While we see many stories about local young people making mistakes and running afoul of the law, our hope is ever buoyed by the many positive stories we see where selfless children work hard to make a difference in this world.

The Boy Scouts of local Troop 222 are a great example of these children, in particular the nine scouts who recently reached the coveted status of Eagle Scout: Parker Green, Camp Coleman, Travis Ransom, Kevin Thompson, Skyler Crawford, Heath Brickell, Sam Hay IV, John Michael Hancock and Alex Cann.

The hard work, creativity and organizational skills needed to complete an Eagle Scout capstone project prove the commitment these young men have to bettering themselves and their community.

The fact Boy Scout troop 222 produced nine Eagle Scouts is amazing and a testament to the leadership of Scoutmaster Jerry Aldridge.

The senior member of our editorial staff remembers a long time ago in a county far away that he a hard time simply being promoted to second class. Becoming an Eagle Scout is a major accomplishment, and we hope it spurs our young men to take hold of life like their forerunners, including President Gerald Ford, Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates Jr. and Jimmy Stewart.

In addition, our scouts, particularly Sam Hay IV, can look to their own community inspiration, as Sam Hay Jr and Sam Hay III are examples of the leaders scouting can inspire. Congratulations to the Hays for having three generations of Eagle Scouts.