It is often said that Rocky Mount Academy students are the best of the best and there is much evidence to back this up. For example, Rocky Mount Academy currently has ten Eagle Scouts enrolled with countless numbers of Eagle Scout Alumni. The highest rank that a Boy Scout can achieve is that of an Eagle Scout. Only four percent of Boy Scouts are granted this rank after a lengthy review process. The rank of Eagle Scout may be earned by a Boy Scout who has been a Life Scout for at least six months, has earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, has demonstrated Scout Spirit, and has demonstrated leadership within his troop, team, crew or ship. Additionally he must plan, develop, and lead a service project—the Eagle Scout Project—that demonstrates both leadership and a commitment to duty. After all requirements are met, he must complete an Eagle Scout board of review. He can complete the board of review after his 18th birthday as long as all other requirements are completed before his 18th birthday. Read the short excerpt below about each current Eagle Scout, their experience with Scouts and their Eagle Projects.

Caleb Lambert
Junior Caleb Lambert has been an active member of Boy Scout Troop 148 for about 6-7 years. For his Eagle Scout Project, Caleb presented a hand-built treatment table, an AED with a waterproof case, and an inflatable splint case. He also held an educational seminar to educate teachers, parents and students and taught how to properly use an AED and how to give CPR. At this training session, the Red Cross provided manikins and individual instruction to 35 participants. An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a portable device that monitors a person’s heart rate and sends electrical impulses to treat sudden cardiac arrest. Because the battery replacements needed to maintain the AED are costly, Caleb donated a check for $2,923.76 along with the equipment to ensure that all of the school’s life-saving devices remain up to code. To raise money, Caleb accepted donations and sold Shell car wash coupons and raised approximately $5,000. He decided to donate the money leftover after purchasing the equipment to the school to purchase replacement AED batteries and pads. Although these items are expensive, this amount of money should last for many years to come.

Thomas Griffin
As a ninth grader at Rocky Mount Academy, Thomas Griffin spoke with Dr. K about how he could help our school with a potential Eagle Scout Project. Dr. K suggested that he put up a new flag pole from Atlantic Flag and Pole company to replace the broken one at the baseball field. After receiving approval for his project, he sent a letter out to the entire school body expressing his desire to help the school with his project. He asked for any donations and sold coupons for Krispy Kreme donuts. After he had enough money, he bought a 50 foot flagpole from a store in Raleigh and began the physical work. He poured the concrete for the flag pole and put in the ground thanks to help from Tommy Lambert and Lambert’s Cable Splicing. After the pole was secure in the ground, he landscaped the area around it. Thomas and his team of volunteers planted four perennial bushes and spread mulch to keep weeds out. They followed this by laying blocks around the edges to keep the mulch in place. After the pole was put up, the rock for Josh’s Place was placed in the circle to incorporate such center-piece of fun for younger students in our school with his Eagle Project. After all was completed, they finally raised the flag and saluted.

Justin Snipes
Senior Justin Snipes has been involved in Boy Scouts for many years. His Eagle Scout project was to do the landscaping around and in the new Tyler’s Peak Playground at RMA. The playground is in memory of Elizabeth Tyler Strandberg, Rocky Mount Academy graduate, who made a lasting impact on both Rocky Mount Academy and the world around her. After graduating from high school and then from college, she moved out west to serve as a counselor for developmentally disabled children at C-V Ranch. Tyler spent numerous hours with the kids and took many of them fishing, hiking and more. Tyler passed away on August 22, 2015 in Jackson, Wyoming doing what she loved best, climbing in the Grand Teton Mountain Range.

Guy Deyton
Guy has been involved in Boy Scouts and Troop 7 for many years. His Eagle Scout Project involved the purchasing and construction of two canopies for the soccer field team bleachers at Rocky Mount Academy. He raised $4,574 for his project and contributed 192 service hours.

Rob Turnage
Senior Rob Turnage has been a member of Boy Scout Troop 7 since 2011. Rob’s favorite memory from boy scouts was a trip to West Point with his troop. His Eagle Scout Project was building a “Cut Garden” at First Presbyterian Church. The garden will be used for greenery for church flower arrangements. For his project, Rob raised $3,815 and contributed 150 service hours.

Jared McCall
RMA Senior Jared McCall joined Troop 7 in 2010. Jared’s favorite memory from his Boy Scout experience was a 50 mile ocean kayaking trip at the Outer Banks. As well as this trip, Jared has camped in the mountains, traveled to a jamboree at West Point and stayed on the USS Yorktown , a battleship in Charleston. His Eagle Scout Project was the construction of handicap planters for the patio area at the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center at Nash UNC Health Care in Rocky Mount. The planters are used by patients as part of their rehabilitation therapy. He raised $1,902 for his project and provided 126 service hours on the project with other volunteers from his troop.

Thomas Newton
Thomas Newton, an RMA junior, joined his Boy Scout Troop, Troop 6 in 2011 in which he has served as Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. Thomas has learned valuable life and outdoor living skills as a participant in Boy Scouts. Camping in Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico, was one of Thomas’ most memorable and enjoyable scouting experiences. Thomas’ Eagle Scout Project was to offer a week of science activities and experiments to students in Hope Creek, Belize. Thomas’ project was in conjunction with a mission trip from First United Methodist Church of Wilson to work in an impoverished community and school. Thomas planned science lessons and trained team members how to model experiments and explain the science associated with them. He and his team worked with students at Hope Creek School for a week building geodesic domes, digging for shark’s teeth, exploring the concepts of tension and compression, observing the effects of carbon dioxide as it is released, and creating chemical reactions. Thomas’ plans have been reproduced and used in other schools in southern Belize.

Sharpe Newton
RMA Senior, Sharpe Newton, joined Boy Scout Troop 6 in 2010 in which he has served as Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader. Sharpe has enjoyed and benefited from scouts in many ways, especially camping. His most memorable scouting experience was a summer adventure to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico where he and several other Troop 6 members hiked over 120 miles in 12 days. Sharpe’s Eagle Scout Project was to expand the Community Garden at First United Methodist of Wilson, his church. He added three new boxes to the garden, cleaned and added new soil to the existing six, and added an irrigation system to all nine boxes. Additionally, he created flyers to be used to advertise the garden and a guidebook to help volunteers interested in planting. Sharpe hopes the garden will be an outreach program that builds relationships between his church and community.

Mercer Boyette
Since joining Troop 6 in 2012, RMA sophomore Mercer Boyette has held several leadership positions in Boy Scouts such as Patrol Leader. He has been on many camping outings around the state and has attended Boy Scout summer camp at both Camp Ravenknob and Camp Boddie. For his Eagle Scout project, Mercer collected 18 used bicycles from his friends and fellow scout members. Mercer, with the help of his volunteers, cleaned and repaired each bicycle. They were then donated, along with new helmets, to the boys and girls that attend the SPOT in Wilson. Mercer and his twin brother Thomas, are planning to continue the project by collecting more bicycles over the next two years and donating them to the youth in the Wilson/Rocky Mount community.

Thomas Boyette
Since joining Troop 6 in 2012, RMA sophomore Thomas Boyette has held several leadership capacities in Boy Scouts such as Patrol Leader. Thomas has attended Spring/Fall Camporees, Camp Ravenknob, Camp Boddie, and weekend camping trips to Hanging Rock and Umstead Park. For his Eagle Scout Project, Thomas and his volunteers power washed and painted 28 fire hydrants located on and around Barton College. Because Barton College had recently completed an extensive landscaping project, the clean and freshly painted fire hydrants provided a nice finishing touch.

Corbett Cobb
Junior Corbett joined Boy Scout Troop 7 in 2011. For his project, Corbett, along with other scouts from his troop, built raised flower beds for Breckenridge Nursing Home in Rocky Mount. Not only did he build them, but he also landscaped after they were finished. They planted bushes and flowers in the beds for the residents and visitors to admire. He raised around $4,400 and spent countless hours working on his project. Another part of his project included the assembly of a new table and chairs for their patio area.