Eagle Scout flies to the top; latest from Cascade to advance

When Brandon Perry received his Eagle Scout status recently, that was the easy part. The construction, fundraising, planning and recruiting to get his Eagle Scout project complete -- that was the hard part. But he did have help, and he didn't have to look far to find it.

He's the fourth Eagle Scout to come out of Troop 307 in recent years -- an amazing number for the small, Cascade-based troop. According to the Boy Scouts web site, scouting.org, fewer than 5 percent of Boy Scouts go on to complete their Eagle rank.

"Since we're such a small troop, we're really close-knit and help each other do stuff," said Brandon, the son of Lisa Broyles and Craig Perry. "The earlier projects the troop had done included building bridges in local parks."

Swinging idea

Brandon liked the idea of contributing his time and talent to a community park, but thought of something else he could do.

"The others did a lot at parks, bridges and flagpoles," he said. "We'd already done a bridge at the Bell Buckle Park. I thought I'd do something for Wartrace's park. I know Don (Gallagher, mayor of Wartrace) and his wife was my teacher."

The "something" is an arbor swing, a sturdy, elegant feature built by the scouts and anyone they could draft in to helping them.

Teamwork

But deciding what to do to complete the Eagle Scout ranking isn't just a random act of kindness and construction. The process has to be approved, before, during and after, by the Eagle board, a group of scoutmasters from the district who review the project.

"The Scoutmaster, Mr. Allen (McBee), and my dad and I sat down and talked about the projects," said Brandon. "Having other Eagles in the troop helped 'ballpark' it as far as money."

The planning and the perseverance involved were just a reflection of the planning and perseverance Brandon has developed in early a decade of scouting. He joined the Boy Scouts in 1999, but admits he stuck with it at first because he had good friends in the troop, especially Marcus McBee and Steve McClanahan.

"It was cool because we got to hang out together and go on camping trips," said Brandon.

Chasing a dream

Before he knew it, Brandon had climbed though the ranks -- Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star -- and realized he had just achieved his Life Rank. After that, the Eagle Rank was hovering, just out of reach.

To advance through those ranks, a Boy Scout must pass specific tests that are organized by requirements and merit badges, which signify the mastery of certain Scoutcraft skills, as well as helping boys increase their skill in an area of personal interest.

"Of the 120 merit badges available, 21 must be earned to qualify for Eagle Scout," states the BSA Website. "Of this group, 12 badges are required, including First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Environmental Science, Personal Fitness, Personal Management, Camping, and Family Life.

"In addition, a Scout has a choice between Emergency Preparedness and Lifesaving and a choice among Cycling, Hiking, and Swimming."

When he got his Life ranking, Brandon said, it only made sense to go on.

"That's when I realized how much I really I wanted to do it," he said.

Outstanding company

He's in good company. Famous Eagle Scouts include Gerald R. Ford, 38th president of the United States; Apollo astronaut James A. Lovell Jr.; and Harrison Salisbury, a Pulitzer Prize--winning author.

While he admits his Eagle Scout ranking looks good on a resume and could help with getting into college or getting a job, he's gotten even more out of his Scouting years than that.

"There have been drastic improvements in my leadership skills," he said, laughing. As Scout in charge of the project, he was the one required to the planning, recruiting, directing, and, yes, a little bit of begging.

Help appreciated

"We sent out letters asking for money," said Brandon, who added he was surprised by the generous responses the letters brought forward. He was also pleased with the donations of supplies, advice, and labor he and his troop received.

"I want to thank Shelbyville Lumber for their donation of supplies," he said. "And I'd especially like to thank the troop for their hard work. Allen for being my mentor. My Dad and Mom for their support, and, oh yeah, Russell Smith and J.W., some crazy master carpenters who really helped us out a lot. And Travis Spivey at Limbo Paint -- he's an Eagle Scout -- he helped, too."

Beginning with the Star rank, Brandon found more and more community services were required of him as a Scout. Instead of seeming like a lot of work, the projects began to define future possibilities. A senior at Cascade, he hopes to go to UT-Chattanooga next year to start work on a nursing degree. The medical field interests him for the same reason scouting did -- they both give him the opportunity to help others.

"Being in the Boy Scouts and doing the community service projects got me into that whole deal," he said. "I like helping people, doing things for them."