Nationally, only about 4% of all Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.                                                                                                        

Troop 868's EAGLE SCOUTS


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The rank of EAGLE SCOUT is the highest achievement that boys can earn in the Boy Scouting program.  In order to reach this milestone, a boy must first progress through the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life.  Along the way he must earn a total of 21 merit badges, 11 of which must be from a list of specified or "required" badges.  The others are chosen by the scout from more than 100 different options.

Boys cannot normally become Boy Scouts until they reach the age of 11.  Cub Scouts who earn their Webelos Arrow of Light Award may cross over into Boy Scouting at age 10½.  All requirements except the board of review must be fully completed before the boy's 18th birthday.  Exceptions can only be made by the Boy Scouts' National Board of Review and are generally limited to those scouts with special needs or highly unusual circumstances.  

In order to progress up through the ranks, boys must hold various positions of leadership within their local troops such as Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, or Scribe.  They must perform numerous hours of community service and master skills ranging from knot tying to First Aid that may enable them to someday save their own life or the life of another.  They learn about duty to God and Country; and the benefits of responsible citizenship.  They develop a sense of personal responsibility and embrace a code of personal conduct and ethical behavior that distinguishes them among their peers.

As a practical exercise to demonstrate their leadership ability, they must plan and coordinate an extensive service project that benefits the community at large.  Eagle Leadership Service Projects typically involve weeks or months of advance planning followed by hundreds of hours of physical labor to bring their project to completion.

As a final test, candidates for the Eagle rank must appear before a board of review that will question them in great detail to determine whether or not they have mastered all the required skills and embody the principles expected of those who wear the Eagle Badge. 

Finally, after passing the Eagle board of review, their locally approved application is submitted to the Boy Scouts' National Board of Review for final approval, a process that often takes 6~8 weeks.  Once final approval is received from national headquarters, the local troop plans a special Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony where the scout and his parents are formally recognized and the sterling silver Eagle Medal is presented.

The Boy Scouting program provides something to every boy who joins, whether they walk the Eagle Trail all the way to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout or not.  But the relatively small number of boys who do reach this lofty goal are a special group of young men.  They represent the very best that Boy Scouting can produce ... trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Statistically, 17% of boys who achieve the rank of Eagle Scout will someday become a Scout Leader themselves, leading their sons and other boys along an Eagle Trail that stretches ever onward, without end.

Troop 868 takes great pride in recognizing our troop's Eagle Scouts.
  
Eagle Scout #1
December 31, 2001
 David Robert Meek
David achieved Eagle at the age of 14.  He began his scouting career in Cub Scouting where he progressed through the ranks of Wolf, Bear, and Webelos before earning his Arrow of Light Award and crossing over into Boy Scouting just before reaching age 11.  Dave initially joined another local troop where he remained about 8 months and achieved the rank of First Class before transferring his membership to the newly-formed Troop 848.  He was the troop's first non-charter member.  Dave served in various troop leadership positions, including Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader.  He also served as a Cub Scout Den Chief, on the Den Chief Training staff at POW*WOW,  and on the staff at Webelos Resident Camp.  Dave is a graduate of Junior Leader Training, a Brotherhood member in the Order of the Arrow, and a BSA Lifeguard.  He remained active in the troop after reaching Eagle and eventually earned a total of 87 merit badges!  He has completed 2½ years of college and is currently working on starting his own business.  Dave serves as one of our Assistant Scoutmasters. 
Eagle Scout #2
July 25, 2002
 Christopher Paul Kmiec
Chris achieved Eagle at the age of 14.  He began his scouting career as a Cub Scout and progressed through the ranks of Wolf, Bear, and Webelos.  After earning his Arrow of Light Award, he joined another local Boy Scout troop for about 10 months and progressed to the rank of First Class before transferring to Troop 848.  He has attended Junior Leader Training and served successful terms as Quartermaster, Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader.  Chris also served as a Den Chief for his younger brother's den in Cub Pack 848.  Chris remained active in the troop until age 18.  He is currently a college student and serves on our Troop Committee.  He shows up at weekly troop meetings when home from school and still goes on an occasional troop outing. 
Eagle Scout #3
December 2, 2002
 Paul Antonio Guzman
Paul achieved Eagle at the age of 17.  He began his scouting career with a troop in Virginia where he progressed to the rank of First Class.  When his family moved to Shepherdsville, KY, he became one of the five founding members of Troop 848.  Paul was the troop's first Senior Patrol Leader. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow and served terms as Patrol Leader and Troop Scribe as well as SPL.  Paul is a graduate of the Junior Leader Training program and served two years on the summer resident camp staff at Camp Crooked Creek.  After earning his Eagle, Paul remained active in the troop as a member of the troop's Eagle Scout Service Patrol until turning 18 and becoming a member of the Troop Committee.  He  is currently serving in the U.S. Army National Guard and has completed a tour of duty in Iraq.
Eagle Scout #4
June 9, 2004		 Florencio A. Olives
Florencio achieved Eagle shortly before his 18th birthday.  Flo was born in New York and lived in the U.S. for 7 years before going to live with relatives in Ecuador.  He returned to the U.S. at age 13 and began his scouting career with Troop 848, thus becoming our troop's first totally "home grown" Eagle Scout!  Generally preferring support positions to being in charge, Flo held various troop offices, including Patrol Leader and Scribe, but never sought to be Senior Patrol Leader.  He attended the Junior Leadership Training Course and served a year on staff at Camp Crooked Creek.  He joined the U.S. Army National Guard and completed basic training the summer following his junior year in high school.  The troop number changed from 848 to 868 before Flo's Eagle board of review, so technically, he is Troop 868's first Eagle.  Flo  has completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan and is currently living and attending college in New York.  
Eagle Scout #5
March 23, 2005		 Tyler Stephen Vandeveer
Tyler achieved Eagle shortly before his 16th birthday.  He began his scouting career with Troop 848 at age 11 and is our second totally "home grown" Eagle Scout.  Just prior to his Eagle board of review he completed his second term as Senior Patrol Leader.  Previously he had served as both a Patrol Leader and Troop Scribe.  Tyler seldom missed any troop outings or events.  At the time he made Eagle, he had attended five different Boy Scout summer resident camps, camped in twelve different states, and accumulated 109 nights of Scout camping with Troop 868.  In the summer of 2004 he was inducted as a Brave in the tribe of Mic-O-Say.  His interests outside of Scouting include boating, video games, paintball, and boxing.  Shortly after reaching Eagle, Tyler moved, changed schools, got a part-time job, and did not remain active in Scouting.  He is currently completing his senior year of high school with plans to join the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation.
Eagle Scout #6
July 11, 2005		 Clinton R. Vissers, III
Clinton achieved Eagle at age 15.  He began his scouting career as a Cub Scout in Pack 157 and progressed through that program earning all the ranks from Tiger up to and including the Webelos Arrow of Light Award.  He also earned both the Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei Cub Scout religious awards.  He began his Boy Scouting career with another local troop and progressed to the rank of Life Scout before deciding to transfer to Troop 868.  A dedicated Brotherhood member in the Order of the Arrow, Clinton earned the Arrowman's Service Award and served as the troop's liaison to the OA.  His is also a Brave in the tribe of Mic-O-Say and has attended the BSA Junior Leader Training Course.  His outside interests include collecting knives, swords, and coins.  He remained active with the unit after reaching Eagle and eventually earned a total of 57 merit badges before turning 18.  Clinton is currently assisting with Cub Scout Pack 868 and continues to support troop fund raising and service projects.  He is currently a senior in high school.
Eagle Scout #7
September 19, 2005		 Joseph Anthony Guelda
Joe slipped in just under the wire, completing his last requirement only a few days before his 18th birthday.  But that's only part of the story -- Joe was already a 15 year old sophomore in high school before he joined Scouting, so his march up the Eagle Trail was anything remotely related to "casual."  An honor roll student, Joe quickly mastered the basic Scouting skills and was soon pursuing merit badges with a definite concentration on those required for Eagle.  His service project was so well-planned and managed that he expanded the project by 50% and still completed it on schedule.  His interests outside of Scouting include bowling and working with his church's youth group.  He is currently attending college and studying Accounting with plans to become a CPA.
Eagle Scout #8
June 4, 2007		 Philip M. McClure
Philip is another "home grown" Eagle who spent his entire Boy Scouting career in Troop 868.  He joined at age 11 and seldom missed any troop activity --- including weekly troop meetings, hikes, campouts, fund-raising events, and service projects.  An honor roll student with a sincere thirst for knowledge, he earned more than 40 merit badges but still managed to delay completing his last Eagle requirement until only a few days before his 18th birthday!  Philip's Eagle service project was to construct dugouts at a popular softball field in a Shepherdsville city park.  Currently a college student, he plans to attend medical school and is considering a military career in the U.S. Navy.  He remains active with Troop 868 and serves on the Troop Committee with plans to eventually become an Assistant Scoutmaster.
Eagle Scout #9
August 13, 2007		 Patrick Ross Smith
Patrick's journey up the "Eagle Trail" had its share of twists and turns.  Patrick joined Troop 868 and advanced to the rank of First Class before transferring to another area troop for a few months then deciding to come back.  Then his family moved  some 35 miles away and he again left in search of a closer troop only to once return a few weeks later.  Patrick was the first scout in Troop 868 to earn the Climbing and Water Skiing merit badges.  He served terms as Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader and completed his last Eagle-required merit badge the day before his 18th birthday!  He has since graduated high school and is seriously consider a military career in either the Army or Air Force Reserves.  He still occasionally attends and supports troop meetings and activities. 
Eagle Scout #10
August 27, 2007		 Timothy Robert Meek
Tim is a 3rd generation Eagle and the 4th Eagle in his family, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father, and older brother.  Tim earned Eagle at age 15.  At the time of his Eagle Board of Review, he had already earned 52 merit badges and camped 178 nights.  Tim earned the Arrow of Light Award as a Webelos in Cub Pack 685 before becoming a Boy Scout.  He is an Ordeal member of the Order of the Arrow and a graduate of the National Youth Leadership Training course.  He is also a BSA Mile Swimmer and a BSA Lifeguard.  He has served the troop as Scribe, Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader.  A sophomore in high school, he is still actively involved in Troop 868, participates in nearly every troop activity, and continues to earn more merit badges.  His interests outside of Scouting include video games and music.  He plays both guitar and saxophone.