Five members of Boy Scout Troop 71 in White Rock earned the rank of Eagle Scout. They were honored recently during the Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Pictured from left, Scoutmaster Kane Fisher, Scouts Reuben Goettee, Liam Hooks, Tommy Oldham, Naveen Velappan and Leeson Weaver and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Assistant Scoutmaster Ray Flesner. Courtesy photo

COMMUNITY News:

Boy Scouts of America Troop 71 in White Rock has announced that five troop members earned the rank of Eagle Scout. The scouts were honored at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor attended June 3 by family and friends.

Reuben Goettee, Liam Hooks, Tommy Oldham, Naveen Velappan and Leeson Weaver completed all of the requirements to attain this highest honor in scouting. Kane Fisher is the Troop 71 Scoutmaster and Ray Flesner is the Assistant Scoutmaster. Monica Jean is the Advancement Chair.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján was also in attendance and spoke briefly to the Eagle Scouts on the importance of service. Allen Osborn and Leo McCann of the Marine Corps League presented each scout with a citizenship award.

For his Eagle Scout project, Goettee designed and built a walking path and resting spot for walkers and their dogs in front of the White Rock Presbyterian Church. He is studying Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University.

Hooks’ coordinated cleaning up the grounds around Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church’s youth ministry center and created a walking trail for the high school students who move through the property throughout the school day. He is attending Montana State University to study Electrical Engineering.

Oldham’s Eagle project was to deconstruct two very large wooden play structures and clean the lot to ensure the safety of the playground at the White Rock United Methodist Church. He is studying Biology at the University of Arizona.

Velappan’s completed his Eagle project at Chamisa Elementary School in White Rock, where he was a student for seven years. He noticed that the school had new shade canopies installed but the area underneath one of them was full of weeds and very uneven, and was not usable by students. Velappan cleaned up and leveled the area under the shade canopy, installed borders, and filled the area with wood chips so that the students at Chamisa could use it as an outdoor classroom during COVID times and afterwards. He will be attending New Mexico State University in the fall to study Animation and Visual Arts.

Weaver’s Eagle project was to build and provide a cornhole game set and picnic area at Los Alamos High School. He also cleaned up the surrounding area for his fellow students. He is pursuing a degree in chemical engineering at Texas Tech University.