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13312 Bellm Rd - Highland, IL 62249 - Phone 618-654-5971

Boy Scout Helps Cowboys as Cowboys Help a Boy Scout

By Inspector (SASS #41400)

On the road to Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout is required to complete a leadership service project for his community. The project must benefit the community, a non-profit organization, or the general public upon its completion. A cleaver young Scout by the name of Jacob Williams recognized not only that the Charter Organization for his Boy Scout Venture Crew, The Highland Pistol and Rifle Club, met these criteria, he also conceived a project to assist their SASS shooters, The Rangeless Riders, in providing entertainment to the community in the form of Cowboy Action Shooting.
Right around the time that Jacob earned the rank of Life Scout, and was setting his sights on Eagle Scout, the Rangeless Riders had just opened a new range. It was brought to Jacob’s attention that the new range, and the old range, were in need of a few items in terms of safety equipment. This proved the perfect opportunity for Jacob to meet his project requirements.

More specifically, Jacob’s project consisted of building collapsible, portable rifle and shotgun racks in the shapes of horses and steers, compiling and mounting first aid kits for both ranges, and installing a flag pole for the new range.
Under Jacob’s leadership and his father’s assistance, four horses and two steers were cut from three quarter inch plywood. Three horses and the steers went to the Rangeless Riders, while one horse was donated to the Kaskaskia Cowboys as a token of appreciation for letting him use their

patterns. Paintings of these rifle racks was done by ten scouts and eight adults during one of the weekly meetings of Jacob’s Boy Scout Troop 1034. During the same meeting, while most of the Boy Scouts were painting, Jacob and a couple of other scouts and leaders assembled the first aid kits.
On Memorial Day weekend, Jacob delivered the rifle racks to the range. While there, he was met by fellow Venture Crew members and leaders of Boy Scout Venture Crew 2245; including Wolf Creek Jake SASS #35386, who himself had just recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout (re: The Cowboy Chronicle July 2008). On this day, four scouts and four adult leaders set to the task of

installing the first aid kits and mounting the flag pole.
The first aid kits were mounted in locations that would be readily accessible during a match, but could be secured from theft while the ranges were idle.
Meanwhile, the flag pole was mounted in concrete. The purpose of the flag pole is that the new range sits down hill and below the field of fire for the facility’s skeet range. In this configuration, it is not easily seen from the skeet range whether or not the cowboy range is in use. With the flag pole rising above the field of view above the hill, a red or green flag will confirm at a glace if the lower range is occupied.

While Jacob and his fellow scouts worked very hard to benefit their Charter Organization, a cost for materials was incurred. Part of the Eagle Scout project is that the scout is responsible for raising the funds for materials for his project. Recognizing this circumstance, the Rangeless Riders rolled up their sleeves and did what they do best in order to raise funds for this young man in need. An Eagle Scout Benefit shoot was held on June 29, to recoup the cost of materials fronted by Jacob’s parents for this project.
Breakfast for this event was provided by Jacob’s Venture crew while lunch was provided and served by Jacob’s Boy Scout Troop. Meanwhile out on the range, all of the Boy Scouts in the Troop who had proven familiarity with firearms and range safety by having earned the Rifle Merit Badge, served as “brass caddies” earning tips for picking up empty brass for the shooters.

By the end of the day the top shooters for this event were Ten Shot Tammy (SASS# 49462) in the women’s categories and Sharpshooter Steve (SASS# 48779) for the men.
Thanks to the generosity of the 80 local cowboys who attended, the match fees allowed Jacob’s project to be fully reimbursed with a significant surplus turned over to Venture Crew 2245. The surplus funds are being held for future Life Scouts who need assistance in completing their Eagle Scout projects.
As for the money raised by the brass caddies and the meals served, well, that assisted Troop 1034 for travel expenses to go to summer camp the

following week. During that week at camp, Jacob completed his final Eagle required merit badges and earned his opportunity to stand before the Trails West Council Eagle Scout Board of Review.
Jacob, good luck with your Board of Review, and thank you for your help; it was our pleasure to return a good deed to a dedicated scout who deserves recognition.