Troop 316 new Eagle Scouts (from left to right) Michael Phillip Elmore, Connor Scott Smith, Lucas Wood West, Samuel Ryan Classen, Emerson Paul Steinberg, and Jacob Bailey Dysart.

Article by Elizabeth Wood West

It is rare to see a bald eagle. It is also rare to have six young men from the same Boy Scout troop become Eagle Scouts within days of each other. This February, Troop 316 from Castle Pines North recognized and honored six of their scouts for achieving Boy Scouts’ highest rank of Eagle Scout. The event, officially referred to as an Eagle Scout Court of Honor, was held at Cielo of Castle Pines.

The Eagle Scouts and their projects

It is said that no scout makes it to Eagle Scout alone – parents, scoutmasters, and troop members contribute to their advancement and experience. In addition to the many meetings, experiences, and accomplishments along the journey to Eagle Scout, each final Eagle Scout project represents literally hundreds of hours of work and the coordination and supervision of dozens of volunteers.

Samuel Ryan Classen is 18 and a senior at Rock Canyon High School. Classen designed and built a 1600-foot long prayer path, and relocated 14 Stations of the Cross along the path for St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Castle Rock.

Emerson Paul Steinberg, an 18-year old senior at Douglas County High School, cleaned out, catalogued, reorganized, and built new storage shelving units for the theater props department at his school.

Connor Scott Smith is 17 and a senior at Rock Canyon High School. Smith built a gazebo for the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation at the Lowell Ranch in Castle Rock.

Jacob Bailey Dysart, a 16-year old sophomore at Rock Canyon High School, built and installed two benches with planter boxes to complement tables previously built by other Eagle Scouts for St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch.

Lucas Wood West, age 15, is a freshman at Rock Canyon High School. He designed, built, and installed six dog agility obstacles and a gravel walking path for Douglas County’s Glendale Farm Open Space off-leash dog park.

Michael Phillip Elmore is a 17-year old senior at Rock Canyon High School. Elmore built and installed 11 large houses for birds of prey to encourage their presence and pest-eating activity in the Castle Pines North open space area; this was coordinated with the Castle Pines Metropolitan District.

The Ceremony

Roz Schroeder, Cielo at Castle Pines’ owner, generously hosted the event. Schroeder’s husband, Randy, is also an Eagle Scout. Schroeder’s elegant stone building provided a stunning setting for the sharply uniformed Eagle Scouts, giant American flag, color guard, and live bald eagle.

The eagle was brought in by Hawkquest, a non-profit organization devoted to educating the public about birds of prey. It has become a tradition with Troop 316 to have a bald eagle from Hawkquest participate in its Eagle Scout Courts of Honor. To learn more about Hawkquest, visit www.hawkquest.org.

More than 100 guests attended the event, including family, friends, Troop 316 leaders and scouts, Boy Scouts of America’s Denver Area Council and Pioneer Trails District members, as well as special guest speakers Castle Pines North Mayor Jeff Huff and County Commissioner (and Eagle Scout) Steve Boand. Liz Classen, sister of Eagle Scout Sam Classen, sang “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Scoutmaster Todd Johnson gave each Eagle Scout a medal, badge, various awards, and an American flag which had been flown over the U.S. Capitol. The young men took turns thanking and honoring their parents and mentors, and giving them special pins. As they recited the Eagle’s promise, they were joined by over one dozen Eagle Scouts who were among the guests. As the Eagle Scout saying goes, “Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout.”

From left to right: Chair, Activities and Scouting Religious Awards Matt Maranto, Douglas County Commissioner (and Eagle Scout) Steve Boand, and City of Castle Pines North Mayor Jeff Huff.