Four local youths become Eagle Scouts

Last Saturday, the Fourteenth of January, at 11 a.m., Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 571 held an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for four young men, James Hawkins, Nathan Burgett, Jacob Ingram, and Isaiah Wilson, at the First Church of God on South Walnut Street in Bristow. All four scouts earned and were awarded their Eagle Scout rank during the ceremony.

Becoming an Eagle Scout takes years of dedication, hard work, and service. One must fulfill his duty to God and commit to serving his community and living his life according to BSA scouting principles, oaths, and laws. Additionally, one must choose an Eagle Scout service project, aiding a religious or educational entity or his community.

Saturday’s Eagle Scout Court presented a few surprise honors for the scouts present. Our own House District 29 Representative Kyle Hilbert, who also serves as Speaker Pro Tempore, presented each Eagle Scout with a Citation of Congratulations for earning the rank of Eagle Scout and in acknowledgement of his Eagle Scout project and scouting career. Each citation was signed by Representative Hilbert and Senate District 12 Senator Todd Gollihare. Additionally, Mayor Rick Pinson presented each Eagle Scout with a Proclamation of Outstanding Achievement and proclaimed January 14, 2023, as Boy Scouts of America Troop 571 Day in honor of the achievements of the four new Eagle Scouts, those who came before them, and of the entire troop for their dedication of service and support to each other and to the community.

Mayor Pinson said of the Eagle Scouts, “As a community, we are extremely proud of them. One of the best parts of being an American and a Bristowan is witnessing our young people mature into honorable young adults dedicated to supporting our communities and improving life for all. I felt incredibly honored and proud to be there as the young men accepted their Eagle Scout rank. They exhibit the integrity, dedication, and life of service and honor that we all should strive to live by. Congratulations, Eagle Scouts!”

Although each Eagle Scout is unique, the four shared some commonalities. For instance, all four spent their entire scouting careers together with Bristow Pack and Troop 571 and enjoyed the friendship and awards that scouting offers. Similarly, all four understand that being an Eagle Scout offers a lifetime of advantages including scholarships, job and military rank advancements, and leadership positions among others; although, the group seemed most interested in the personal attributes they gleaned from the work involved in attaining the rank. For some, they most prized the spiritual growth; for others, they most valued the grit to persist in spite of doubt, peer pressure, and criticism.

Without further ado, we present each Eagle Scout and his Eagle Scout project: Meet James Hawkins, the sixteen- year-old Eagle Scout from Welty. Partially inspired by two of his older brothers, he has seven brothers and two sisters, who were also Eagle Scouts, he long endeavored to earn his own Eagle Scout rank, joining the scouts nearly seven years ago. His motivation also included his longterm plans to follow in the footsteps of his dad and other family members by joining the United States Air Force (USAF) upon graduating from high school. He hopes to become a fireman in the USAF and serve for around twenty-five years before returning home to serve his community as a fireman as well.

For his Eagle Scout project, James met with a man overseeing some dilapidated signs identifying Stroud Lake. The gentlemen also needed help clearing trees and brush from a five-mile hiking trail. James set out to construct both signs and clear the trail for hikers. After around 150 hours of work, he succeeded.

Mr. Hawkins wishes to thank his parents, Walter and Janis Hawkins, his Eagle Scout brothers Wyatt and Markcus, and his BSA leaders for helping him to attain his new rank. Regarding his new rank, he said,“I feel joyful I got this rank. It’s a very big thing for me to do and will help me in many ways throughout my future.” In an encouragement to others, he said, “I hope that you consider joining some Boy Scouts. It is the best experience you can have.”

Next, meet Nathan Burgett, a sixteen-year-old Eagle Scout from Gypsy. Nathan has been involved with Pack and Troop 571 since 2012, and his parents, George and Jennifer Burgett, got him involved with scouting. He has two younger brothers, and his dad serves as a Troop 571 committee member, having previously served as Cubmaster for Pack 571.

As for his motivation to become an Eagle Scout, Mr. Burgett said, “I knew I wanted to be an Eagle Scout once I reached the age of being a Boy Scout. Being an Eagle Scout represents someone of good character who tries to adhere to the pillars of the scout law which include being trustworthy, honest, helpful, obedient, and reverent.” For his project, Nathan noticed many community members seeking a place to drop off flags in need of retirement, so he planned such a drop box and coordinated with the VFW to place it on site there. The project took him five months to complete. “I feel more like a leader in the troop now.”

Nathan wishes to thank his dad, Amos Ingram, Rex Wilson, Scot Thompson and the VFW, Mayor Rick Pinson, and Representative Kyle Hilbert.

The third sixteen-year-old Eagle Scout, Jacob Ingram of Depew, has been involved in scouting for nine years. He has one sister, and his parents, Amos and Pam Ingram, also got him involved in scouting; however, scouting runs in his family as his maternal grandfather, David Fisher, filed for BSA Troop 571 Charter in the early 1980s after the previous troop disbanded.

Like his fellow Eagle Scouts, he knew early in his scouting career that he wanted to earn his Eagle Scout rank. For his project, he wanted to do something for his church, First Baptist Church of Depew. After meeting with them, he chose building and placing two flag poles, one each for the American and Christian flags, at the front of his church for his project. In total, the project took him about a month to complete. He said, “It feels pretty cool and is a really great accomplishment in my life.”Upon receiving his citation and proclamation, he stated, “I thought it was pretty cool and did not expect it. I felt honored and am grateful.”

Jacob wishes to thank his dad, who is also Assistant Scoutmaster, Scoutmaster Rex Wilson, George Burgett, Pastor James Lane, and Rick Knight. He shared a parting thought and encouragement: “Don’t give up. If times get tough, rely on God to be your strength and get you through.”

Finally, the youngest of the new Eagle Scouts at age fifteen, Isaiah Wilson of Bristow has been a scout since age ten. He, too, was introduced to scouting by his family. His parents are Rex and Jasmine Wilson, and his dad serves as Scoutmaster for Troop 571. His brother Kegan earned his own Eagle Scout rank a few years prior. Isaiah also has four sisters.

An avid soccer player as well as a soccer referee for younger children’s games, Isaiah noticed that many younger players often chased kicked balls into the parking lot as no fence existed between the field and parking lot, which seemed quite dangerous to him. Therefore, he chose to erect a fence between the field and parking lot for his project. To fund the supplies needed to construct the fence, he and his dad secured a grant. In total, the project took him one to two months to complete.

Isaiah hopes to become a soccer coach, volunteer for scouting events, and become a children’s therapist or guidance counselor after high school. He offered parting words of encouragement as well, saying “Take your time. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, just work toward your goals. Don’t listen to other people. Follow your dreams. What others say shouldn’t matter.”

Isaiah wishes to thank his parents, his troop leaders, and his brother for inspiring him to achieve Eagle Scout rank.

For more information about BSA Troop 571, contact Scoutmaster Rex Wilson at (918) 7292039 or Assistant Scoutmaster Amos Ingram at (918) 6050768.