Oliver Lacy earns Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout

By Debbie Adams

Oliver Lacy, a member of Vinton Scout Troop 235, has been awarded the highest rank possible
in Scouting— that of Eagle Scout. Only 4% of those who enter Scouting achieve this distinction.
His Court of Honor ceremony was held on May 24 at the Scout building at Thrasher Memorial
United Methodist Church with fellow Scouts, Scout leaders, family, and friends attending the
celebration. Scoutmaster Steve Thrasher opened and guided the ceremony.

Lacy was reminded by his Scout leaders of the five obligations of an Eagle Scout— to live
honorably; to be loyal to family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation; to be courageous, not
only physically but by standing up for what is right; to be cheerful; and to serve others.

To become an Eagle Scout, you are required:

 To be active in your troop and patrol for at least six months as a Life Scout
 To demonstrate Scout spirit by living out the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your everyday
life
 To earn 21 merit badges, including the 13 required (First Aid, Citizenship in the
Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communication,
Cooking, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Environmental
Science of Sustainability, Personal Management, Swimming or Hiking or Cycling,
Camping, Family Life, and Citizenship in Society. (Lacy has earned 26 merit badges thus
far.)
 To plan, develop, and lead others in carrying out a service project worthy of an Eagle
Scout
 To appear before a board of review of prominent persons and satisfy them that you have
done your best to understand and live up to the Scout Oath and Law, and in all ways,
qualify for the Eagle Scout Award

During the ceremony, Lacy received his Eagle Award pin from his mother, Kasey Bratton. He
presented pins to his mother, stepfather Trevor Bratton, and his Scout leaders and mentors,
Cubmaster and Eagle Scout Committee Chair Greg Leslie and Asst. Scoutmaster Brian Cook.
The community service project required of Eagle Scouts takes months of planning and
fundraising by the Scout candidate. Lacy’s project was building an information kiosk on the
Blackwater River in Franklin County, part of a larger initiative to create a boat launch along Blue
Bend Road.

Eagle Scout candidates must raise funding for their projects and serve as leaders in its
completion, supervising other Scouts and volunteers in a troop activity as the project advances.
When the project is complete, the Scout faces a board of review.

Lacy has been involved in Scouting for about 12 years. He is now graduating from North Cross
High School with plans to enter Virginia Tech this fall and study engineering. One of the merit
badges he earned along his journey involved nuclear science.

Many Eagle Scouts were present for the ceremony which was led by Scout leaders Steve Thrasher,
Greg Leslie, and Brian Cook.

Leslie said, “The Scouts of all nations constitute one of the most wholesome and significant
movements in the world’s history. You have been judged by the Boy Scouts of America of being
worthy of the highest rank in this great movement.

“Your position is one of honor and responsibility. You are a marked man. As an Eagle Scout,
you have assumed a solemn obligation to do your duty to God, to country, to your fellow Scouts,
and to mankind in general. This is a great undertaking.

“I charge you to undertake your citizenship with a solemn dedication. Be a leader but lead only
toward the best. Lift up every task you do and every office you hold to the high level of service
to God and to your fellowman. So live and serve that those who know you will be inspired to
finer living. We have too many who use their strength and their brains to exploit others and gain
selfish ends. I charge you to be among those who dedicate their skills and ability to the common
good.

“Build America on the solid foundation of clean living, honest work, unselfish citizenship, and
reverence for God and whatever others may do, you will leave behind a record of which every
other Scout may be justly proud.

“As an Eagle Scout, you become a guide to other Scouts of lower rank. You become an example
in your community. Your actions are a little more conspicuous and people will expect more of
you.”

Lacy talked about his years in Scouting and how they have impacted his life. “Over my many
years in Scouting, I have learned much that I plan to carry with me. Scouting and my Eagle
project have instilled values of leadership, bravery, and courage within me. My time in Scouts
has taught me to lead my peers by example and through teaching. This is a skill I have used
many times since and one I plan to use in the future. It has taught me to be brave, trying new things and taking leaps of faith. Learning about nuclear science, that was something I never even
thought about, but I was brave and chose to learn something new.”

Brian Cook read an excerpt from “How to Be a Scout” by adventurer, author, and Chief
Ambassador of World Scouting, Bear Grylls, which explains how Scouting changed his life and
what it meant to him.

“You only get one shot at life. Make it count. Get out in the sunshine. Get out in the rain. Learn
the names of things. Know the trees, the stars, and the people in your street. Learn to say ‘thank
you’ in ten languages.

“Learn how to start a fire and put it out. Make things. Share things. Find out where you fit in and
feel happiest. Do what you love. Make other people happy, but make time for yourself, too.

“Brew tea on a mountainside. Drink soup in the rain. Fall asleep smelling of wood smoke. Find
people you like. Find people nothing like you (we learn the most from them.) Dream big and ask
for little. If someone shows you how to do something, listen. Practice. Get good. Then pass it on.

“Remember to say thank you. Write them a card.

“Swim in the ocean. Feel the salt on your skin and the wind in your hair. Look up at the stars but
keep your feet on the ground. Fall off bicycles and dance on beaches. Sleep on a hillside in a
bivvy bag and a woolly hat. Watch the sun rise over the sea. Close gates. Open doors. Be kind to
animals and give away your change.

“Help other people. Build them up (it always makes you shine brighter). Eat fruit but save room
for the occasional marshmallow (and remember they taste better nearly burnt). Chop enough
wood.

“Give yourself some slack. Learn to do things properly. How we do anything is how we do
everything. Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself. Be good. Be kind. Eat plums. Have fun.

“Stop shopping and start living. Never pass up good advice. Remember what goes around, comes
around. Stand up for what you believe in but remember to listen more than you speak. Keep an
open mind. Never be afraid to admit you are wrong (people will respect you more for it.).

“Be there when someone needs you and they’ll never forget it. Never be afraid to ask for help.
Keep learning; keep smiling; and keep looking to the horizon. That’s where the future begins.

“Most of all, don’t count the days. Make the days count. In Scouts, this is what we do. We keep
learning. We look after each other. We show courage in the big moments. And the small ones.
We know the power of a kind deed. It’s why we love to help other people. We have fun. We
don’t just do badges, we do memories. We do adventures. After all, adventure is a state of mind.”