St. Charles youth receives Eagle Scout recognition
Marshall King, 15, of Lily Lake Boy Scout Troop 46 was presented the Eagle Scout Award, the highest recognition in the Boy Scouts of America, during a special Court of Honor held on Sept. 16 at Ferson Creek Park in St. Charles. Marshall is the son of Kenneth and Tina King of St. Charles.
With this recognition, Marshall joins an elite group of young men who have earned the Eagle Scout award. The first Eagle was awarded in 1912. Each year, only about four percent of Scouts achieve Scouting's highest honor. The list of famous Eagles over the last century includes movie and television stars, six Medal of Honor recipients, Nobel Prize winners, novelists, astronauts, Tuskegee airmen and Japanese-American internees, congressmen, senators and governors, an endless number of corporate CEOs and university presidents, a U.S. president, and the first man to walk on the moon.
Marshall started his Scouting adventures in 2004 as a Cub Scout in Pack 313 in Marquette, Mich., and continued as a member of Cub Scout Pack 108 in St. Charles. During his time as a Cub Scout, he earned his faith's religious emblem and achieved the Arrow of Light Award, the highest distinction in Cub Scouting.
With the assistance of his Scoutmasters, Jeff Mengler and James Bartelson, Marshall has canoed over 100 miles, camped over 75 nights and contributed hundreds of hours of community service in pursuit of the Eagle Scout Award. He has served his troop as a Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, Troop Guide and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. He was elected by his fellow Scouts to the Order of the Arrow, the national Boy Scout honor society. He has earned 26 merit badges ranging from Camping and Canoeing to Architecture and Computers. He has attended three week-long summer camps with his troop and was selected by his troop to participate in the annual National Youth Leadership Training course offered by the Boy Scouts of America. He has been invited to serve as a staff member for next year's leadership training course.
He has participated in two troop high adventures. At the Florida High Adventure Sea Base, he lived on Big Munson Island in the Florida Keys for a week under primitive conditions, taking part in swimming, snorkeling, ocean canoeing, and deep sea fishing activities. At the Northern Tier High Adventure Base, Marshall participated in a week-long canoe trip in Minnesota's boundary waters. He served as the crew leader for the canoe expedition.
For his Eagle Scout Community Service project, Marshall planned and carried out a service project for the Salvation Army organization in Elgin. He directed a team of Boy Scouts and community members to redevelop an unused space in their facility into a user-friendly library space, cleaning and painting walls and constructing and installing furniture for Salvation Army clients.
Marshall is presently a freshman at St. Charles East High School, where he is a member of the Student Council. As a student at Wredling Middle School, Marshall received recognition for achieving a straight-A average grade point for his entire middle school enrollment. He received the John H. Wredling Human Service award as well as numerous music recognitions obtained as a member of the school orchestra and music contests. Marshall has also participated in swimming, fencing, and lacrosse.
Marshall presently looks forward to high school, college and a career in medicine.
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest youth development organizations. Its programs are designed to build character and leadership capabilities, teach principles of active citizenship, and encourage personal fitness through a program of outdoor adventure. Boy Scout Troop 46 is chartered by the Friends of Campton Township and meets at Grace Lutheran Church in Lily Lake. For details, contact Ken King
at (630) 391-3148 or kenneth.p.king@gmail.com.