SHS Student to Receive Eagle Scout Rank

On Sunday, January 28, 2007, Christopher Martin Burgess in conjunction with Devin James Conway will receive his Eagle Scout rank. The public is invited to the ceremony, which will be held at Valley Grove Baptist Church at 3:00 pm. Christopher has been a member of Troop 585 for five years. He is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, Pellissippi Lodge 230. Christopher formerly served as Vice-Chief and Secretary in the Sequoyah Chapter of the OA. He represented youth from Sevier County and the Knoxville area to the Lodge. Christopher’s Eagle Scout community project revolved around making improvements to the area behind the Valley Grove Baptist Church missionary home in Seymour, TN. Work performed included clearing underbrush and a fence-line, removing 2 large chicken houses, and improving a footbridge by building handrails. Volunteers from the community (troop members, friends) were coordinated to complete the project. A total of over 265+ hours of work was performed. Christopher, himself, spent just over 32 hours working on the project. Christopher earned over 75 merit badges and has held several posts within the Troop including Order of the Arrow Representative, Asst. Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, Asst. Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, and Troop Guide. Currently, he is serving as Chaplain’s Aide and helping his father lead a group of local Tiger Cubs in Pack 585 as a Den Chief. Christopher enjoys planning outings, interacting and training younger scouts, and participating in musical-oriented skits. He has been active in the Troop and rarely misses an opportunity in the outdoors. He was part of the 2005 National Jamboree at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia, where he served as Patrol Leader for his scout group and earned all 5 “rockers.” Christopher was also invited to serve as a Troop Guide at the 2nd annual National Youth Leadership Training camp. Earlier in his scouting career, Christopher was the Pinewood Derby Pack Champion for 4 years and the Sequoyah District Pinewood Derby Champion for 3 years in a row. Christopher also took pride in earning his Mile Swim award and achieving the requirements to earn his Religious Award. Christopher is the son of Martin and Lisa Burgess of Seymour. He is a sophomore at Seymour High School and plans on attending Law School while pursuing a musical career with his band.