Soaring to success

In Scouts BSA, formerly known as Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout is the highest rank achievable, and getting it is no small feat. According to Scouts BSA, only 6% of scouts nationwide get to Eagle. Recently, Joe Bachman, senior, has joined this group.

Though Bachman’s road to Eagle would be a long one, it started many years ago when he was a Cub Scout, and made an uninformed promise.

“As a Cub Scout, I didn’t really have much drive to get [to Eagle Scout] until this one time when I was selling popcorn, a lady came up to me and said, ‘I’ll buy popcorn if you promise me that you’ll become an Eagle Scout,’ so I agreed,” Bachman said. “I was still in elementary school at the time, so I did not fully understand the amount of work that was involved in getting to Eagle Scout, [but I still kept the promise].”

The road to Eagle was not always easy going according to Bachman, but out of the requirements to get Eagle, Bachman says he believes the hardest step was the Eagle Project.

This project requires a scout to lead their troop to create a useful structure for the community, such as the bookshelves Bachman made for a local church.

“There were a few reasons that I chose to continue to do the Eagle Project and get Eagle Scout,” Bachman said. “Mainly the promise I made and [also] the fact that I have this opportunity.”

In order to have a product which can withstand the test of time, good leadership skills are required. According to Jacob Larsen, sophomore and scout in Bachman’s troop, Bachman excelled when it came to this category.

“[Working under Bachman] was great. Unfortunately, I was the only one that could make it [there] that night so it was just [Bachman’s family] and I, but it was super well set up. We knew what exactly we had to get done,” Larsen said.

Larsen has known Bachman for over five years now, and over that time, he has worked with and under Bachman on many occasions. According to Larsen, he came to admire Bachman for his effective leadership and efficient work.

“Joe is really nice and very smart about finding the best way to do stuff while still managing to have fun,” Larsen said.

In addition to Bachman being a good leader to his troop, according to Matthew Terrasaz, senior and Bachman’s friend, Bachman is very persevering towards his goals, especially when it came to becoming an Eagle Scout.

“He’s really hard working. During the whole Eagle Scout [process], he would work tirelessly, and kept going no matter how exhausted he was from everything else,” Terrasaz said. “Joe did his best when it came to getting Eagle Scout, and it ended up really paying off for him.”

Bachman, having now aged out of Scouts BSA and completed his Eagle requirements, now has his Eagle Scout ceremony to look forward to. Overall, Bachman says he is satisfied with his journey in Scouts, and is ready to conclude it.

“I have met my starting goals and done what I wanted to do,” Bachman said. “I have gotten Eagle Scout, and I have made a lot of memories and friends along the way. I’m pretty happy with how it all tuned out and where I am now.”