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Since he was a kid, Zack Ehlers has been on a track. Since he first put on the uniform seven years ago, he has been working passionately in one of the most far reaching youth programs in the nation. While many have left the program, Ehlers is, and intends to remain, an avid and devoted Boy Scout.

“It’s a learning experience,” Ehlers said. “It’s adventurous and it’s something I love to do.”

His commitment has proven fruitful. Right now, Ehlers is on track to earn an honor that very few high schoolers receive: Eagle scout.

“I’m in the rank of Life, it’s the rank right below Eagle,” Ehlers said. “The steps toward my rank are picking up knowledge form when you are younger, from Cub Scouts, and you have to learn and really be a participate and hard worker in your troop.”

While most boy scouts leave their troop around the age of 14 or 15, Ehlers has stayed in scouting for its many benefits.

“I have stayed in scouting for all of the different opportunities,” Ehler said. “I am just in a rank when I have had opportunities where I have places I go like Canada and New Mexico where I can try new things.”

The Boy Scout’s slogan nation wide is “Do a good turn daily.” Scouts of all ages work hard at all of their meetings to help the communities around them, and all over the country as an effort to keep active in their troop.

“I participate in meetings, go on monthly camp outs and do service projects like doing things that need to be done for local places like the BFW,” Ehlers said.

He also says that it doesn’t take much time out of school and thinks that scouting is a good thing to do for a break from the regualr daily activities.

“Scouting is better than other extracurricular because of all the places you go, you never really go to the same place twice.”

Unfortunately, many people associate scouting and scouting activities with something for their younger brothers or sisters, but don’t even consider it for themselves.

“Its what they think, you cant change it, you have to experience it to understand it,” Ehler said. “I would really just like to tell everyone about my experiences in scouts and tell them about all of the opportunities that you can get from scouts… scouting has helped me by showing me how to be a leader and showed me how to help people and be a better person. I have learned good leadership, how to respect wildlife and how to be an outdoorsy person.”