<em>Photo above from left to right: New Eagle Scouts from The Parish Church of St. Helena Boy Scout Troop 1712: Scoutmaster, Mark Henderson, with new Eagle Scouts from Troop 1712, Clark Henderson and Logan Hofmann, and Larry Hofmann, Assistant Scout Master.</em>

Thomas Clark Henderson and Logan Addy Hofmann of Beaufort, SC, members of The Parish Church of St. Helena Boy Scout Troop 1712, received their Eagle Scout Rank at a double Eagle Court of Honor held at The Parish Church of St. Helena, on Friday, February 26th.

To earn the Eagle Scout rank, each Scout completed an Eagle Scout service project. Both young men had to create a budget, raise funds, purchase materials and finally organize and lead a team of Scouts, parents and friends to complete their project. Henderson repainted and performed erosion control on the “Eagle Walk” at Beaufort High School which is a path from the school to the stadium. The project was dedicated to Johnathan Peck, an Eagle team mentor and friend of the Beaufort High School football program. Hoffman constructed a shooting range for the ROTC program at Battery Creek High School.

In addition, as part of the Eagle requirement, both Scouts were required to fulfill requirements in the area of leadership, community service and outdoor skills. While there are many options available to demonstrate proficiency in these areas, a number of specific skills are required to advance through the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and ultimately Eagle. To advance, a Boy Scout must complete specific tasks, organized by requirements and merit badges. Merit badges signify the mastery of certain skills and general knowledge including First Aid, Citizenship in the Community and Communications. Of the more than 130 merit badges available, at least 21 are required to qualify for Eagle Scout.

The Eagle rank is the highest rank that the Boy Scouts offers. According to the Boy Scouts of America, around 6 percent of all Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2013 and only 2 percent of scouts have earned the rank since its inception in 1912. Henderson and Hofmann join the ranks of over 2 million scouts who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Friday’s Court of Honor was well attended by family, friends and distinguished guest, Jody Henson, of the Sons of the American Revolution.