Jacob McArtor recently received the Eagle Award, the highest award the Boy Scouts of America presents, as a member of Boy Scout Troop 33, sponsored by First Lutheran Church in DeKalb.
He is the son of Kevin and Denice McArtor.
His Eagle service project involved Malta Public Library, where he removed an outdated entrance ramp overgrown with shrubs, created a large arrangement of new plantings, installed a new flagpole and restored the Veterans Memorial monument. His project beautified the library and provided a renewed place for public ceremonies.
McArtor’s journey in scouting began as a Tiger Cub in Pack 123 at United Methodist Church in Malta, where he earned the Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouts.
In 2007, he joined Boy Scout Troop 33. For several summers he spent a week at Camp Lowden, where he earned many of his 27 merit badges and participated in swimming, boating, target shooting, handicrafts, nature, climbing and rappelling.
His hours of community service were highlighted by relief projects, helping Hurricane Ike victims in Galveston, Texas, and working in Kentucky to convert an abandoned high school into a disaster relief center.
Wilderness high adventures took him north for a canoe trip at Boundary Waters in Minnesota and west to explore Yellowstone National Park, hike at Grand Tetons National Park and go backpacking at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Underground and underwater adventures included exploring the dark depths of Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and becoming a NAUI-certified scuba diver.
He is a member of the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s National Honor Society. His leadership experience included senior patrol leader and junior assistant scoutmaster.
McArtor is a sophomore at DeKalb High School.
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