November 4, 2015
Prince Avenue Students Achieve the Rank of Eagle Scout
Prince Avenue Christian School junior Preston Chandler and senior Wesley Wells recently earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. Scouts must earn at least 22 merit badges and demonstrate an ideal attitude based on the Scout Oath and Law to include leadership and service. These requirements take years to fulfill. The culminating stipulation in this process is an extensive service project that must be organized and managed by the scout.
Preston Chandler has been a boy scout since the first grade. His father initiated his involvement with the scouts, and his family encouraged him throughout the years as he worked toward the Eagle Scout rank. Preston said that he especially enjoyed the experiences involved in Outdoor Skills, First Aid, and Emergency Preparedness. “I learned through scouts to be prepared and help people out when they are in need.”
In similar fashion, Wesley, who has also been in scouts since the first grade, explained that he enjoyed the trips and adventures that scouting allowed him throughout the years, experiences that he would not have had outside of scouting. Wesley also expressed that scouting offered lessons that will help him in life. “I learned about leadership and time management.”
Preston and Wesley both described their Eagle Scout project with great enthusiasm. Each scout is responsible to identify a need in his community and create a plan to meet that need. This plan includes research necessary to accomplish the goal and collecting necessary resources or funding needed for the project. The scout is then responsible for the physical labor involved in completing the project.
Preston contacted the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia to ask if there was any area of need in which he could assist. The result of that inquiry was a newly built holder and base for a new frontage metal sign for the organization. “It took two months of planning and two days to build and install. I sent letters for support to friends and family and raised more than $500 to fund the project.”
Wesley’s project also took two months of planning and work to complete. Wesley devised a plan to assist in the effort to properly retire old and tattered American flags. Wesley explained, “There is a proper way to retire flags, and the public needs easy access to this procedure.” Wesley created three collection boxes for flags that need to be retired and obtained permission from the city to place the boxes in specific locations. Wesley then collected the flags and retired them properly. In the future the flags will be collected and retired every six months.
Both young men have expressed that their time in scouts has improved their sense of leadership in meaningful ways. Preston explains that as a student at Prince Avenue, he has applied scout lessons through the Barnabas Program in which he mentors younger students. “I have three students that I mentor. They need someone older, someone they can look up to. Some of them do not have fathers, and I know that I can help them.” Wesley also says that he desires to help students younger than himself. “I plan to continue participating in scouts so that I can guide younger scouts.”
Junior, Preston Chandler
Senior, Wesley Wells