Daxton Archer Sutherland, 18, a member of Troop 348 of Riner achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at his recent Eagle Board of Review.
To earn the rank of Eagle, a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges.
“Daxton went above and beyond,” wrote his mother Alicia Sutherland in an announcement.
He earned 46 badges in skills like canoeing, SCUBA, cooking, citizenship in the world, lifesaving, space exploration and personal fitness.
Because holding a leadership within the troop for at least six months is another requirement, Daxton was senior patrol leader, the highest leadership position a scout can hold, for that time.
In addition, he demonstrated leadership and community service by organizing and carrying out an Eagle project, designing and constructing a prayer garden at Unity Christian Church in Radford.
“The primary reason I chose to build a prayer garden was because it was something our previous pastor, Gina Rhea, had wanted for the church for a long time,” Sutherland wrote in an announcement. “I have a great deal of respect for her and really wanted to see that dream come true. Furthermore, the congregation has always been supportive of me and my scouting career, so I wanted to give back to them.”
Once the project was approved, Daxton led others working a total of 105 hours designing, planning, meetings, shopping, and constructing the garden.
The garden consists of two three-piece concrete benches secured to heavy-duty patio stones with a construction epoxy. The flowerbed is made of two rows of concrete wall blocks, also secured with construction epoxy on a foundation of pea gravel and sand.
The flowerbed is filled with fertilized soil, ground cloth, and mulch. The flowers that will bloom this spring include daffodils, tulips, and small border plants.
Since 1912, the Boy Scouts of America have awarded the Eagle Scout designation. About three percent of scouts earned the award last year.
Daxton celebrated this accomplishment with family and friends at his Court of Honor at the Radford Recreation Department.
He is the son of Radford’s Jeff and Alicia Sutherland and the grandson of Ed and Judy Jarrells in Dublin and a senior at Pathway Christian Academy with plans to attend New River Community College to study cyber security.