Troop 68 welcomes four Eagle Scouts

The Court of Honor for Boy Scouts of America Troop 68 was held May 14 at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Four young men earned the distinction of Eagle Scout.

Harrison C. Wilkes lives in Highland Park, and is currently finishing his junior year at Highland Park High School. Outside of the classroom he has been a member of the percussion group in the school marching band, as well as in the Symphonic Band which had the privilege of performing in Carnegie Hall.

His main athletic interest is lacrosse, which he has played since first grade. He has played goalie for his school teams and select club teams, and now plays with the high school varsity team. This passion has allowed him to travel the country, playing in Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts and California.

Harrison was accepted into the Duke Talent Identification Program and spent two summers on the main campus in Durham, N.C., learning about college life while studying forensic science and global finance.

Harrison is vice president of his local chapter of the Young Men’s Service League, an organization dedicated to providing service to others.

For his Eagle project, Harrison planned and organized the construction of five picnic tables for West Dallas Community Center. The center provides after-school and summer programs for neighborhood children in West Dallas. The tables were greatly appreciated to allow the children a setting in which to eat and play off of the ground.

Harrison thanks his family for their love and support in all his adventures and endeavors.

Ajay Schlehuber, 15, is a freshman at the St. Mark’s School of Texas. He is the son of Michael and Chudar Schlehuber and has a younger brother, Rohan. He joined Troop 68 in fifth grade, after completing Cub Scouts in Pack 110 and earning his Arrow of Light.

Ajay participates in Quiz Bowl and Track at St. Mark’s. In addition, Ajay continues to give back to Scouting as a Den Chief for Pack 70.

Ajay’s Eagle Project was to build a 13-foot trail head kiosk for the Dallas Off Road Biking Association (DORBA). Ajay’s project involved demolishing the existing structure and building a new structure in its place.

Ajay has been an active member of Troop 68, attended Oak Leaf Training and is a member of the Order of Arrow. He has held the positions of Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader. He has progressed in his Scouting journey beyond Eagle Rank, earning a Bronze Palm.

Ajay would like to thank his family, fellow scouts, and the adult leaders of Troop 68 for their encouragement and support.

Rishi Mohan is a freshman at St. Mark’s School of Texas. He has been involved with Scouting since he was very young. He joined Pack 730 in second grade and continued there until he earned the Webelos rank and the Arrow of Light. In 2013, he joined Troop 68.

In Boy Scouts, he has completed Oak Leaf training, become a member of the Order of the Arrow, been a Polar Bear camper and worked to earn a Bronze Palm. He served as the Senior Patrol Leader and feels especially proud of completing the Wilderness Survival merit badge.

For his Eagle Project, Rishi searched for several opportunities before deciding on the project he ended up doing. He built 10 doghouses for impoverished families who cannot afford to house their dogs. This project helped to reduce the number of feral dogs in South Dallas communities, which has become an increasingly problematic dilemma for the city.

Outside of Scouting, Rishi enjoys a wholesome life filled with various other activities. He has been a high school honor roll student, a swimmer and an avid water polo player for his school teams. He also serves on the Community Service Board and the Chapel Council at St. Mark’s. He is also involved with several clubs, including Ping Pong Club, Investment Club, Spanish Club and St. Mark’s Frisbee. Rishi has been a part of the St. Mark’s orchestra as a violist since fourth grade.

Brandon Cole Yarckin, son of Jeff and Liana Yarckin, is a member of Troop 68 out of Highland Park United Methodist Church. He is currently a sophomore at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. Brandon’s Eagle Project was building benches for Dog & Kitty City, a Humane Society no-kill shelter in Dallas.

Brandon is a sophomore at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. He began his scouting career as a Cub Scout at Armstrong Elementary, where he received his Arrow of Light.

Brandon joined Troop 68 in 2012 with his fellow scouts from Armstrong.

During his nearly six years in Troop 68 he has served as Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader, Troop Guide and Scribe. He attended Summer Camp at Camp Many Point in Minnesota and Camp Alexander in Colorado, and Winter Camp at Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp. Brandon also attended High Adventure Camp at Sea Base in the Florida Keys.

Brandon is a member of Order of the Arrow, a national honor society for Boy Scouts.

Brandon was elected into the National Honor Society at Jesuit and has pursued numerous leadership and service opportunities such as Freshman Initiative Team and Key Club.

He enjoys playing basketball and soccer and was a member of the freshman soccer team at Jesuit.

For his Eagle Scout Service Project, Brandon built four 8-foot benches for Dog & Kitty City.

The benches will serve numerous purposes, including providing a place for volunteers to sit when visiting, an area for the workers to meet and organize their weekly needs and objectives, and a space for the animals to rest when the ground is too wet or muddy or the stone is too hot.

Story and photos courtesy of Troop 68