Troop 497 announced its newest Eagle Scout, Chase Fortune. He passed the Eagle board of review on Jan. 8, 2026. To achieve this hard-earned Eagle rank at age 13 is quite an impressive accomplishment.
The prestigious rank of Eagle Scout requires years of hard work and dedication. Eagles must earn at least 21 merit badges on many subjects including citizenship, swimming, emergency preparedness, first aid, personal management, cooking, camping and many others These badges take anywhere from hours to months to complete. Fortune has earned 55 merit badges to date.) To become an Eagle Scout, one must also take on a leadership position within the troop and help mentor younger scouts.
For his Eagle service project, Fortune constructed a flagpole at McKinney Loop Cemetery that he welded himself. It took many hours of planning and building with the help of fellow Scouts, family members and friends. Rio Bank donated funds to get Fortune started to buy metal and other materials needed for his vision. Many people helped him achieve the goal.
