Two awarded Eagle Scout honors

RITZVILLE – Two local boys received scouting's highest honor at a well-attended Court of Honor at the headquarters of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers on March 10.

Chairman Harry Schafer led Eagle Scouts Shawn Steinberger and Michael Nichols in the "Eagle Charge and Pledge," and guest speaker Dr. Charles M. Sackmann and Scoutmaster Nathaneil Christman offered words of encouragement and recognition.

In a pre-ceremony interview, Nichols and Steinberger recounted their journey toward the honor.

"We started as Cub Scouts in second-grade, and after transitioning to Boy Scouts, we worked on merit badges and held campouts for the first three years," Nichols said. "But we weren't progressing a lot."

"Sometimes it would take almost a month to get a single merit badge," Steinberger said. "We had little time to work on scouting skills like tying knots and first aid."

Both said the program wasn't always efficient or fun, so a lot of boys discontinued their involvement.

Then COVID-19 hit.

Several troops throughout the nation continued online, but Nichols noted Ritzville didn't have enough scouts - five were required - to form a local troop. So, for several months, the two worked as "lone scouts" to continue with the program.

"When the pandemic waned, Shawn and I tried to make it work by driving every two weeks to Cheney where a troop was located," Nichols said. "That's because we needed a job within a troop to advance to the next rank. The Cheney troop had 20-30 scouts, many of whom had been together since elementary school.

"So, it was hard for us to fit in."

Around that time, Nathaneil Christman moved to Eastern Washington from Pennsylvania. He reached out to parents to start a troop in Ritzville. The town only had four scouts, but he was determined to make it work.

Eventually, they added a fifth scout, which enabled them to start Troop No. 888. Since then, the troop has been slowly growing.

Three girls currently take part in Troop No. 888 activities.

Staying involved

How did Steinberger and Nichols stay motivated?

Both acknowledged the support of current and prior scoutmasters, including Luke McRae and Nathaneil Christman. They also expressed appreciation for Schafer.

And they pointed to the encouragement of parents, especially their mothers.

"Whenever we'd get discouraged, my mom would say, 'You're so close. Focus on this. Work with me for an hour. We'll get this done,'" Steinberger said.

They also attended merit badge clinics in Moses Lake, Cheney and Spokane, where counselors helped them fulfill requirements.

The Court of Honor - the culmination of a long and sometimes tedious process - gave newly minted Eagle Scouts Steinberger and Nichols the opportunity to share their appreciation for the support and encouragement of community volunteers, family and friends.

Both expressed gratitude for the leadership and life skills learned through scouting - skills they expect to use and treasure for years to come.