Boy Scout Troop 39, chartered to the Calhoun Rotary Club honored Bret Mears, 16, at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Saturday, November 14, 2009, at Meadowdale Baptist Church. Bret is the son of Roy and Gina Mears and the grandson of Jack and Eleanor Silvers all of Calhoun.

Only two percent of the boys who join Scouting attain the highest rank of the Boy Scouts of America. An Eagle Scout must demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law, serve in Troop leadership positions for at least 16 months, and have completed at least 21 merit badges. As a demonstration of leadership, he must complete a service project helpful to any religious institution, community or school. The Scout must thoroughly plan the project, organize the personnel needed, and direct the project to its completion.

For his Eagle Service Project Mears organized a food drive to support the food pantry at Meadowdale Baptist Church. He led a group of 47 youth and adults, working at 5 locations, to collect over two tons of food, enough food to stock the pantry for a month. This was a great service to the church and the community.

Mears, a junior at Calhoun High School, joined Cub Scout Pack 39 as a Webelos and earned Cub Scouting’s highest award, the Arrow of Light before becoming a member of Troop 39 in 2003. He regularly attended Summer Camp at Camp Woodruff and Camp Sidney Dew and participated in a High Adventure trip hiking part of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.

Mears is a brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s National Honor Society, and is active in the Council Lodge.

Mears has camped 79 nights with Troop 39. He has spent 82 hours on community service projects, not including the many hours he spent on his Eagle Scout service project. Mears has earned 43 Merit Badges, which have introduced him to many subjects and interests. Scouting has influenced and enhanced several areas in Mears’s life.

The Rifle and Shotgun Merit Badge encouraged him to join the County 4-H shotgun team where he has competed at the State level for the past 3 years. Last summer Mears worked on the camp staff at Camp Sidney Dew as an instructor on the Shooting Sports range.

He is an active leader in the high school band and in the Youth Group at Meadowdale Baptist Church. His cooking skills learned in scouting are much appreciated on youth retreats and camp outs.

Mears does not plan on his Scouting career ending with this award; He will be attending the National Jamboree next summer at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia to celebrate Boy Scouts of America’s 100th year of Scouting. He plans on remaining active in the Troop as a Junior Asst. Scoutmaster.