Sea base 2014, Troop 411 sailed for a week through the Florida Keys.
By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
Two scouts from the local Boy Scouts of America Troop 441 have earned their Eagle Scout rank. Caden Edwards and Chas Wright, recent 2018 Vandegrift graduates and Steiner Ranch residents, are part of the estimated 4 percent of scouts nationwide who earn this rank.
An Eagle Court of Honor was held for the two boys to celebrate their accomplishments. The ceremony was held at the Vintage Villas on April 15 with nine other Eagle Scouts in attendance.
“We had almost all of our boys from their original pack from 201 at Steiner Ranch Elementary, who joined in 1st grade, crossover together to Troop 441 at Lake Travis United Methodist. It’s either nine or 10 who have finished with their Eagle, which is just a tremendous feat,” said Brandi Wright, mother of Chas.
Including Wright and Edwards, others in the troop who received Eagle are the Webb triplets Sam, Jack and Luke, the Lesniak twins, Anup Guggari, Nick Rose and Jacob Lang (the only one who joined as a Boy Scout in about 7th grade).
Eagle Scouts must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges in areas ranging from personal fitness to cooking. This is in addition to the service project also required of the Eagle rank.
Edwards’ project was the demolition and removal of two trail bridges and a one-mile maintenance of trail in the Steiner Ranch trail system. With the help of 11 volunteers the trail was brought back to its original beauty.
Wright’s project was the rehabilitation of the basketball court at Mary Quinlan Park in Steiner Ranch. He replaced the basketball nets, power washed black mildew off the court, and repainted stripes adding a 3-point line bringing the court up to date and approval from the Travis County Parks.
“These boys also accomplished this while being extremely involved at VHS in YMSL and sports,”” Brandi Wright said.
Edwards’ will head to Hardin-Simmons University next semester and Wright is going to Oklahoma State University.
Mark Edwards and Derek Wright, fathers of the two new Eagles, gave a presentation at the Court of Honor. They told of some of the journeys they had attended with the boys including two high adventure camps, the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base, where they sailed on a sailboat for a week through the Florida Keys, and Philmont Scout Ranch in the Southern Rockies where they camped and hiked over 118 miles.
The ceremony was commentated by Eagle Scout Max Dalton and his father, a previous Scoutmaster, Craig Dalton.
“What was most impressive about the ceremony was when all nine Eagle Scouts stood together for the Eagle oath,” said Traci Edwards, mother of Caden. “These boys who started scouting together could now raise their hand and salute their accomplishments together. What a great example of perseverance and integrity.”
Ten members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 441 earned Eagle rank. One of their adventures was hiking 118 miles in the Southern Rockies at Philmont Scout Ranch in 2015.
L-R Chas Wright and Caden Edwards, both of Steiner Ranch, earned Eagle rank in Boy Scouts of America.
At the BSA Eagle ceremony Max Dalton, Austin Heberling, Luke Webb, Chas Wright, Caden Edwards, Anup Guggari, Nate Nichols, and Edwards’ cousin Avery Griffiths from Coppell, Tex. who Eagled in 2009.