When Adam Lott started Boy Scouts as a 1st grader at Deer Park Elementary School, all he knew at the time was that the program sounded interesting. More than a decade later, Lott is experiencing the benefits of his decision, as he recently achieved the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout.
“This is a really good thing to say I’ve accomplished,” Lott said. “Walking into interviews, applying for a job, it’s more than writing down that I am a good person. I am trustworthy, and they can depend on me as an Eagle Scout. I believe this will help me out in life.”
The Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America. After a lengthy review process, only a small percentage obtain it.
“It’s not for everybody. It takes quite a bit of work,” Lott said. “As you get higher up, it takes more and more effort. As an older boy scout, there is fundraising, creating a project, but I think it’s worthwhile. When I was a Cub Scout, I just had to show up. Once I became a Boy Scout, I had to figure out the rhythm of it.”
Through the years, Lott has enjoyed many opportunities connected to Boy Scouts, including attending camps around Kentucky, earning badges through unique experiences, and implementing a service project. Perhaps one of his most memorable experiences came through testing his survival skills.
“Wilderness Survival was one of the most interesting badges I earned,” Lott said. “I could take whatever I could fit in a baseball cap into the woods for the night. We had to go out there and build a shelter; it rained all night. I was 14 at the time and had a tarp and some rope and that’s about all I had. The rest of my shelter was just sticks and logs.”
For his service project, Lott fundraised to build a Gaga pit for Camp Kum Ba Ya by Kentucky Lake. After getting the funds together, he built the pit and donated the rest of the money to the camp.
The process to become an Eagle Scout can be both time consuming and challenging. Lott’s family is pleased with the personal growth he has achieved.
“The Boy Scouts helped Adam develop leadership skills, public speaking, and responsibility,” his mom Brende said. “When the pandemic hit, I wasn’t sure how Adam would be able to finish the Eagle Scout project. Everything was shut down and he couldn’t gather a team. He didn’t give up and just continued planning. As soon as it was safe to take a small group to do the work at Camp Kum Ba Ya, he did it.”
Lott plans to study at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to become an Aerospace Engineer. As future challenges arise, Lott knows he will be ready, thanks in part to becoming an Eagle Scout.
“It’s really trained me to put in the effort whenever I need to, and prepared me for whenever things are difficult in life,” Lott said. “It has helped me mature as a person.”
