William Cory and Evan Vomund, members of Incline’s Boy Scout Troop 37, recently were awarded Eagle Scout, Scouting’s highest honor.

The Nov. 3 ceremony reflected on Will and Evan’s path to Eagle. As new Scouts, they embarked on a rainy canoe trip across Loon Lake and backpacked in Desolation Wilderness, culminating in an ascent of Mt. Tallac.

As they aged, they camped in snow caves and went on the “Survivorman” campout where food consisted of one can of beans. Fortunately, they caught fish. As older Scouts, they attended Sea Base where they sailed the Florida Keys.

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Scouting is about more than camping, however. It’s also about service and citizenship. Will and Evan participated in the first Red, White and Tahoe Blue flag retirement ceremony. Between the two of them, they have 301 hours of community service.

A large part of their service came in the form of an Eagle project, in which the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages a task that benefits the community.

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William is interested in cinematography, so for his project he wrote and directed a series of public service announcement films on substance abuse.

These films were shown to audiences at Incline High School, Truckee Tahoe Television, and Arts For the Schools. They also have been seen by several hundred viewers on YouTube.

For Evan’s project, he worked with community leaders Art Cross and Indra Winquest in fundraising, seeking approval and installing Incline’s 18-hole disc golf course. Evan is proud to note that 35 Scouts assisted him on this project.

Reflecting on all that he learned in Scouting, William told the audience that scouting is not about the campouts or the badges, it is about preparing you for the future.

He said, “Boy Scouts kept me level-headed and focused throughout the years, and provided me with the necessary social and group skill-sets to succeed.”

After thanking those who helped him on his Scouting journey, Evan told the younger Scouts to not be afraid of failing. Failing is a byproduct of responsibility and is part of Scouting.

“Everyone fails at some point, the key is to learn from the failures,” Evan noted. “It’s this failure that makes the program so unique and meaningful to Scouts like me.”

Near the end of the ceremony Jim Schmidt, past Scoutmaster of Troop 37, said, “The expectations of an Eagle Scout are high. May you live up to the traditions, always guided by the spirit of Scouting.”

No doubt, William and Evan will continue to be great representatives of Troop 37 and the Boy Scouts of America.

Note: William and Evan would like to give a special thanks to Sierra Nevada College for allowing them use of their facility.