On the Path to Eagle

The pursuit of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is a remarkable journey that showcases a youth’s commitment to outdoor skills, dedication to leadership and the ability to impact their community positively. Recently, four Marksmen earned the highest attainable rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

“Boy Scouts teaches a wide variety of skills, from athletics to communication to finance,” Roman Childress ’25 said. “St. Mark’s does the same by teaching classes on many different skills.”

New Eagle Scouts are juniors Roman Childress and Henry Roden, and freshmen Tripp Schoellkopf and Peter Clark. Earning the title of Eagle Scout is an accomplishment that reflects a scout’s resilience, character and personal development.

“During my eighth grade year, I was leading my patrol on a five-mile hike while using only a compass and map to obtain 11 flags at various locations on a large ranch in the Texas Hill Country,” Schoellkopf said. “It was a very rewarding experience and showed me that shortcuts cannot be taken when you have greater goals in your eyes.”

To attain this rank, scouts must earn at least 21 merit badges and complete an extensive service project (Eagle Project) that each scout must plan, propose, organize and lead. The project must address a need in the community. It is a testament to their organizational abilities, commitment to community service, strong character and leadership development.

“Working on and completing my Eagle Project has been one of the most rewarding parts of my Scouting career,” Roden said. “The project required a lot of planning, so it was rewarding to see it pay off.”

Each scout celebrated his new rank at an Eagle Scout court of honor with his respective troops, family and friends. The ceremony provided scouts the opportunity to reflect on their scouting legacy. 

“The mentoring experiences I have passed on to younger scouts have done great things for my character, and the relationships that have come from scouts hold a special place in my heart,” Clark said.