William Leonard Awarded Eagle Scout Rank
William Leonard (submitted photo)
On June 5, 2019, William Leonard, son of Jamie and Susan Leonard of Oskaloosa, earned the Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Award. William is a member of Oskaloosa Troop 71, a troop sponsored by the Central United Methodist Church in Oskaloosa.
For his Eagle Project, William decided to assist DNR Ranger Chad Malone at Lake Keomah, with converting a historically registered old stone restroom building into a Pollinator Learning Center. William’s project consisted of replacing the shingles on the roof, repairing and painting the wooden trim, windows, and doors, building, seeding, and planting a pollinator garden, as well as marking out the trail to the building. With help from Oskaloosa Troop 71, Ottumwa Troops 2 and 219, as well as friends and family, the project logged almost 300 hours.
Upon being awarded the Eagle Scout rank he has also earned 32 merit badges, completed NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training, is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, earned three 50-miler awards, participated in High Adventure trips at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, Sea Base in the Florida Keys, Swamp Base in Louisiana, and backpacked on the Appalachian Trail and Rocky Mountain National Park. William has participated in annual summer camp trips, as well as numerous weekend campouts.
William, 15 years old and in 10th grade, attends the Oskaloosa Community High School, where he is a member of the high school marching, concert, and jazz bands, as well as a member of the cross-country and track teams. His future plans are to continue being an active member of Troop 71 and attend college majoring in business.
