Published: October 23, 2009 05:23 pm      

Local Boy Scout reaches Eagle rank

EDMOND — Micah Holden, 14, a member of Boy Scout Troop 11 in Edmond, received the rank of Eagle Scout.

Holden was awarded the rank in a Court of Honor on Oct. 3 at Waterloo Road Baptist Church. He is the son of Mike and Cathy Holden.

For his Eagle project, Holden logged more than 133 hours to refurbish four picnic tables for Martin Nature Park. He raised $500 and supervised 16 volunteers to complete the project.

Holden joined Tiger Cubs in 2001. “I joined Boy Scouts as a Tiger because I thought it looked like a lot of fun,” he said.

As a Cub Scout, Holden was presented an Eagle Challenge from Eagle Scout Joshua Brown to follow in his path. Holden has earned 33 merit badges and has served as troop guide, quartermaster, assistant patrol leader and patrol leader. He received the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold award for four years, 2006-2009.

Holden attended summer camp at Hale Scout Reservation for three years. His high adventure trip to New Mexico in May included Class 4 white water rafting.

“I learned how to survive in and out of the wilderness,” Holden said, “and I believe this will get me ahead in life.”

He said his camping experience in the Wichita Mountains stands out the most “because it was below freezing, and we still had to make a fire, cook, and everything else.”

Micah is a homeschooled ninth-grader, and he plans to have a career in the U.S. Air Force.

Troop 11, which was organized and is led by homeschool families, meets twice a month at the Waterloo Road Baptist Church in Edmond. First-graders can join Tiger Cubs. Cub Scouts is for boys ages 7-11. Boys ages 11-18 participate in Boy Scouts.

For more information about Troop 11 or Pack 1, visit www.homeschoolscouts.org/troop11.