Local residents to earn Eagle Scout honor today

Warren County Eagle Scouts include William Davis, George Maddox, Brandon Parker, Benjamin Powell, Phillip Rowland, Kyle Watlington and Christopher Weitzel. They all belong to local Troop 631.

With an unprecedented 339 young men becoming Eagle Scouts in 2007, local communities reaped an astounding $1.5 million in community service from Eagle Projects alone. Every scout must organize and complete a large-scale community service project called an Eagle Project before earning the rank of Eagle Scout, in addition to a wide range of wilderness and leadership tests.

Eagle Scouts in Middle Tennessee accounted for 65,427 hours of volunteer labor during 2007, labor that if paid would have amounted to $1.2 million. They also brought in $265,000 in donated materials, making their economic impact on the Midstate around $1.5 million.

The Middle Tennessee Council will honor its new Eagle Scouts at a reception today at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The keynote speaker will be Walter Overton, general manager of LP Field for the Tennessee Titans.

The Middle Tennessee Council of Boy Scouts of America serves more than 51,000 youth and adult volunteers in a 37-county area.