“You may have received the badge as a boy, but you earn it every day as a man.” This statement is a testimony from the National Eagle Scout Association of the most prestigious ranking of Boy Scouts, the Eagle. Recently, two Stamford High School seniors were awarded this most distinguished honor. Will Hunt and Chris Ryan both exemplified countless hours of leadership, community service, and merit in order to obtain their badges.

The road to become an Eagle Scout is not an easy one. Ryan said, “You begin in Boy Scouts at age 11, and progress through the various ranks. As you age, you have to complete different requirements to achieve the ranks.” Hunt added, “For Eagle, you have to have to earn 21 merit badges. You also have to serve for six months in a troop leadership position and complete a service project to benefit the community.”

The service project is perhaps the most time consuming and strenuous of all of the necessary steps to become an Eagle Scout. Ryan’s service project included establishing new trail signs and posts along previously unmaintained trails, in addition to restoring old trail signs to their original appearance. Hunt asked friends and family to join him at the Stamford Nature Center to restore the stairway that leads from the museum to the preschool to the blue trail. By doing so, the trail and stairway will be safer for staff, guests, and children. They also removed invasive plants, allowing the Nature Center to plant native species, improving the overall appearance and ecological value of the area.

Once the boys complete their service project, they must present it to the Eagle Scout board of review. Hunt’s write up of his project for the board was 50 pages long. The scouts must also submit the total number of volunteer hours put into the projects. The average amount is 100, but Ryan’s totalled at 145, and Hunt’s at a whopping 236.

All of the Eagle Scout requirements must be completed before the Boy Scout turns 18. Hunt and Ryan will be honored at a private, invite only ceremony typically done by the individual families of the Scouts who achieved the rank.