Brandon Twp.-About 4 percent of all Boy Scouts achieve the highest ranking of Eagle Scout.
ZacYingling, a Brandon High School senior should reach that goal by the end of January.
‘Personally, just to show I’ve completed it will make me feel successful,? said Yingling,17. ‘I will be honored to receive it.?
To be an Eagle Scout, a youngster must earn 21 merit badges, including 12 required badges, by his 18th birthday. Yingling will turn 18 on Jan. 29 and is currently working on his required Citizenship in the Community badge, his final step to becoming an Eagle Scout.
For his project, Yingling is working with Brandon Fire Chief Bob McArthur, community activist Lee Stewart, Brandon Township Clerk Jeannie McCreery and Brandon Senior Center Director Wilma Merritt in compiling a list of seniors and homebound citizens in the area. The list of approximately 100 names and addresses will be applied to a map of the community at the fire department and will be used by a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in case of natural disaster. The team will be able to locate homebound citizens and seniors on the map and ensure they have food and are safe in extreme situations.
Yingling’s community project is the first of several that the CERT team will eventually implement. The CERT team is comprised of 11 community members who are currently being trained to assist the fire department as part of the Homeland Security Act.
‘This is a really good start for the group,? McArthur said. ‘Zac is coming up with one of the main objectives for the team which will be a senior citizen notification process. He’s a very good young man. He’s been really enjoyable to work with.?
Yingling joined the Boy Scouts when he was in second grade. Some of the first badges he earned were in archery, swimming and first aid. Over the years, he has earned more on scouting trips, to places such as the Lost Lake Scout Camp in Clare or the biggest one two summers ago when he backpacked and hiked at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for two weeks. He plans to return to Philmont this summer.
Yingling said he has learned a tremendous amount about the outdoors on the outings and has learned quite a bit overall by being in the Boy Scouts and it has matured him and taught him responsibility.
Yingling expects an Eagle Scout ranking to help him in numerous ways, because it is so difficult to achieve. There are college scholarships available for Eagle Scouts and Yingling notes that by having the ranking, colleges will see the effort and hard work he puts in to what he does.