Max Benton earns Eagle Scout rank

Max Joseph Benton, member of Troop 53 of the Vulcan district, was recognized for earning the rank of Eagle Scout on Jan. 8 at the Court of Honor Ceremony at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, along with two of his fellow scouts. 

Benton, a ninth-grade student at Mountain Brook Junior High School, completed his Eagle Scout ranking on Aug. 11, 2022, under the leadership of Troopmaster Franklin Bradford.

Benton has dedicated many years to his Eagle Scout journey and held several leadership positions, including patrol leader and Order of the Arrow nomination, and he was the manager of a troop cleanup project at all four Mountain Brook elementary schools one year prior to his Eagle Scout Project. 

Benton has earned 23 merit badges — including the backpacking merit badge, which required 11 nights of isolated wilderness camping and 75 miles of backpacking. He is a proud alumnus of Mountain Brook Elementary and said throughout his scouting career that he wanted his Eagle Scout project to serve the teachers and students of his school.

After a meeting with the school principal Ashley McCombs and several city officials, the project was set in motion, with a goal of remodeling the amphitheater located on the periphery of the school playground. Benton and a team of dedicated scouts completely reconstructed the wooden stage at the center of the amphitheater, repaved the gravel surrounding it and added a new portion of fence adjacent to the stage. 

This endeavor took months of preparation, from collecting donations to organizing scout volunteers to help build the project. After many weeks of service hours over the span of multiple weekends, the outdoor amphitheater is now a beautiful and safe place for the children and staff of the school to use for outdoor teaching and recreation. 

Benton is not only an active member in his scouting troop but also is a member of the Mountain Brook track team. He has earned three awards since being part of the team, the most recent of which was the team captain award for cross country, as well as the coaching award from the MBJH Track and Field head coach, Randy Stevens, for his performance and leadership during indoor track. 

He is also a member of the Mountain Brook mountain biking team. Outside of school-related events, he is an active member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and enjoys traveling all across the country with his family.

– Submitted by Jodie Benton..