Unique Journey: 13-Year-Old On Verge Of Reaching Eagle Scout Rank

THE WOODLANDS, TX — Earning the Eagle Scout rank is one of the most recognizable and prestigious achievements teenagers in the United States can attain.

Accomplishing the feat at 13 years old is uncommon. Doing it while splitting time between two Boy Scout troops in different parts of the country is an almost unheard of situation.

That's what Brandon Wallace is on the verge of doing after he recently completed his Eagle Scout project benefitting Meals on Wheels Montgomery County. The remaining requirement for him to receive the rank of Eagle Scout is a board of review, in which he will meet with adult leaders from the Sam Houston Area Council of Boy Scouts of America to discuss what he's learned from his Eagle Scout project and his journey in Scouting. His mother, Dedra Davis-Wallace, said that is expected to happen in December.

It's been a long journey — several long journeys, in fact — over a short period of time for Wallace from when he crossed over from Cub Scouts to being on the precipice of the highest honor in Boy Scouts.

Davis-Wallace, a pediatric dentist, took a position with Indian Health Service in South Dakota in 2017, moving her family there from the Houston area. In 2019, they moved again when Davis-Wallace purchased a practice in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

During this time, he was active in troops in South Dakota and Wisconsin, but he spent summers and breaks with his aunt, Dellaree Saunders, and participated in Troop 777 at Trinity Episcopal Church in The Woodlands.

Wallace, whose older brother earned his Eagle Scout rank with a troop in South Dakota, said advancing through the ranks and earning Eagle Scout with Troop 777, which had all of his friends with whom he started Cub Scouts at 6 years old, was important to him.

"It will be nice to start with them and finish with them," Wallace said.

His desire to participate in both troops was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many Scouting activities to go virtual. Wallace and the rest of Troop 777 did their best to make the most of the situation.

"I took it as a good opportunity to get a lot of requirements done not only for ranks but also for merit badges," Wallace said. "They were holding them online, and we had a computer and we could get all these merit badge classes. We had nothing else to do really because we were all quarantined. I took that as a chance to advance really far."

Wallace has done that in a very short time as since he was 10, he advanced through the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life. His latest stop on his journey to Eagle Scout was his project, which he did in Montgomery County.

Wallace donated 2,000 pounds of dog food and treats for pets to Meals on Wheels Montgomery County to be distributed to seniors who utilize the organization for food. Wallace said that he wanted to make sure that pet owners who were struggling to pay for food would be able to not only feed themselves but also their pets. The other part of the project was the installation of a flag pole in front of the entrance to Meals on Wheels, located at 111 S. 2nd St. in Conroe. An American flag flown above the Capitol building in Austin was donated by Texas Rep. Steve Toth of Conroe.

Candidates for Eagle Scout must manage the project from start to finish, which includes planning, gathering necessary materials through donations, receiving necessary approvals, organizing volunteers and logging man hours.

It was "definitely an experience," Wallace said, and it helped reinforce the lessons in leadership he learned in Scouting serving in roles such as the troop webmaster and historian.

"You have to be the bigger person," Wallace said. "You have to take responsibility. You have to make sure the job gets done, and you have to make sure it's a good experience. It's not all dictating but at the same time still leading them."

Davis-Wallace has seen that growth in leadership and responsibility in her son. Of course, she was there to help guide him, but Davis-Wallace said Wallace showed the initiative to focus on his goals and work to achieve them. She said he manages to keep that focus even with a packed schedule beyond Boy Scouts. Wallace plays basketball and soccer and competes in track and field.

Adding to his packed schedule this summer, Wallace attended camp at Kia Kima Scout Reservation in northeast Arkansas with Troop 777, then after a short break at home, went to Camp Phillips in Haugen, Wisconsin, with Troop 31.

"He's getting the best of both worlds from two different troops and two different Scoutmasters," Davis-Wallace said. "I told him, 'Later in life, you're going to look back on this and come out on top because your experiences are going to be what guide you in life.'"

Wallace's interesting road to Eagle Scout will conclude in January with his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. His journey in Scouting is far from over, however, as he wants to take on even more of a leadership role with Troop 31.

"It's not going to be over," Wallace said. "I'm still going to try and help [my friends in] my troop in Wisconsin advance, too."