Dog parks, benches, and lending libraries are some of the most common projects done by Eagle Scouts. These projects are done to demonstrate leadership and other skills a Boy Scout of America (BSA Scout) has learned through scouting. Etowah has several students who are Eagle Scouts, the highest rank a BSA Scout can achieve. This year, three BSA Scouts are doing projects to benefit Etowah’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Raiders in hopes of becoming Eagle Scouts. 

“It helps with jobs and scholarships, and I had fun along the way,” Wesley Rountree, freshman, said. 

Rountree is one of three boys aiming to achieve the Eagle rank along with junior Logan Haverkos and freshman Connor Lawlor. All three are currently ranked as Life Scouts, the level before Eagle Scouts. The 2021-2022 school year will be Haverkos’s third year as a Raider, Lawlor’s second, and Rountree’s first.  

“Both BSA Scouts and Raiders have taught me leadership,” Haverkos said. 

All three BSA Scouts are building equipment for the Raiders to use for training and competitions. Haverkos is building a six-foot climbing wall; Rountree is building an elevated tire obstacle, and Lawlor is building a vault and eight weighted crates. Each of the boys led individual teams of BSA Scouts and Raiders to assemble their projects at Etowah, on Saturday, May 22. The goal was to finish their projects before summer conditioning starts for Raiders. 

“Having these items to practice on for the four months leading up to nationals will only improve our teams once at nationals,” Col. Stephen Bergey, JROTC teacher and Raiders coach, said. 

Originally starting during the 2019-2020 school year, JROTC Raiders is now one of the fastest growing sports at Etowah. With the equipment built by the BSA Scouts, Etowah will now be able to host competitions. In order to do these projects accurately, Bergey had to measure the regulation equipment while at nationals this past year. Despite not having the proper equipment, Etowah placed third for girls and fourth for boys at the nationals for Raiders. 

“I want all Raiders to have as many opportunities as possible,” Lawlor said.  

With the new equipment, the 2021-2022 Raiders team aims to raise the bar and exceed previous victories.