Five members of Troop 97 recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout.L to R: Matt Howell, Camp Wilhelm, James Gunter, Liam Melville and Sam Kyle.
On Aug. 27 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood, Troop 97 held a Court of Honor to recognize five of its members who, in the past few months, have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. The Homewood-based troop welcomed James Gunter, Matt Howell, Sam Kyle, Liam Melville and Camp Wilhelm into the “Eagles Nest.” These newest Eagle Scouts will join 230 previously inducted Troop 97 honorees into Scouting’s highest rank.
Robert Sturdivant, minister of students at Trinity United Methodist Church, gave the invocation followed by Speakers for each of the honorees: Tim Gunter, U.S. Navy, for James Gunter; Katy Anderson, cytogenetics lab manager UAB and Vulcan District training chair, for Matt Howell; Dominic Luke, U.S. Air Force Pararescue, for Sam Kyle; Joey Plaia, drama director at John Carroll Catholic High School, for Liam Melville; and Jim Averett, vice president retired of Southern Company, for Camp Wilhelm.
The Wesley Chapel at TUMC was filled with family and friends of the newly minted Eagle Scouts, as well as a contingent of Troop 97 Scouts assisting in the ceremony.
For his Eagle project, Gunter raised funds to build five picnic tables for Patriot Park in Homewood. Gunter had a fleur-de-lis brand created and used it to brand each of the tables. The tables were built, stained and delivered to the park and are used by Hall-Kent Elementary School students when using the park for outdoor studies.
Howell’s Eagle project was to build a fire pit and benches for Glenwood Autism & Behavioral Health Center, a vocational and residential housing for children and adults with autism.
Kyle had the opportunity to make improvements to the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, located in Gate City, for his Eagle project. Sam installed a 50-foot French drain to improve a drainage issue. In addition, he built a Little Free Library designed to look like the church and installed a proper Sacrarium drain for the church.
Melville’s review board showed great interest in his Eagle Project and was very impressed with the chimney swift tower he built at the Homewood Community Garden.
Wilhelm’s Eagle project was to build and layout 19 trail markers for a 4.75-mile running trail at Red Mountain Park. Each trail marker is a post with a metal plate with the Red Mountain logo.
-Submitted by Warren Kyle.
