Eagle Scout Award for Michael Stephens

Michael Stephens has qualified to become an Eagle Scout and will receive award at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on December 18, 2023. Michael is the son of Bill and Mariann Stephens of Pleasanton. He is a member of Troop 911 sponsored by the Pleasanton Downtown Rotary. Michael appreciates the help and dedication of his Scoutmaster, Chris Carter.

Michael is the 100th Eagle Scout Troop 911 has produced. The troop will be holding a special court of honor inviting all the former Eagle Scouts on December 18th It will be held at the multiple purpose room at Harvest Park Middle School

Michael has been active in Scouting and has held leadership positions as Patrol Leader and Historian. He loves going on campouts and the teamwork that scouting fosters among the members of the troop as well as the community involvement. As a member of the troop, he has been active in many community service projects. Michael participated in the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) program, a six-day course teaching scouts the basics of leadership in an outdoor setting. While earning the Eagle award, he earned 31 merit badges, ten more than the required 21 and enough to qualify for two palms.

For his Eagle project, Michael built four planter boxes for his former school, Walnut Grove Elementary in Pleasanton. The boxes were made of reclaimed redwood fencing material and the flowers that were planted in them were plants that were native to the area and included the schools’ colors. Along with the wood, all the materials were donated by the community. Fourteen people were helped with the project, including nine scouts and five adults. Over 100 hours was spent on the project. Walnut Grove Principal, Ms. Kruse-Silva was very thankful and loved the outcome of the project.

Michael is a senior at Amador Valley High School. He plays on the varsity basketball team and loves sports of all kinds. In the fall of 2024, he will be attending the University of Nevada at Reno.

To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Scout must be active in their troop, provide leadership, earn 21 merit badges including the areas of citizenship, camping, communications, cooking and lifesaving or emergency preparedness as well as demonstrate that they live by the principles of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. They must also plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project benefiting a religious institution, school, or community group.

Anyone interested in joining any level of Scouting can contact the Twin Valley District Executive, Andrew Evans, andrew.evans@scouting.org.