Boy Scout 516 celebrates first Eagle Scout recipient

More than a decade has passed since he first joined his local Cub Scouts, and now he has reached the mountain peak, and for those who hiked with him, the view is unlike anything they have ever seen before.

Boy Scout Troop 516 gathered at Valley Forge Freewill Baptist Church Sunday afternoon to celebrate one of the troop’s biggest milestones in its four years of history: its first-ever Eagle Scout.

Over 30 scouts attended 17-year-old Cory Lawson’s Eagle Court of Honor.

“It is really special,” Scoutmaster Ricki Dykes said. “There are so many times where you know they are going to get there, then there are so many times you have to work with them.”

The title of Eagle Scout is one of the hardest achievements in the Boy Scouts of America program. According to Dykes, only about 2 percent of scouts actually reach this rank, and the process takes many years.

Because the rank is difficult to achieve, scout troops like 516 hold a Court of Honor in order to highlight the accomplishment and what it means for them going forward.

“It is a great award for many different people,” Lawson said. “I put a lot of hard work into it, and I really hope I can continue my Scouting career.”

The BSA structures its programs not just to teach knowledge or skills, but also life lessons and leadership skills, tests that become more difficult as scouts progress through the program.

Lawson’s journey through Scouting required him to obtain 21 Merit badges in order to qualify for the Eagle rank, 13 of which are mandatory for everyone while the rest are “electives” a scout can choose based on personal interest. The former include learning about cooking, local, state and federal governments, personal fitness, financial management and more.

“It has been a long journey,” Lawson said. “It only gets harder. You have to stay dedicated. You have to show a lot of leadership.”

Before Sunday, he was serving as the Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 516, a youth leader who helped make Troop-wide decisions with adult leaders.

“He has worked with me from the very beginning of the adventure,” Dykes said.

When Troop 516 started in 2014, the group consisted of two to three boys and a handful of adult leaders. Today, the troop is the only Boy Scout troop to remain in the Carter County region, and currently has over 30 members.

“I saw him come from this little shy young man to a wonderful leader,” she said. “We pretty much taught him the skills, and then he was senior patrol leader for two years because we just had a few boys.”

Despite the small beginning, both Lawson and the troop have grown since then, and now a crowd of people gathered to celebrate his accomplishment.

In many cases, earning the Eagle rank means leaving the troop to continue on towards adulthood, but Lawson said he has decided to stay for a while longer.

“My scoutmaster really wants me to be the Junior Youth Assistant Scoutmaster,” he said. “I am going to be doing the same thing I am doing now, helping boys showing up to meetings and teaching merit badges.”

Lawson is a rising senior at Elizabethton High School and will graduate spring of next year.

“I know the joy of being a parent, and now I know the joy of being a Scoutmaster,” Dykes said. “I know Cory is going to make a difference in the future.”

SportsPlus

Local news

ETSU to celebrate Commencement Dec. 14

Local news

Annual Shop With a Cop a huge success

Local news

Disaster Recovery Center to open in Elizabethton for Tropical Storm Helene assistance

Local news

FEMA needs your current contact information

Church News

What does Proverbs 10:14 mean?

Local news

Country singer Tracy Lawrence foundation provides five local first responders with hope

Local news

January Jams return to Barter Theatre

Local news

Holiday classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ takes the stage at Niswonger PAC

Local news

TN health centers voice concerns about future of low-cost programs

Local news

Carter County mourns loss of former Sheriff Dexter Lunceford

Local news

ETSU secures $900K defense grant

Local news

Holiday Blues? Tennessee No. 2 Worst State for Seniors’ Mental Health

Local news

TWRA announces winter trout stocking schedule for 2024-25

Local news

Eastman announces senior leadership changes in global manufacturing organization

Local news

ETSU names new dean of College of Health Sciences

Local news

The Salvation Army receives Christmas Kettle Match for December 6 from Blackburn, Childers & Steagall

Local news

Former employee indicted for theft from Kingsport’s Bays Mountain Park

Local news

Elizabethton High awarded TVA STEM grant

Local news

A Life Lived: Randy Sizemore had the gift of making people laugh

Local news

Elizabethton Shrine Club hosting Christmas wreath fundraiser to support local children in need

Local news

City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation announces Storytime with Santa event

Local news

City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation to host Character Christmas

Local news

Carter County releases weekly disaster assistance update for residents

Local news

Elizabethton Senior Center fundraiser scheduled Dec. 13