Almost everyone remembers those days of wearing their sashes or vests around the house, proudly showing off the glorious array of badges and pins adorning every square inch of fabric. Afternoons were spent sitting around with fellow scouts, while troop parents tried their hardest to keep the group of twenty or so antsy children under control.

These years left people with countless memories, including the experience of sleeping over the science museum and harassing neighbors to buy scout snacks, but as time went on more and more people decided it just wasn’t for them. Yet, although unknown by many, there remains a core group of SHS students that have either chosen to finish, or have already finished, their Boy Scout journey.

During three Monday’s a month Troop 7, which is comprised mainly of kids from Scituate, meet at First Trinitarian Congregational Church, the one down the road from Ronnie Shone’s. Through countless years these meetings have helped teach the group of boys everything they need to know about the world of Boy Scouts, including what it takes to achieve the most desired rank: Eagle Scout.

While the title Eagle Scout is fairly common knowledge among even people with no Boy Scout experience, many have no idea about the time, effort, and, most importantly, dedication that this achievement requires. “We’ve put in a ton of work, but it’s definitely paid off,” said senior and recent Eagle Scout Carter Kupchella about the time he’s given to the process.

In order to become an Eagle Scout, one must complete a series of ten different levels. Each has its own requirements, which include things like how long one must be active in his troop, the number of badges that must be earned, and how many hours of service must be completed. To put it into perspective, according to about.com an Eagle hopeful must “amass 21 or more badges, create and complete an Eagle project, write several essays, request five recommendation letters, compile an application binder and undergo an Eagle board of review, before his application is approved at the national level.” With all these requirements, it comes as no surprise that about only 5% of scouts successfully complete them.

Despite the hard work, there are plenty of opportunities to have fun. Senior Jack Kahrs said “if you get a good troop it’s actually not nerdy and weird; it’s fun. You can do a lot of cool things.”

The amount of trips does vary from troop to troop, but most are very involved. To name a few, members of Troop 7 can go to the Caribbean to scuba dive, West Virginia for the national scout jamboree, and of course have plenty of opportunities to hike. Some past locations for these trips specifically include New Mexico, Maine, New Hampshire, and Colorado.

Still not convinced? According to scouting.org, “members of dozens of universities, BSA [Boy Scout of America] local councils, and religious, civic, and military organizations offer college scholarships to Eagle Scouts.” A long list of community service and the well-known Eagle title are impressive additions to any resume, and help demonstrate a person’s ability to dedicate themselves to reaching a goal.

Clearly, being an Eagle Scout has benefits beyond learning how to tie knots and camp in the wilderness. Besides for helping with college admissions, being a part of the organization helps teach maturity and shows that a person is hardworking. In the end, Eagle Scout becomes much more than simply a title – it becomes a way of life.