Troop 320 scouts earn Eagle rank
A Court of Honor ceremony was held Nov. 3 by Troop 320 at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church for two of its newest Eagle Scouts, Zac Hecker and Nathan Krueger. Hecker and Krueger have been good friends since preschool and began their scouting careers together as Cub Scouts in first grade then crossed over to Boy Scouts with Troop 320 in fifth grade.
They both earned their Eagle Scout rank at the Vulcan District Eagle Board on Sept. 12. Coincidentally, both young men have older brothers named Will who are also Eagle Scouts with Troop 320.
After receiving the Arrow of Light from Pack 320, Hecker crossed to Boy Scouts with Troop 320. He has held troop leadership positions as a Patrol Leader, Scribe, Instructor and Chaplain’s Aid and earned 35 merit badges. He was elected by his peers to be a member of the Order of the Arrow and completed his Ordeal at Camp Comer. As a scout, he has hiked 89 miles, cycled 44 miles, paddled 25 miles and spent 57 nights camping. His favorite camping trips were to the Pensacola Naval Station, where he toured the USS Independence, and his travel with the Southern Contingent of the Greater Alabama Council to the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in Bechtel, West Virginia. His favorite merit badge was architecture.
For his Eagle Scout project, Hecker planned, raised funds and led 16 youth and four adults in the construction of three outdoor sensory play stations and a teacher’s bench for Mountain Brook Baptist Church Early Learning Center. A sensory play station is a wooden teaching table holding two removable plastic bins that can be filled with water, pebbles, sand and other materials that activate the senses for outdoor play. Upon completion of the project, Hecker was excited about the immediate impact the project had on the Early Learning Center and their joy at having a safe play area for young children. He is thankful to Sharon Howard forgiving him the opportunity to work with the ELC and appreciates all her hard work. He indicated that he has grown so much in confidence and leadership as a result of his project. He learned the importance of careful planning, project management and problem solving.
Hecker is a sophomore at Mountain Brook High School where he plays the alto saxophone in the marching and concert bands. He is a member of the Beta Club and is a second-degree black belt. He will tell you that his favorite activity is to ride his Honda Grom motorcycle. He also loves gaming with friends and hanging out with his family. Upon graduation, Zac plans to attend UAB and study to become an accountant.
Hecker is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Fulham Hecker, Jr. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. J Wayne White of Mountain Brook and the late Mr. and Mrs. William Fulham Hecker, Sr. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Krueger received the Arrow of Light from Pack 320 and continued Boy Scouts with Troop 320, where he held leadership positions of Patrol Leader, Den Chief, Quartermaster, Librarian and Historian and earned 22 merit badges. He was elected by his peers to be a member of the Order of the Arrow and completed his Ordeal at Camp Comer. As a Scout with Troop 320, he hiked 61 miles, paddled 145 miles and spent 55 nights camping. Krueger’s favorite camp out was attending the high adventure camp of Northern Tier in Minnesota, where he canoed over 75 miles of the border waters in Quetico, Canada.
For his Eagle Service Project, Krueger planned, raised funds and led 19 youth and three adult volunteers in the building and installation of an outdoor chalkboard, bench and six planters as part of an outdoor classroom at Brookwood Forest Elementary (BWF). The project, which took 327 hours of work to plan and complete, benefits students of all ages at the school and honors the memory of Amy Sanders, who was a past president of the BWF PTO and a family friend.
Krueger said, “I could not have done this project without the input of Charles Perkins, who served as my project advisor. I wanted it to be well-built and last a long time for the school. Mr. Perkins provided input on materials and proper construction techniques as well as tools so we didn’t have to buy or rent them. He also attended many of my workdays as an adult volunteer. I’m very thankful to him for giving his knowledge and time. I am also very thankful to Mr. Pitner (principal) and Dr. Woolard (teacher) for allowing me to do my project at Brookwood Forest. It was special for me because my father, brother, Mr. Perkins and I all went to school there; and also, I wanted to do this for the Sanders family.”
A sophomore at MBHS, Krueger is a member of the Beta Club and plays football as an offensive lineman for the Spartans. He also plays defense in lacrosse for Mountain Brook. In addition to his Eagle Service Project, Nathan has logged over 40 service hours working on other scouts’ Eagle Service Projects at local food banks, with the Arlington Historical Society and by assisting teachers with Sunday School classes at Cathedral of the Advent, where he attends church.
In his free time, he enjoys, hunting, fishing, camping, paddling, watersports, traveling to see our national parks and spending time with family at Lake Martin. When Krueger graduates in 2022, he plans to attend college to study biology and computer science and work toward a career as a biochemist or molecular biologist.
Krueger is the son of William and Janet Krueger. He is the grandson of Jack Howard Krueger and the late DelBondio Cabaniss Krueger of Mountain Brook; and Marilyn Wike Williams and the late Nathaneal Dean Wike of Hoover.
Submitted by the Hecker and Krueger Families.