SPHS Senior Earns Eagle Scout

Garrett Bulgin, former senior patrol leader of Boy Scout Troop 918 and current senior at Severna Park High School, received scouting’s highest award, the rank of Eagle Scout, during his Eagle Court of Honor, October 12 at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church.

The Eagle Scout rank is recognized across the country and has represented a milestone of accomplishment since 1912, according to the Boy Scouts of America website. “Those who have earned the Eagle Scout rank count it among their most treasured achievements. Eagle Scout is not just an award; it is a state of being,” according to the site.

Bulgin echoed those sentiments and said that earning Eagle Scout was always his goal when he started in Cub Scouts more than a decade ago.

“I started with Cub Scouts when I was 6 years old and bridged into Boy Scouts in 2013,” explained Bulgin, who is also actively involved with Venture Crew, which emphasis adventure, leadership, personal growth, and service. “It started with me being young and just wanting to be the highest rank possible. What it means to be an Eagle Scout has definitely taken root. An Eagle Scout is all about giving back, and that’s just how my personality has been. … Giving back is what I am.”

Over the years, he has earned nearly 50 merit badges for various skills and accomplishments. His development as a leader stands out when he reflects on his time in scouts; lessons learned through a time of adversity.

“At one point, I was bullied by my senior patrol leader, so I took that into consideration when I became senior patrol leader of how not to behave; how to conduct myself properly,” Bulgin said.

“I took all those negative lessons and made sure I became nothing like that when I was senior leader. It also taught me how to stand up for myself.”

Being able to lead is a requirement to achieve Eagle Scout, especially when it comes to the service project requirement.

“Instead of being told what service project you have to do, you have to plan out the service project from start to finish,” said Bulgin. “The point of it is to give leadership to your troop.”

For his service project, Bulgin talked to the leaders at his church and discovered that they could use a table for their outdoor worship space. He coordinated with the pastor; determined and collected the pieces, tools and resources; and coached the scouts of Troop 918 through the building process.

Bulgin is looking forward to graduation and plans to attend Anne Arundel Community College to start while he figures out his next path. In the meantime, he’ll continue with Venture Crew and continue finding paths to hike and explore.