Castle Pines resident Steven Bullock proudly holds the National Certificate of Merit he was awarded.

Article and photo submitted by Kira Zizzo

On September 26, an event celebrating perseverance and hard work took place in the Rocky Heights Middle School cafetorium. This event, the Boy Scout Court of Honor for Troop 316, was truly captivating and remarkable.

The beams of light streaming from the RHMS cafetorium ricocheted off of the golden eagle atop the troop flag, adorned with awards and illuminated each and every face as they lead a deeply patriotic reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath and a prayer. This visual representation of the pride and dedication instilled in the Boy Scout Troop 316 embellished the morale of the audience, which consisted of supportive family and friends. After the opening ceremony, a potluck dinner was held. As the Boy Scout troop, friends and family feasted, conversations flowed and smiles enlightened faces. When the dinner commenced, the Court of Honor presentation began. In clusters at a time, scouts were called up to the stage to receive their hard-earned badges. Some of these badges included lifesaving, archery, wood carving, aviation and archaeology. Additionally, some of the scouts advanced rank.

That night, all of the scouts were revered with awards and some advanced rank, but one particular Boy Scout stood out that evening. Eighth-grader and Castle Pines resident Steven Bullock was awarded with the National Certificate of Merit by the Boy Scouts of America subsequent to the recommendation of the National Court of Honor. Bullock advocated for a student in need when others did not. He used one of his attributes, his outspoken voice, something he is recognized and admired for at school, to potentially save another student’s life. When others stayed silent in this situation, Bullock stepped up showing a sense of maturity and guardianship. Luckily, his efforts did not go unnoticed and he was awarded the National Certificate of Merit. When he received this award, many audience members were brought to tears learning of Bullock’s act of heroism and are all indubitably proud of him and encourage him to keep up his admirable deeds. Bullock said, “Getting this award was pretty amazing, I never thought something like this would happen. I wasn’t doing this for an award, but I was doing it for my friend.”

Congratulations to the Boy Scout Troop 316 for earning their badges and awards and advancing their ranks. These scouts truly define pride and honor with their passion for advancement and resiliency in a respectful manner. A special thanks to Bullock for his heroic act of advocacy and valor that will reverberate to others, inspiring them to find the inner strength to help others, just like he did.