Page 2A May 30, 2018
porter
By Diane Glidewell
news @rnymcr.net
Mary Persons Class of
2018 has many claims
to bragging rights. One
of them is that five
members of the class are
Eagle Scouts: Ian Bettis,
Jordan Carr, Michael
Skinner, Seth Smith and
Hunter Walker. They are
all members of Monroe
County's Troop 51.
Scoutmaster Jimmy
Melton said that all five
young men came to
Troop 51 in the same
crossover group from
Webelos, formed the
Hawk Patrol and have
worked together as
scouts through their
middle and high school
years. There have also
been other members in
the Hawk Patrol, too.
Melton, who has been
the Scoutmaster of
Troop 51 since August
2015, said that the Class
of 2018 has been one
of the most successful
groups in a troop that is
very successful in pro-
ducing high achieving
young men. He noted
that national statistics
show that only about 5
percent of boys in Boy
Scouts nationally achieve
the designation of Eagle
Scout, which means
about one-half of a per-
cent of the general popu-
lation. The rate in Troop
51 is phenomenally
higher.
Melton said that the
Mary Persons Class of
2018 Eagle Scouts are
all very different indi-
viduals. They had dif-
ferent interests in merit
badges and pursued
different types of Eagle
Scout projects. Offering
various strengths and
challenges to the troop,
"they mixed like oil and
water at times," said
Left to right, Eagle Scouts Jordan Cart, Michael Skinner, Seth Smith,
lan Bettis are ready to graduate together.
Hunter Walker and
Melton. Some of them they were students at their excursions included
took more encourage- Hubbard Elementary 60 miles of canoeing
ment and pushing to School. Their camarade- in the Northern Tier
finish their Eagle Scout rie was evident as they in Minnesota, 10-days
requirements than did got together at Mary . of back-packing across
others. A scout only has Persons Baccalaureate New Mexico and sail-
until his 18th birthday to Service for a picture ing from the Sea Base in
fulfill all the Eagle Scout with their caps, gownsthe Florida Keys. They
requirements and submit and regalia, includingteased one another about
his application, alth.ough their red, white and the cooking skills they
the review board may blue Eagle Scout cords, practiced as Scouts.
approve it after his birth- (School administrationDavid Fite was the
day. woqld not let thein wear Troop 51 scoutmaster
Melton commended the Eagle Scout cords at when the Class of 2018
the family members who graduation.) entered the troop. Phil
helped both their own Asked about their Bettis later served as
boys and others in the favorite memories their scoutmaster before
troop succeed in reach- from scouting, white Melton accepted the role.
ing the elite status of water rafting and their Currently the age of the
Eagle Scout. High Adventure trips troop is younger as the
Ian, Jordan, Michael topped the list. Not all 18-year-old scouts have
Seth and Hunter all of them went on the aged out over the last
started scouting while same adventures, but few months. The troop
"-t LL ml~ []
Left to right, Hunter Walker, Michael Skinner, Seth Smith,
lan Bettis and Jordan Carr pictured in 2Oll, early in their
journey together as Boy Scouts.
welcomed eight 10-year-
olds this year. One of the
responsibilities of the
older scouts is to teach
skills to the younger
ones, and the Class of
2018 has had the oppor-
tunity to do so this year.
Melton said that
among other skills, the
older guys taught the
younger ones knot-tying
and have focused on
canoeing more recently
as the troop prepares
for a canoeing experi-
ence on the Tennessee
River in June. Using the
R.L. Williams camp-
ground off Montpelier
Road where Troop 51
meets, they learned
basic canoeing strokes,
next week will practice
swamping and recovery
of their canoes 'and then
will learn about packing
and securing their gear
before the trip. The older
scouts have the option
of signing up as adult
leaders to go on the trips
after they age out.
"I'm sure I could call
on any of them with
specific requests," said
Melton.
Monroe County has
benefited from having
the Eagle Scouts in its
midst, with their Eagle
projects being just one
example. Ian's Eagle
Scout project was build-
ing a bridge at Monroe
County Recreation
Department. Seth built
a drop box for Circle of
Care on Adams Street to
keep donated items out
of the weather. Hunter
Walker did a clean up
of the lake shore line at
Camp Kaleo. Michael
built a cover over the
walkway at Rocky Creek
Baptist Church. Jordan
built benches and a trail
at Camp Kaleo.
So what comes after
graduation for members
of the Hawk Patrol? Ian
said he is going into the
Air National Guard.
Hunter is interested in
computer networking
and will pursue it at
Central Georgia Tech.
Seth is headed to Mercer
University to major in
political science and then
get a law degree. Michael
will serve in the Army
Reserve while attending
Georgia State to study
physics and civil engi-
neering. And Jordan is
focused on flight school
as he majors in aviation
science and management
at Middle Georgia State
University.
.
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.nef
When Brenda Lopez
received her diploma
from Mary Persons
High School on Friday
night, it wasn't her fam-
ily's only special mile-
stone of the month.
That's because cheer-
ing her on in the stands
was her grandmother,
70-year-old Elvira
Oropeza, who came to
the U.S. from Mexico
for the occasion, meet-
ing her 18-year-old
granddaughter for the
first time and seeing
her daughter, Lopez's
mother ]any Ruiz, for
the first time since she
moved to the U.S. 22
years ago.
"They were hugging
forever:' Lopez said of
the occasion.
Join us for the Official SRP Kick-Off on June 5, 20181
Activities will begin at lOAM with
Dr, Magkal Balloons Fun Time Balloon Show.
At 11AM, children will have the opportunity to
participate in a Musical Petting Zoo that will
include Instruments GALORE!! We are excited and can't .
wait to get to reading with you this summer!!
Let's Rock and READ!!
Ruiz was born in Mex-
.
ico but married her hus-
band A!fredo Lopez and
moved to the U.S. in
1996. Her mother, Oro-
peza, stayed at home
in Michoacan, Mexico
where she has a clothing
shop and makes dresses.
They had not seen each
other since then.
But with her grand-
daughter graduating
from Mary Persons,
Oropeza was able to get
a visa to come to the
U.S. for the occasion,
arriving April 28, to
meet the three grand-
children she had never
met, only knowing each
other by talking on the
phone. Brenda has two
brothers, Omar, 13, and
Daniel, 10.
Lopez said her grand-
mother, who doesn't
speak much English, did
tell her that she's very
proud of her for gradu-
ating. And she said she
enjoys the small-town
feel of Forsyth a lot
more than California,
the only other place
she's been in the U.S.
as she has more family
there.
Lopez hopes to give
her grandmother an-
other reason to visit in a
few years as she enrolls
at Middle Georgia State
University with eyes
on a career in psy-
chology or medicine.
Meanwhile, Lopez said
she hopes to visit her
grandmother in Mexico
either in June or De-
cember.
MP
graduate
Sandra
Lopez,
center,
shown on
Friday
night
with her
mother,
Jany Ruiz,
left, and
her grand-
mother,
Elvira
Oropeza,
right.
Lopez met
her grand-
mother for
the first
time when
she came
to Geor-
gia for the
ceremony,
and her
mother
was see-
ing her
grand-
mother for
the first
time in
22 years,
since she
moved to
the U.S.
