What most of you may not know about Chris Volk is that he has been scouting since he was seven years old, and has belonged to Montvale’s Troop 334; he became an Eagle Scout on January 29, 2012.
Volk elaborates, “For those who do not know what an Eagle Scout is, it is the highest rank one could achieve in Boy Scouts. To attain this rank, one must acquire certain skills and community recognition. A scout must also coordinate and lead a community wide service project.
“For my project, I built an “Outdoor Classroom” at Memorial Elementary School. This classroom consists of four hexagon tables, 7 ft. easel, multiple flower planters, and landscaping around the area. At the end, this project took over 600 hours to complete.”
Chris’ accomplishments don’t stop there; here is the exclusive interview we have with one of Hills’ spectacular seniors.
Trailblazer: What was your favorite memory from participating in Boy Scouts?
Chris Volk: In 2010, I attended the National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. As the 100th anniversary of Boy Scouts of America, it was one of the most memorable and exciting experiences in my scouting career. There, I interacted with scouts from all over the country and even the world. For ten days, we lived at the active military base, participating in many activities such as rappelling and BMX biking, along with interacting with military personnel and running an imitated boot camp coarse.
TB: And your biggest accomplishments?
CV: I could go on and on about accomplishments left and right, however there are two that stand out among the rest.
In 2009, I was elected to be the Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 334. It is like being elected President, except on a much smaller scale. My job was to plan and run all troop meetings, coordinate trips and community activities, as well as being responsible for each scout advancing rank procedures and their benefits from scouting.
In January of 2011 and 2012, I, along with six others from my troop, won Second Place in an annual competition known as the Klondike. Both times we earned 116 points out of a total of 120 points.
TB: How did you choose to stay with Boy Scouts when most people dropped out?
CV: It was a tough ride. I dealt with the criticism, the jokes, and the disrespect. There were many times when I felt that I should drop out of the scouting program. It wasn’t until I started high school that I realized how important scouting meant to me and to many who still support the program.
Scouting gave me something that not many organizations give to its members: the opportunity to build upon yourself while still being active in your community, your country, and the world—not just in school. However, it also helped me to set a significant goal, which was to become an Eagle Scout.
TB: Do you plan on using any skills from Eagle Scouts in the next few years?
CV: You bet! Everywhere I go I bring along what I’ve learned in scouting. It is something that someone will never forget. All through scouting, I learned teamwork, logistics, politics and, of course, leadership. I will never disregard that I am an Eagle Scout. I bear the title proudly, and will always speak highly of Boy Scouting. Whatever I decide to do in the future, my skills and my scouting career goes with me.
Chris will be attending Ramapo College of New Jersey in the fall.
