STRONG — Now that Joshua McBean has become an Eagle Scout, the highest honor Boy Scouts attain, he intends to continue earning merit badges while helping younger Scouts.

An Eagle Court was held Sunday at the Strong School to honor McBean, 15, of Strong who is a sophomore at Mt. Abram High School.

More than 100 people acknowledged his efforts, which included an extensive project of a new 7-foot handicapped ramp for the Strong Historical Society building.

“It’s a two-story building but there’s a lot of interesting stuff on the first floor,” he said. The new ramp makes accessibility easier for the people he expects visit most often.

McBean started to raise the approximately $300 needed for the ramp by holding a bake sale. Hammond Lumber donated some lumber and materials, he said.

He worked from March to August on the project, even coming home weekends from Boy Scout Camp Hinds in Raymond where he served as a counselor-in-training last summer to work on the ramp, his mother, Cheryl Chick, said.

As a Scout for the past five years, McBean earned a total of 36 merit badges.

He’s a member of Troop 500 in Strong where his grandfather, Douglas Chick, serves as assistant Scout leader with Scoutmaster Clarence Nutting.

For McBean, scouting is appealing because “you give back a lot to the community and learn things you may want to teach your own children some day,” he said. Another reason is “you get to meet a lot of people and make new friends,” he added.

His participation in the Boy Scouts’ prestigious Order of the Arrow group in Waterville lends to involvement in a variety of scout events and new friends.

With a tentative plan to become an X-ray technician, McBean said he appreciates the benefits of becoming an Eagle. It will help with applying for college or jobs where people look at community service, he said.

He’s performed 200 hours of community service, Cheryl Chick said.

“He’s pretty mature for his age,” she said. He earns mostly A’s and B’s in school, and is president of the Western Mountain Leos, a younger version of the Lions Club.

She acknowledged her parents, Douglas and Joyce Chick, for being there to help while she worked.

McBean also acknowledged his grandfather Sunday by giving him a mentor pin during the ceremony. A Temple troop, members of the Order of the Arrow and his camp counselor Josh Gagnon participated.

State Sen. Tom Saviello and state Rep. Russell Black, both R-Wilton, presented a flag and legislative sentiments to McBean. Franklin County Detective Tom White presented him with a sheriff’s award for Sheriff Dennis Pike.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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