Brady Beyer attains rank of Eagle Scout

Brady Beyer, son of Brent and Denise Beyer of Waukon, officially achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts, May 18. Beyer is a member of Boy Scout Troop 64, under the leadership of Scoutmaster Troy Lubahn.

In 2008, Beyer began his journey to Eagle as a Cub Scout in first grade. He completed the requirements each year to advance from Bobcat to Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelo. Following two years as a Webelo, and completion of all requirements, Beyer earned his Arrow of Light in the spring of his fifth grade year. One of his favorite Cub Scout memories is winning the Pack 64 Pinewood Derby and advancing and participating in the District Pinewood Derby.

Following the Arrow of Light ceremony, Beyer participated in a crossing over ceremony and joined Troop 64 as a Boy Scout under Scoutmaster Shawn Gordon, and later John Troendle and Troy Lubahn. While in Scouting, he attended many campouts, including several week-long summer camps at Camp Klaus near Colesburg. He took advantage of weekend merit badge university events and summer camps to earn many of the badges required to achieve Eagle Scout rank.

Climbing the ranks from Tenderfoot to 2nd Class, then 1st Class, Star and Life Scout, Beyer never wavered from his goal to earn the Eagle Scout rank. While climbing to Eagle Scout, he served as Quartermaster, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Troop Guide. While 1st Class rank, he was nominated by his Troop for the Order of the Arrow, Timmeu Lodge 74, and was inducted into that National Honor Society of Boy Scouts of America for Scouts who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives.

Beyer also helped at several spring and fall omelet breakfasts, for two years as a Webelo, and seven years as a Boy Scout. The portion of omelet ticket money that goes to each Scout, as well as the portion of their wreath sales, helped pay for all of his Scout events, including the High Adventure trip the Scouts took in summer of 2019 to Glacier National Park.

One of the final requirements before earning the rank of Eagle Scout is to plan, supervise and execute a service project that will benefit any religious institution, school or community. This requirement gives the Scout the opportunity to put to practice many things they have learned on their journey to Eagle Scout and helps them gain valuable experience in organization and leadership.

Beyer chose Little Free Libraries as his Eagle Scout project because he saw a need in the community for individuals to have access to books at any time of the day. In his youth, he was an avid reader, and he knows the values and benefits of reading.

Little Free Libraries are free book-sharing boxes where anyone may take a book and/or share a book. Beyer chose to place his libraries in/near parks and recreation areas, thinking they would get used by parents and kids while enjoying the pools/parks, or by people who were in town on vacation or camping for a weekend.

In planning for his project, Beyer spoke with individuals and organizations in the communities of Waukon, Postville and Harpers Ferry, where he wanted to place the libraries. He also met with librarians about donating books to supply the libraries. Fellow Scouts and Bob Schulze, Brady’s grandpa, assisted with construction and installation of the libraries. The libraries were put into place in late summer 2019.

Beyer recently graduated from Waukon High School, where he was involved in cross country, golf, sound booth for musical/drama productions, FBLA, National Honor Society and Allamakee Scholarship Fund. He also recently earned the State Seal of Biliteracy for Spanish. He plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls in the fall with an interest in mathematics.