Sisters scout completes Eagle project

Sisters High School senior Jeff Wilder, 17, has a long history with Boy Scouts of America.

A Tiger Cub at age six, he's held leadership positions through the years, including Senior Patrol Leader and Troop Guide. Wilder recently reached the pinnacle of Boy Scout achievement, that of Eagle Scout, and the Sisters community will reap the benefits for many years.

Wilder's Eagle Service Project involved design and placement of 22 directional and mileage post signs on the Peterson Ridge Trail. The signs cover 12 miles of the trail system. Working with scouts from Sisters Troop 188 and adults from the community, Wilder completed the project in six months.

An Eagle Scout project is not for the fainthearted. Before any work begins, the concept requires approval by the scoutmaster, the beneficiaries of the project and the District Advancement Chair who represents Boy Scouts of America.

The only stipulations require the project to take at least 100 hours of work and be something new and substantial, not a repair job. Scouts may choose from a community-suggested list of projects or create one benefiting a group or charity. Wilder enjoys spending time on his mountain bike and was immediately enthusiastic about enhancing one of his favorite places to ride.

Wilder's project benefited the Forest Service and the Sisters Trails Committee, both of which had specific protocol to follow in the design and placement aspects of the signage. Wilder's father, Chris, said, "It was an amazingly intricate process, working with a government agency and the trails committee."

The purpose of the Eagle awards, apart from the wider community benefit, is to strengthen the scout's leadership skills. He acts as a general contractor to the whole project, directing younger Scouts and adults.

"It was a challenge keeping the Scouts on task," said Wilder.

They tended to turn the shovels into swords and guns when hole-digging got tedious. The adults were much easier to manage, he said.

There is no set time limit for an Eagle project, though generally completion time is six to eight months. Once the work is completed and the beneficiary signs off on it, the scout makes a return visit to his scoutmaster and the district advancement chair, for their final approval. Next, the binder containing details of the project is sent to BSA, where the scout's merit badges are verified.

The final step involves appearing before the Eagle Board, where the scout's parents, his troop leader and the scout himself undergo a friendly but thorough interview. Once the Eagle Board makes its decision, the scout and his family are notified, a process that usually happens quickly, according to Wilder's father, Chris.

"This is the last phase of scouting and it's a big step," said Chris Wilder. "Nationally, less than four percent of Scouts attain Eagle rank."

There's a bit of family precedent for Wilder; his older brother, Christian, is also an Eagle Scout and father Chris is an adult scout leader. Wilder is spending the summer on staff at BSA Camp Winton, in the High Sierras in California. He and other staff work with campers on merit badge requirements and continue to hone their leadership skills.