Ryan Rouse, a junior at Wetumpka High School and a member of Wetumpka Boy Scout Troop 13, has achieved Eagle rank.
For his Eagle project, Rouse and members of his troop planted four juvenile Chinese pistache trees in a strip of land adjacent to the Wetumpka Depot. Family members, friends and Wetumpka Depot supporters generously contributed funding, while area landscaper John Carter donated his time and expertise to advise and operate the heavy machinery required for this project.
He has completed 41 merit badges and has earned two bronze, one gold and one silver palm for earning 20 merit badges beyond the required number of 21.
The 16-year-old and was a founding member of Cub Scout Pack 429, where he received the God and Me Award in 2013, God and Family Award in 2015 and the Arrow of Light, the highest level of achievement in Cub Scouts, in 2015.
Since crossing over to Boy Scout Troop 13 as a fifth-grader, he has held a variety of leadership positions within the unit, including senior patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant patrol leader and instructor. He also served as a den chief for Pack 429’s Webelos 2 den in 2017-18 and Pack 50’s Webelos 1 den in 2019-20.
He is a Brotherhood member of Order of the Arrow, a national scouting honor society, and he participated in the BSA Explorer program in broadcasting, hosted by WSFA.
In summer 2019, Rouse traveled with members of his troop to Florida Sea Base near Key West, where he completed a weeklong deep-sea fishing adventure in the waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Later that summer, he completed National Youth Leadership training at Camp Tukabatchee. At the end of 2019, Rouse received the Troop 13 Scout of the Year Award named in memory of Troop 13 Eagle Scout Bryan Valliere.
At school, Rouse is an honor student in the advanced curriculum, a member of the Wetumpka High School News Team, a technician for the school’s Theatre Guild and a member of Beta Club. He played tenor saxophone in the concert, symphonic and marching bands for two years.
He is a member of Frazer United Methodist Church in Montgomery, where he participates in youth activities and assists the technical team.