Written by Kian Gramzow Troop 12 Historian
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
-- Vincent Van Gogh
The Largest Court of Honor in Troop 12 History
Since our previous Court of Honor in February, Troop 12 has undergone tremendous growth. We gained 9 new members and welcomed a new patrol into the troop. The Knight patrol joined Troop 12 in April after their crossover into Boy Scouts.
A Night of Troop 12 Firsts
Eagle Patrol's Luke Manning became Troop 12’s first scout to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. Later, Manning became our first scout to receive the Marine Corps League Good Citizen Award.
Troop 12 experienced a bitter-sweet first this year as well -- at the Court of Honor, we bid farewell to Benny May, Troop 12's first Scout to age out of our Troop upon turning 18 years old.
May has been a dedicated scout. His journey started in Cub Scouts -- and ended on his 18th birthday. His humor and leadership will be missed.
A few more notable firsts that were recognized at the court of honor include sending our first-ever representatives to attend the National Scout Jamboree and having our first graduate from National Youth Leadership Training.
These are some of the many firsts Troop 12 has earned. Look for more firsts in Troop 12's near future!
Advancement Avalanche: Our Troop's Record-Breaking Success
Troop 12 broke a personal record having earned a total of 160 merit badges and 29 ranks since February of 2023!
Troop 12 attended Camp Melakwa for the first time in August 2023. Camp Melakwa is a beautiful summer camp and offers a myriad of different merit badge opportunities.
Most of our merit badges were earned at Summer Camp -- but not all of them.
All seven Boy Scout ranks were awarded, and the vast majority of scouts within the troop moved up at least one rank.
Advancement and progression had only been possible because of a wonderful leadership team.
Douglas Long, our Senior Patrol Leader, handed off the leadership role to Wyatt Frome, our new SPL.
This Court of Honor was the first meeting under the supervision of Frome. He eloquently led the meeting and helped to cultivate an award ceremony we will never forget.
Presiding over the Court of Honor was an “enriching experience,” says Frome.
Troop 12 began as a tiny den of Webelos crossing over into Scouting and has grown in ways we never imagined -- soaring to heights beyond our wildest dreams and proving to us that anything is possible!
This was an amazing Court of Honor, but in the big scheme of things, it's just one night in what will be a long list of Troop 12 greatness.
Every little action we take, every leadership role, every delegation, every responsibility, every requirement adds up, little by little, to complete a rank. We only need to be brave enough to begin.
“Every great journey starts with a single step.”
-Maya Angelo
