By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

WILSONVILLE— After starting as Cub Scouts in October 2011, five of the original members of the Wilsonville Boy Scout Troop 588 all made Eagle Scout as of April.

To commemorate their accomplishments, the boys— Nicholas Chapple, Wil and Johnathon Langner, Luke Lawler and Noah Reece— joined together at the Alabama Boy Scouts of America in Vestavia Hills May 19.

“We are very proud. Our goal for every Scout is Eagle Scout,” said Scout Master Don Langner. “I tell them when they come in to set their goals high, and my goal for you is to be an Eagle Scout. So we pushed them, we were hard on these guys.”

Don Langner and Keith Lawler formed the troop together in 2011, and both said it was challenging. Scouting took a lot of time and dedication from both the Scouts and the leaders.

Now, each of the original members has received the distinction by completing a service project, earning a set number of merit badges and taking on additional responsibilities within the troop.

“It’s one of those fulfilling things,” Reece said. “It’s one of the accomplishments that you can feel as a person throughout life. This is one of those things that’s specific to you as a person. It’s a very rare accomplishment among people.”

Reece chose to complete a project at Wilsonville Elementary School, where he spent his younger years. The school had an unutilized courtyard, so Reece decided to build planters and build an outdoor learning area for the students.

Johnathon Langner also created an outdoor learning center for students, but he chose Elvin Hill Elementary School. He built two decks outside the school and said it was a big accomplishment for him to complete the project.

“It’s big for me because I’ve never done this before, and I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end,” Johnathon Langner said of making Eagle Scout. “It’s so enjoyable being around the Scouts and being at every event. Being here, I can’t even describe it, it’s awesome.”

Chapple and Wil Langner both chose to create pavilions at Elvin Hill to help provide for the children and the community in Columbiana.

“Elvin Hill never had pavilions since I was probably in kindergarten,” Chapple said. “For a long time, we never had anything to cover those up, and it would be so hot.”

Both the boys also commented on the friendships they’ve formed throughout the Boy Scout program. The troop takes a camping trip once a month, and the boys said they’ve learned a lot from each other.

“It’s friendships that have lasted for almost 10 years and will continue to last,” Wil Langner said.

Lawler also chose Elvin Hill Elementary for his service project. He chose to revitalize the flagpole area in front of the school, saying they buffed out the concrete and repainted it.

Once it was complete, Lawler also added a dedication plaque for his grandfather, who served in World War II.

“It’s definitely something you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life,” he said. “It’s not something that goes away…when people look at you, and they know you are an Eagle Scout, that’s something that defines you.”