08/09/2017
FIFTH REEVES EARNS EAGLE SCOUT
Jacob Reeves of Abilene has earned his Eagle rank, passing his last board of review in July. Jacob is a member of Troop 201, and his Eagle project was leveling ground and rebuilding benches at Seabee City Park. Jacob’s Scoutmaster was Ken Ware. Jacob is the son of Brent and Beth Reeves.
Becoming an Eagle Scout is no small feat. To become an Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts must earn 21 merit badges, complete a community service project, and serve in different positions of leadership during several years, among other things. The 21 badges demonstrate proficiency in such subjects as first aid, finance, fitness, citizenship, communication, cooking, and wilderness survival. Less than 5 percent of all Boy Scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout according to the National Eagle Scout Association
The earning of this highest rank in Boy Scouting is also notable because Jacob is part of the rare occurrence of multiple sons from the same family earning Eagle, and in his case the extremely unusual situation in which he is the fifth of five sons to earn this distinction, something few families in America have done.
This achievement of five sons earning Eagle is so rare that the National BSA Service Center in Irving does not even track it. But a search of the internet did reveal a few families that the Reeves join. In the book "Legacy Of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts" written by Alvin Townley, it records that the Thomase family of Las Vegas, Nevada is the largest known family which had biological brothers who become Eagles, comprised of 11 sons. The Levier Gardner family of Provo, Utah had eight sons earn Eagle. All six brothers in the Keith Glanzer family of Spokane, Washington have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Another six sons from one family include the Parlock family of Martha, West Virginia. Finally, the five Christopherson sons of Kerman, California have this distinction.
Jacob Reeves’ brothers worked previously under Scoutmasters Barry Sinkey and Wade Payne (Troop 75) and Mike Michaud (Troop 232). Here is a list of the Eagle projects of the Reeves brothers: Joshua in Troop 75, Boulder, Colorado in 1998 built picnic tables for a church playground; Luke in Troop 75, Boulder, in 2000 built a fence enclosure for a church dumpster; Ben in Troop 232, Abilene in 2005 built a patio area for teachers at Thomas Elementary; and Micah in Troop 232, Abilene in 2010 cleaned and restriped a church parking lot.
Jacob’s uncle Keith Balfour and his grandfather Wyman Balfour were also Eagle scouts.
