Alex Letch of Forest Lake has been named an Eagle Scout, the highest rank awarded by the Boy Scouts of America.
A member of Troop 9173, sponsored by Elim Lutheran Church of Scandia, Letch was recognized in an Eagle Court of Honor at the Scandia Community Center on Sunday, April 27.
About 4 percent of Boy Scouts attain Eagle rank. Each candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community, church or school service project.
For his Eagle project, Letch led a crew of adult and Scout volunteers to improve the sign at the entrance to Scandia Elementary School. The crew removed rocks and existing plants around the sign, replacing them with new perennials and cedar mulch. Letch and his crew then scraped, sanded and repainted the sign. The project was funded by the Scandia-Marine Lions Club, with donations from Abrahamson Nursery of Scandia and The Home Depot of Forest Lake.
Letch joined Cub Scout Pack 173 as a Tiger in first grade at Scandia Elementary. As a member of Boy Scout Troop 9173, he earned 25 merit badges and is a member of the Order of The Arrow national honor society.
His camping experiences include annual week-long trips to Tomahawk Scout Reservation in Birchwood, Wisconsin, canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, sailing the waters of the Florida Keys at Sea Base and hiking through the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He has spent 79 nights camping and hiked 115 miles.
The son of Curtis and Jennifer Letch, he is a senior at Forest Lake High School. Letch will attend the University of North Dakota in the fall.