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By NATHAN HOWELL | Staff Writer

HELENA – Aaron Surcouf and Kyle Tolbert of Helena Scout Troop 2 were honored on April 17 as they were granted the rank of Eagle Scout after completing their projects last year.

The troop hosted an Eagle Scout Court of Honor which is a special ceremony where scouts are honored after completing their Eagle project, and officially awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.

At the event, friends, family, scouts and scout leadership all took turns honoring both of the young men with stories of their time together, while congratulating them on their accomplishment.

For Scoutmaster Lane Tolbert, the event was very special as Kyle Tolbert is his son.

“I was mostly proud of Kyle for sticking to it, and following through to the end,” Lane said. “He did a lot of work with the scouts when he was younger and slowed down as he got older, but he finished.”

For his project, Kyle built an exercise center outside of the Alabaster YMCA. He chose this as his project due to his love and passion for football and exercise. The project was completed back in November, and after it was over he ended up with around 157 service hours.

Surcouf was honored for his project, which involved installing a flagpole at Grace Christian Church in Helena.

“His father was involved in the scouts, but never made Eagle,” Lane said. “He was quite pleased to have completed his project and surpass his dad.”

Lane said the Surcouf’s project ended up giving him around 75 service hours, and he more than surpassed the 21 required badges to earn Eagle rank.

The event also carried a special meaning for the scouts, as both of them joined the organization at the same time, and made their way through the ranks together over the years.

One of the most important points that was emphasized at the Court of Honor, was that while it is great to see the scouts complete these projects, there is a bigger lesson to take out of their success.

“What I like to say is that what they do is not they project, they are the projects,” Lane said. “If they do not come back as mentors, they will definitely stand as example for the younger scouts on how to exemplify honor, loyalty, courage and service.”