Eagle Scout ‘my greatest achievement’ for Patton

Eric Patton is part of an elite brotherhood.

In more than 100 years, only 4 percent of those eligible have attained what Patton has achieved.

And if the home-schooled sophomore were to be described using words like trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent, he’d be humbled and honored that his life was deemed worthy of such praise.

After all, he’s just living the fundamentals he learned in his four years in Scouting, a journey he recently culminated by attaining the highest rank in the Scouts BSA program — Eagle Scout. “The most important part of being an Eagle Scout is helping your community by living by the Scout oath, which says, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight’,” Patton proudly says.

He then punctuates his dedication to Scouting, specifying the individual components of the Scout law: “A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”

The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2.5 million youth, which may seem like a lot, but pales in comparison to the more than 130 million who have participated in Scouting since its inception in 1910.

“My Eagle Scout promotion is one of, if not my greatest achievements,” Patton says. “It has taught me a lot about life along the way, and also improved my leadership skills.”

That leadership extends to his staffing role at Camp Simpson BSA this summer in southern Oklahoma.

“After becoming Eagle Scout, I am still helping in leadership with my troop. The teaching skills and life skills I have learned are helping me in the training of new Scouts that are coming into Troop 731. My current position is Assistant Junior Scoutmaster,” he says. “I find teaching new Scouts the skills that I was taught and helping them to maybe one day get to the position of Eagle Scout to be the most fun I have in Scouting. It is also fun going on camping trips and spending time with fellow Scouts from different troops and backgrounds.”

Born in Stilwell and moving to Sallisaw during his middle-school years, Patton enrolled in Scouting with Sallisaw’s Troop 731 when he was 12-years-old.

“I had just moved to Sallisaw and found this to be a great way to make new friends and go have fun on camping trips,” he says.

He then set his sights on becoming an Eagle Scout, which meant completing a maximum of 21 merit badges “which are skills like citizenship, first aid and lifesaving.”

But he didn’t stop once he achieved the required number of merit badges. “I currently have 29,” he says.

But excelling in Scouting is not just for himself.

“As a Cherokee citizen, my lineage lived off their outdoor skills and knowledge of the land they helped keep preserved. When I do Scouting, I think of it as a way to honor my great Cherokee ancestors that lived before me,” Patton says.

In addition to the required merit badges, those pursuing Eagle Scout must plan, develop and lead a service project for either a school, community or religious organization. Patton’s project for the community was building a gaga ball pit for Eastside Freewill Baptist Church in Muldrow.

Gaga ball is a safe alternative to dodgeball played in an enclosed “pit.” The game is designed not only to be fun, but to teach motor skills, and is popular among kids in schools, church groups and summer camps.

But Patton didn’t do it alone. Helpers on his project included his grandparents Dan and Tina Patton of Stilwell, Troop 731 Scoutmaster Keith Orendorff, Asher Orendorff, Cale Stewart, Dawson Smith, Jeremy McAllister, Logan Williams, and Tracy and Jacob Robinette.

And while Patton received help with his Eagle Scout project, he is quick to recall the financial help he and Troop 731 have also received.

“I would like to thank Cherokee Nation for donating funds to our troop for the summer and winter camps. Without those donations, I and a few others would not have been able to have had any of those adventures that led me to achieving the highest honor in Boy Scouts: Eagle Scout,” he says.

Eric is the son of Tim and Melinda Poindexter. His grandparents are Dan and Tina Patton of Stilwell, Susan Jordan of Sallisaw, Neal and Nancy Black of Calion, Ark., and Betty Poindexter of Evansville, Ark. Jack and Sharon Patton of Stilwell are his great-grandparents.