Troop 312 honors scouts, longtime scoutmaster

Boy Scout Troop 312 held its quarterly Court of Honor ceremony on Tuesday, March 26, in Greybull, awarding merit badges and bestowing ranks on its membership. In scouting, a Court of Honor ceremony is held by a troop to recognise scouts for their hard work and achievements through merit badges, which can be sewn and worn on their uniforms, and rank advancements.
Over 138 merit badges may be earned by Scouts — 14 are pre-determined by the Boy Scouts of America [BSA] and therefore mandatory. The remaining seven required to obtain an Eagle rank, the highest attainable rank in scouting, are chosen at a scout’s individual discretion. On Tuesday, merit badges were awarded to Steele Davis (Family Life), Levi Olsen (Family Life and Personal Management), Sam Campos (Family Life), Eli Olsen (Family Life), Jackson Bednarik (Family Life and Citizenship in the World), and Irving Rodriguez (Citizenship in the World).
There are seven ranks in scouting, which must be earned sequentially: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. Scout rank, which is obtained by meeting the joining requirements and participating in a Scoutmaster conference, was bestowed upon Eli Olsen, Joey Campos, and Irving Rodriguez. Tenderfoot rank was granted to Eli Olsen and Jackson Bednarik for achievements in Scoutcraft, personal growth, citizenship, physical fitness, and Scout Spirit. Levi Olsen obtained Star rank, the third highest rank in Scouting, which is awarded to scouts who have actively served the troop in a position of responsibility for several months, performed at least six hours of community service, and obtained six merit badges (four of which must be among the 13 required for Eagle rank). A Star Scout further serves as a role model for younger scouts, embodying the ethos of Scout Spirit and adhering to both the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
“We know scouting has been through a lot these last few years, but I really believe the world needs more men who honor the Scout’s Law,” said Scoutmaster Mark Bednarik during the Scoutmaster’s minute. The Scout’s Law instructs its membership to always be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Assistant Scoutmaster John Fuller echoed Bednarik’s remark in his own comments, noting that the Scout’s Law has not changed since its original publication in 1911.
Fuller, who retired from his duties as the lead Scoutmaster in 2023, was honored by Troop 312 for over a decade of service during the ceremony as well. The Scouts gifted Fuller a camp mug and engraved compass, which was presented by Steele Davis, who Fuller first met as a Cub Scout. Davis, who currently holds the rank of Life Scout, expects to receive his Eagle Scout rank this summer. Eagle Scout has been achieved by over 2.5 million scouts since its inception in 1911.
“It’s been a privilege to watch these boys grow up into awesome young men,” Fuller told the assembly as he recalled his years spent with Troop 312. “The world needs scouts.”
Troop 312 welcomes members from the Greybull, Basin, Shell, and Emblem areas. Their next quarterly ceremony is expected to be held on June 25.