Five Young Men Earn The Esteemed Eagle Scout Award

Online, September 19, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Five young men soared high as they received their Eagle Scout Awards on Wednesday, September 12. The Court of Honor was held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Peitz Avenue in Waconia. Chandler Dykes, Jeremy Knighton, Tyler Rowberry, Taft Jones, and Jeff Nettesheim belong to Troop 295 which also meets at the church.

"Once an Eagle, always an Eagle." Each boy demonstrated the commitment and leadership necessary to be called an Eagle Scout for life by faithfully completing an Eagle Project.

Chandler (16) is a junior at Eden Prairie High School. He is the son of John and Marnell Dykes of Eden Prairie. To earn his Eagle Scout, Chandler constructed and installed eight Wood Duck nesting boxes at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St Louis Park.

Jeremy (16) attends Eden Prairie High School. He is a junior. He is the son of Andrew and Cathy Knighton of Chaska. Jeremy made 50 fleece pet beds for the Golden Valley Humane Society with the help of family and friends. He also made 50 rice bags to heat in a microwave and use for comforting pets after surgery.

Tyler (14) is a freshman at Eden Prairie High School. He is the son of Brandon and Kim Rowberry of Eden Prairie. Tyler had ten people help him build two 7-foot cabinets for Feed My Starving Children. The cabinets will be used for mobile displays. Tyler also organized 40 people to help hand-pack 13, 200 meals for Feed My Starving Children. They send meals to approximately 70 countries around the world.

Taft (17) is a senior at Chaska High School. He is the son of Mary and Mark Jones of Chaska. Taft installed a chain link fence at Auburn Manor, a nursing home in downtown Chaska. He recruited friends and family to work under his direction on the project.

Jeff (17) is a senior at Chanhassen High School. He is the son of Mark and Kari Nettesheim of Chanhassen. Jeff built a 9-hole disc (Frisbee) golf course at Bandimere Park in Chanhassen. Bandimere Park designed and paid for the golf course; Jeff ordered the supplies and recruited family and friends to help with the work. They cleared brush, cut down trees, leveled the ground, dug holes for the poles and set them in concrete. The trees they cut down were recycled as woodchips for the ground cover.
The five boys follow in the footsteps of Spencer Stoltz (16) who received District recognition in May 2012 for the Outstanding Eagle Project of 2011. Spencer built 35 lap desks and easels for Children's Hospital in Minneapolis.

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the Eagle Scout Award. All six boys received the unique Centennial Patch.

Way to go Troup 295!

Scouting is a traditional part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' youth program for young men and young women. The Church has over 30,000 members in 80 congregations in Minnesota and over 14 million members worldwide. Members of the Church strive to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.