For Chase Raberge, joining Boy Scouts would be an all-or-nothing deal.
He had been a Cub Scout as a youngster, but dropped out after his friends left the troop. When he returned to Scouting at age 14, he'd made up his mind: He wanted to be an Eagle Scout, though time was running short.
The Scouts have a cutoff age of 18. Nonetheless, Chase, now 23, reflected, "I wanted to go all the way."
Eagle Scout is an elite ranking within the century-old Boy Scouts of America program. Scouts must get at least 21 merit badges that represent various skills, including everything from fishing to finance. They also must exhibit the "Scout Spirit" by being a role model and living by the Boy Scout Oath and Law. The final stretch before achieving Eagle status involves a rigorous community service project.
As a result, Eagle Scouts are a rare breed.
Only 5 percent of all Boy Scouts achieved the rank in 2009, according to the organization. Most Scouts spend a decade working toward it, while many linger in the "Life" rank, one step short of becoming an Eagle.
One night early on, Chase's Scout leaders huddled around a campfire, coming up with an action plan for getting him on track, which they dubbed the "Eagle Chase."
It mainly involved pulling together a team of Scouts for moral support, including Chase's younger brothers, Weston and Dane, their dad, Todd, a Scout leader along with Timothy Bishop and his son, David. "We all worked together at the same pace on the same game plan," said Chase.
He became an Eagle in 2005, and his brothers followed suit. Weston became an Eagle a few years later, and Dane joined them in October of this year.
They are three of the 44 Eagle Scouts that Rosemount Troop 270 has produced since it started in 1951, according to Scout leader Troy Billings. And the "Eagle Chase" strategy, according to Bishop, is now a template that he and others use to help other boys who are in the same position.
The Eagle is an unbelievable accomplishment, said Chase, who credits his dad for encouraging him and his brothers to stay the course.
"People don't understand all the hard work and how difficult it is," he said. "It's an incredible feeling. I know Weston went through the same thing I did. We motivated Dane and told him how much it was worth it."
Weston, who is an EMT for the Cottage Grove Fire Department and is heading this month to boot camp for the U.S. Air Force, said the rewards go beyond getting a medal or having his name inscribed on the troop camping trailer for the world to see.
Together, the brothers staved off bears, fist-sized wolf spiders, mice and other wildlife at Camp Tomahawk in northern Wisconsin, he recounted. He and Chase share the memory of an unforgettably scary camping trip.
As a result of the teachings of Scouting, Weston said, "I try to be an advocate for everyone I see."
"I'm proud of what I did," he said. "I wouldn't trade any of it, spending all those hours, days, weeks and months with my family. You can't buy those kinds of memories."
Anna Pratt is a Minneapolis freelance writer.
