Eagan Boy Scout Troop Celebrates 10 Eagle Scouts
Eagan Scouts BSA Troop 451 celebrated the court of honor for 10 scouts who achieved the highest scouting rank of Eagle on Sunday, April 24, 2022, at 6 P.M. at the Church of St. Peter in Mendota Heights, Minn. Nine of the 10 Eagle Scouts went to grade school together from kindergarten to eighth grade at Faithful Shepherd Catholic School in Eagan. All attend various high schools but are reuniting for this special honor.
The scouts being honored for achieving the highest rank in Scouts BSA and the high schools they attend are Alex Braun, 18, Burnsville, Academy of Holy Angels; Lucas Conrad, 18, Eagan, Cretin-Derham Hall; Cooper Corbo, 17, Inver Grove Heights, Saint Thomas Academy; Henry Cullen, 18, Eagan, Cretin-Derham Hall; Josh Gillard, 18, Eagan, Academy of Holy Angels; Jacob Gurin, 18, Lakeville, Saint Thomas Academy; Patrick Reimann, 18, Eagan, Eagan High School; Nick Ryan, 17, Eagan, Cretin-Derham Hall; George Weinberger, 18, Eagan, Cretin-Derham Hall; and Tim Williams, 18, Eagan, currently attending Florida Polytechnic University.
In lieu of a more traditional celebration with food and gifts for the scouts, the troop, parents and guests are donating funds to Ukrainian Refugees through the following organizations: Catholic Relief Services, International Rescue Committee, American Refugee Committee, Doctors without Borders, International Medical Corps, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
Since the inception of the rank of Eagle in 1911, more than two and half million scouts have earned it. As of 2020, there are currently 1.2 million Scouts BSA members in the United States, but only 8% of scouts reach the Eagle Scout rank.
The state of Minnesota reported having 975 Eagle Scouts in 2020, making it the 21st state out of 50 with the most Eagle Scouts.
Earning the rank of Eagle is a lengthy process and requires a minimum of 21 merit badges earned, 13 specifically required, a track record of leadership positions, an approved Eagle project completed that benefitted a community, and a Board of Review interview process, and all must be completed by the scout’s 18th birthday.
Some notable Eagle Scouts in the history of scouting include astronaut Neil Armstrong, software developer Bill Gates, Sr., tv host Mike Rowe, director Steven Spielberg, and former President Gerald Ford.