By Tiffany Merlo Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com
Tre Peterson entered the Boy Scouts when he was in the first grade, joining along with a group of friends as a shy Cub Scout looking to have some family fun and go camping. He emerged as a confident 18-year old who is now an Eagle Scout with 138 merit badges collected — an honor achieved by very few. To be more specific, fewer than 550 scouts of the 100 million participants have completed this accomplishment. It takes 23 merit badges (which help scouts learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers) to become an Eagle Scout. Peterson moved from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts at the end of the fifth grade and earned the Eagle rank at the end of the seventh grade. For his merit badge distinction, Peterson was honored at a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 277 Court of Honor Ceremony at Christ Church where he felt the emotion of the moment. “I was surprised by the speakers…They made it very personal. I was on the verge of tears,” said Peterson, who is a Ponte Vedra High School senior. Peterson, a Nocatee resident, said his den leader from the Cub Scouts, a best friend, and a parent who went on one of his scout hikes were among the six speakers. He was also honored by the presence of the CEO of the North Florida Boy Scouts. “I was happy and very relieved to have that weight lifted. It was a lot of hours put in,” he said. Peterson, who especially enjoyed the metalwork, welding, and personal management merit badges, plans to attend Stetson University and pursue a degree in finance.
Q: What was one of your best memories from your time in the scouts?
A: Florida National High Adventure Sea Base that we did when I was 13 years old. Sea Base is in Key West, and we lived on a sailboat for a week. We cooked our own food, caught fish, snorkeled, and it was all boy-led crew by just a handful of us with two Dads and a captain. It was just a lot of fun and good bonding, plus we learned self-dependence.
Q: What was your Eagle Scout service project?
A: I am big into pets and animals, so I wanted to help out. I built six dog houses for the Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services. I raised more than $1,000 to build the houses, and then wrote a check to the organization for the leftover funds. Those dog houses are then given out to people in need via dispatchers.
Q: You have worked at the Palm Valley Golf Course and Practice Range since you were 16. Describe your job there.
A: I am a maintenance technician and picker. You know that person that drives the cart at Top Golf and you aim for that person and try to hit him? Yeah, I’m that guy at the Palm Valley Golf Course. I used to take golf lessons there when I was younger, and golfing is one of my passions and interests. I work 16 hours a week, and three days a week my shift begins at 6 a.m. I mow the greens before the sun comes up, edge grass, and prep the course for the day.
Q: Will you continue being involved with the scouts in some fashion while at Stetson?
A: I want to join the Bonners Program, which is a community-related initiative in which I would join a local troop as a mentor. I wanted to get involved in Deland with a troop and try to help them grow.
Q: Would you recommend the scouts to boys?
A: Yes. When you first start in Cub Scouts, it is fun and very family oriented. And then as you mature and grow, you get to learn to be more independent. That’s where the “scout led” aspect comes into play. In Boy Scouts, the adults are really only there to supervise and make sure no one gets hurt. As you grow and learn all these skills, you become independent. Ultimately, it becomes about learning life skills.
Photo submitted by Tom Peterson
Tre Peterson
