GREAT FALLS — With crisp commands echoing through Meadow Lark Country Club in Great Falls — "Audience, attention! Color Guard, forward march!" — the spirit of Scouting was on full display as several Scouts were celebrated for their achievements by the Rotary Club.
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Scouting has long been an inclusive organization, offering leadership development and hands-on experiences for young people. Recently, several young leaders were recognized for completing the highest honor in Scouting: the rank of Eagle Scout.
"I have been in Scouting since they allowed girls in 2019," said Melissa Klatt, Eagle Scout of Troop 1217. "I did two years in Cub Scouts, and the rest has been Boy Scouts."
Aaron Weissman, a longtime Scouting volunteer, praised the hard work and character of the new Eagle Scouts.
"I am so proud of these kids," Weissman said. "These are the kids that are going to be the future leaders of this country, and these are the kids we need — because they have promised to live a life based on the Scout Oath and the Scout Law."
Earning the Eagle Scout rank is no small task. Each Scout must plan, fundraise, and lead a major community project.
"It wasn’t an easy task," one Eagle Scout said. "But once we had what we were doing, building different sections, everything went smoothly from there."
The projects varied widely in scope and impact. One Scout refurbished a monument at a local cemetery. Another created a learning library. Melissa Klatt’s project involved organizing volunteers to make 75 handmade blankets for Project Linus, benefiting children in hospitals and foster care.
"356 hours was put into that project," Klatt said. "It’s for kids ages zero through eighteen who need something to snuggle."
The skills Scouts develop — leadership, project management, resilience — have a lasting impact on their futures.
"I'm going to continue in Scouting until I age out because I like helping out with my troop and being a leader and teaching other people," Klatt said. "Later, I’d like to become a pediatrician. Scouting is an amazing opportunity to learn new things and improve the person you are."
Weissman noted that Scouting’s mission, dating back to its founding by Baden-Powell in 1910, remains just as important today.
"Let's build better adults," Weissman said. "That’s what it was about in 1910, and that's what it's about in 2025."
The event closed with Scouts joining together, pledging their commitment: "I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law."
The ceremony ended just as it began — with discipline, pride, and a clear sense of purpose: "Color guard, reform rank. Color guard, forward march. Color guard, dismissed. Audience, at ease."
