegan Freese 

• Zach Chapman 

• Tylor Bohman 

• Bill Gard 

• Tyler Schneider 

• Jason Smith 

• Andrew Monck 

• David Bagby 

• Cameron Paddock 

• Alex Carlson 

• Ryan Oswald 

A couple of notes on these fine young men… 

Express Associate Editor/Sports Editor Pete Temple actually interviewed and wrote the feature on David Bagby becoming an Eagle Scout. 

Cameron Paddock’s story was featured in the Express in 2012. He passed away in a car accident in September 2016. His Eagle Scout project included making care bags for adults and their families staying at the University of Iowa Hospital. 

Paddock turned to his family for suggestions as to what he could do for his project. His grandmother went to the Iowa City hospital for cancer treatment, and while visiting her one day, Paddock came up with the idea. He created care bags complete with personal care items and amenities for those who stay with family seeking medical treatment at the UIHC. What a thoughtful and personal touch Paddock put toward his project… 

Each time I’ve interviewed these young men, I’ve come away amazed at the level of creativity and hard work that goes into coming up with an Eagle Scout project, and then carrying it out. 

At times, we’ve helped these young men out by running articles about their project before they’ve even begun. The idea there is to help bring about awareness so they can start fundraising for materials and supplies. 

Each time we’ve assisted in this manner, the boys have said it helped them out tremendously. This community really is supportive when it comes to helping the young people. 

Each Eagle project is unique and individual to the Scout. Zach Chapman chose to do something to benefit Camp Courageous, a place and organization dear to his heart. Paddock chose to do something based on his own personal experiences. Freese, who loves to navigate the river, wanted to do something to help others while on the water. Tyler Schneider built a display case to house local Boy Scout memorabilia inside the Monticello Heritage Center. Schneider’s late father, Ray, was a huge supporter of the Scouts in Monticello. 

It’s always a privilege to showcase the hard work and dedication that goes into these Eagle Scout projects and to be able to announce those who have earned the coveted Eagle Scout Award. 

Now that Boy Scouts (Scouts BSA) allows females to join and earn the highest honor of an Eagle Scout, perhaps we’ll soon see young girls in the community inside the Express, showing off their Eagle projects as well…