By: Scott Larson
slarson@kcautv.com
Only 2 out of every 100 boys who join the Boy Scouts make it to the highest rank of Eagle Scout. And that makes the accomplishments of 5 boys in Le Mars, IA that much more special.
Alex Hermes, Brad Young, Brady Westhoff, Reilly Wingert, and Tyler Zimmerman of Troop 188 in Le Mars have reached the rank of Eagle Scout – the highest honor in all of scouting. The boys have spent much of their lives working toward this goal. Not just earning merit badges, but also coordinating a project that gives back to the community.
Brad says, "They just happened to need somebody else and I was there. My job of it was to build a grilling area for the church." Reilly says, "I put together a fire pit and I also added benches and tables around it." The two boys collaborated with Alex on their Eagle Scout projects at the Rejoice Community Church in Le Mars.
In Troop 188, their success is contagious with nearly 40 scouts reaching the Eagle rank over the last decade. The boys credit their Scoutmaster, Trudy Seng, with pushing them to succeed. Brady says, "We've had a leader that's been with us the whole time, Trudy, and I don't think I could do it without her. She's been like a second mom to me."
These five boys achieved a great deal along with helping the next generation to be prepared. Trudy says, "It does ripple down because the kids look up to the older boys and they see them with their Eagle Scouts and they see some of the openings and advantages that it gives them. But also the knowledge and the skills that the boys are learning and teaching to the younger boys."
