Local boy receives highest scouting honor

Local boy receives highest scouting honor

By Kelsey Wilkinson Wednesday, 13 May 2009

While his classmates were playing video games and watching reality TV, Round Rock Boy Scout Brandon Peck was spending his time splitting rails, conducting research and raising the funds necessary to build a historic snake-rail-style split cedar fence at the Camp Mabry Park in Austin. But for Peck, the labor-intensive project was more than worth it. For his service and dedication, Peck received the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the scouting system.

“This is the last step in Boy Scouts, I didn’t want to quit this far along,” said Peck. Peck, a junior at Stony Point High School, has been involved in the scouting organization since he was seven years old. “’I’ve been doing it since I was real young, it’s just a part of what I do.”

To obtain the Eagle Scout honor Peck had to earn 21 merit badges, demonstrate leadership in his troop and complete a major community service project.

Spurred on by his ongoing interest in the scout program and his father’s influence, Peck decided to take on the historic fence project to complete his scouting journey. The fence will be used to keep cars out of the park field during Pioneers Days and historic reenactments sponsored by the Camp Mabry Texas Military Forces Museum.

Peck is part of Troop 145 and said his troop graduates more scouts to the Eagle position than many others, a fact he contributes to the excellent leadership. Peck will be recognized for his hard work during a Court of Honor Day June 1 at Palm Valley Lutheran Church.