Showing leadership brought these students and teachers a long way.

An Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Cub Scout can ever hope to achieve. The process to earn that rank is long but is worth the effort and hard work. Becoming one requires leadership within the troop as well as twenty-one merit badges based on a series of tasks one must complete.

Currently, there are three students and three teachers at Mt. Carmel who are Eagle Scouts. That number is especially impressive because only four percent of Cub Scouts go on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

Senior Noah Sanchez achieved Eagle Scout status through his determination to persevere no matter the challenge. “I think roughly around maybe the first-class rank that I got, that’s when I started to be a little bit more serious about trying to get to Eagle,” he says. “I tried just pushing through all of it so then eventually I could make it to eagle which was pretty much the real goal for me.”

After completing what many Scouts refer to as “training,” the relief of becoming an Eagle Scout is one that most will cherish for a lifetime. Senior Joe Baranowski has met the criteria of becoming an Eagle Scout through his leadership ability and dedication.
Both being able to communicate and having the determination to take charge is what makes not only an Eagle Scout but a leader. Baranowski has earned the rank of Eagle Scout but as a Cub Scout learned from the leaders in his group how to communicate and be a leader himself. “I was a younger scout at one time, so I saw all of the older scouts teaching us how to do stuff,” he says. “Speak out to everyone, make sure everyone is on track with everything, don’t leave anyone behind.”

Scouting helps young people be prepared for life. It teaches leadership skills as well as training that will benefit Scouts in a time of need. “We got to do a lot of fun things,” Sanchez says. “Obviously camping and activities, but we also did stuff that will help later in life like how to cook, how to perform first aid on people when they need it, tying knots to hold things stronger.”

Communication is a huge part of being in a Boy Scout troop. To get tasks done within the group each member must share a bond and learn to work together. Senior Nathan Monberg learned communication skills throughout his time working his way toward Eagle Scout. “I think you need to be able to communicate with everyone you’re working with and take everybody’s input into account,” says Monberg. “I think that’s some of the biggest parts of it.”

Some of the tasks involved in achieving the merit badges are held under time constraints. “I found that most of what’s difficult about becoming an Eagle Scout is the time that you have to invest in it,” says Monberg. “I think that’s the main reason a lot of people don’t end up becoming an Eagle Scout.”

An Eagle Scout project is a community service project that involves people from your troop. Setting up the project can take place within a community and can take up to a year to get everyone involved for the project to be successful. It’s up to the scout leader on how certain things will be managed. Theology teacher and head E-Sports coach Mr. Dominic Scheuring is an Eagle Scout and is an example of what it means to be a leader. “It’s less about ordering people around as opposed to making sure everyone is in their right place and needs everything they need to do a good job,” he says.

Being able to become a leader and an Eagle Scout is an honor within itself. Director of Mission and Ministry Mr. John Stimler holds scouting in a very special place. “It puts you in a group of guys in scouting that have attained this rank that not all scouts attain,” he says. “There’s a sense of pride that I was one of those people who stuck with it.”

Director of Counseling Mr. Jim Peltzer, an Eagle Scout and current troop leader, joined Cub Scouts in 1992. During his time scouting, Mr. Peltzer has built strong bonds within his scouting group that he still has to this day. “I think the bonds that I made were able to help me become a leader for my boys now,” he says. “My two sons are in Cub Scouts, so I’m a leader for my third grader who is a Bear.”

Leadership is a hard trait for some people to develop. These students and teachers have shown their leadership skills through working with other scouts in their regiment as well as being a good example to follow. They not only resemble an Eagle Scout but true men of Carmel. “Leading by example as always,” Mr. Stimler says. “Scouting is the same way. You can’t really dictate stuff to people if you’re not willing to do it yourself.”