Five Clark County teenagers from the same troop have earned the highest rank for the Boy Scouts
A Boy Scouts troop from Brush Prairie is celebrating five members who have earned Eagle Scout status.
Nationwide, less than 5 percent of Boys Scouts rise to the rank of Eagle Scout, and Brush Prairie’s Troop 475 will be honoring five at an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony on July 20.
The Eagle Scouts are: Joshua Baldwin, Gavin Cook, Kegan DeCarlo, Logan Lewi, and Connor Van Dyke.
Each Eagle Scout has his own journey of reaching this rank.
Joshua Baldwin, a recent graduate of La Center High School, joined Troop 475 in 2018. Although he was new to the scouting world, he quickly found his place.
Baldwin built an arbor at the NatureScaping Wildlife Botanical Gardens in Brush Prairie for his Eagle Scout project. He invested 120 hours on this project, earning his Eagle Scout rank in May.
Baldwin is interested in the trades, and he hopes to find an apprenticeship to continue to learn.
Gavin Cook began scouting as a Bear Cub in 2016. He recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 16.
For his project, he oversaw the construction of a bench along the lower trail at Battle Ground Lake State Park, working closely with park rangers to develop the project. He led a team of seven volunteers and spent more than 40 hours, start to finish.
Cook, who attends Heritage High School in Vancouver, hopes to attend the University of Washington and plans to pursue a degree in linguistics. He said he is grateful for all the opportunities scouting has provided, and he believes the skills he has learned will help him achieve his future goals.
Kegan DeCarlo has proven his passion for scouting by earning Eagle Scout status as a 14-year-old.
DeCarlo started his scouting career in 2016 as a Tiger Scout in Pack 306. He crossed over, as an Arrow of Light, to Troop 475 in 2021.
For his Eagle Scout project, he designed, planned, and completed two stone pathways in the Water Wise Garden at the NatureScaping Wildlife Botanical Garden in Brush Prairie. He spent close to 70 hours on the project. He became an Eagle Scout in May.
DeCarlo will be starting high school in the fall, attending Prairie High School. He plans to continue scouting while being active in high school activities. He said he has enjoyed meeting friends, learning new things, being challenged, and building confidence while in the Boy Scouts.
Logan Lewi became a Cub Scout in Hawaii in 2014. After moving to Vancouver, he joined Pack 545 to continue his adventures, where he earned the highest rank, Arrow of Light. He then moved to Troop 475, where he earned his Eagle rank in December of 2023.
His eagle project involved painting the building at Harmony Sports Complex and assisting in its safety measures. He invested 48 hours on the project.
Lewi will be a senior in the fall at Heritage High School, where he also wrestles. He said he appreciates the life-long friendships he has made through scouting.
Connor Van Dyke began as a Tiger Cub in Cub Scouts in 2013 with Pack 545. He earned his Arrow of Light in March, 2018. He then moved to Troop 475, where he continued to learn life skills and build friendships.
For his Eagle Scout project, he led a team of volunteers to build four large bat boxes for the Department of Natural Resources. He spent more than 100 hours on the project, earning his Eagle Scout rank in January.
Van Dyke will be a senior at Firm Foundation Christian School in Battle Ground in the fall. After graduating, he plans to pursue a degree in finance.
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