Four local Scouts to be awarded rank of Eagle Scout

Special to the Journal On Saturday May 27, from 4-6 pm Boy Scout Troop 122 will be awarding four scouts their Eagle Rank during a Court of Honor at Belton Nazarene Church on Sparta Road. The four boys are Emilio Gonzalez, Daniel McKee, Wyatt McLean and Noah Thomas. Each of them have executed projects within the community. Emilio Gonzalez started his journey to Eagle as a 1st Grader in 2013 with Pack 117. From there he had many leaders that encouraged and taught him the scout law. In 2018 Emilio joined Troop 122 and held positions from Historian, Patrol Leader, ASPL to SPL (Senior Patrol Leader). He participated in Swamp Base that was held in Louisiana and is looking forward to being a part of Philmont Scout Ranch this summer. Emilio currently is attending Lake Belton High School and is on the Tennis team and was inducted into the National Honor Society. Emilio’s Eagle Project involved many of his friends and peers in scouting as he sanded, cleaned and repainted over 300 feet of handrails along the main walking trail in Yettie Polk Park in Belton. Noah Thomas started as a Cub Scout in 2013 as a first grader in Pack 117 in Belton and transitioned as a fifth grader into Troop 122, where he is now earning his Eagle Rank. He quickly made the goal of wanting to become an Eagle Scout at a young age. He is a sophomore at Lake Belton High School and a member of the Stampede Marching Band playing the trombone. He has held many leadership positions in the troop, his favorite being Senior Patrol Leader last year at camp in Athens, TX. His Eagle Project was completed this past July at Lakewood Elementary. He worked alongside a group of friends and peers to tear down the walking bridge from Lakewood Ranch to the back of the school and rebuild it Wyatt McLean’s Scouting journey started at age 7 with Pack 727 while his family was stationed at Fort Bliss, TX. As a military brat with both parents serving as active duty soldiers in the Army, Wyatt was used to challenges and was excited to follow in his father’s and brother’s footsteps into the world of Scouting. After moving to Fort Bragg, NC, Wyatt continued his commitment to Scouting with Pack 776 and progressed through the Cub Scout ranks of Bear, Webelo, and Arrow of Light. After successfully achieving these Cub Scout ranks, Wyatt crossed over into being a full-fledged Scout with Troop 776. He was with that Troop just under a year before the family’s next move, but in that time he worked hard to earn four out of seven Scout ranks. Now with the family stationed back in Texas at Fort Hood, Wyatt joined Troop 122 to complete his journey to Eagle. The bulk of Wyatt’s 148 service hours to the community came from him completing his Eagle Service Project. As Wyatt aspires to become a firefighter and continue serving his community, he thought it fitting that his Eagle Project should benefit his chosen profession. Wyatt conceived, planned, designed, and executed the construction of two gear blowers for our local Sparta Volunteer Fire Department where he volunteers as an honorary member (he must be 15 to fully participate and eagerly awaits his next birthday). These blowers allow harsh chemicals to be blown out of bunker gear following a call as well as drying the gear after cleaning. The project involved 165 total service hours with the help of fellow Scouts, firefighters, friends from school, and family members. Wyatt is developing into an outstanding citizen and is a young man of great character. In addition to excelling in his Scouting efforts, Wyatt is a leader on both his cheer and golf teams while holding an A average at Belton Middle School. Daniel McKee joined Troop 122 in Belton when he was in 5th grade. He is now a Junior at Belton High School. He was eager to meet and have fun and adventures with other boys as his older brother was getting ready to leave home for a military career and he would no longer have him around to spend time with. He knew about scouting because his brother had been a scout also. He has always enjoyed the activities that are essential to scouting. Camping, hiking, building fires, learning to use tools and weapons were rewarding and exciting for him. Forming friendships and learning alongside the rest of the troop was fun. There were challenges too but the satisfaction he felt when he successfully overcame them helped build self esteem and confidence. Daniel’s Eagle project was building a playground for children 3-10 years old at the First Church of the Nazarene on Sparta Road, Belton. With the help of other scouts and scout parents, they cleared a fenced area, replaced gravel