About 30 people crowded the training room at the Boerne Police Department on a sunny Sunday afternoon late last month, all gathering to honor a young Boy Scout’s promotion to Eagle Scout status.
Mixed among the audience were clusters of Boy Scouts decked in the iconic brown sets adorned with badges of honor, officers dressed in blue, city officials and multiple generations of the honoree’s family. All were there to honor Kendall County resident and member of the Boy Scout Troop 18 Rylan Markwardt, who was honored with the title of Eagle Scout that day.
As his Eagle Scout project, Markwardt led the charge on completing an obstacle course on an open field at the back of the police station, which sits at 124 Old San Antonio Road. Partnering with local businesses and municipalities to get the job done, Markwardt brought the community together in his efforts.
There was no shortage of kind words about Markwardt during the ceremony, as his current and former scout leaders rose to speak.
“It’s a pleasure not just to watch Rylan grow, but to have his family involved as well in his scouting journey,” Scout Master Lance Hersch said of Markwardt. “As I like to say a lot, scouting is just one piece of the component. There’s nothing better outside of the home than scouting to turn a young boy into a good man. And scouting can do that. …
“When you see an Eagle Scout like Rylan, and the other folks standing in the room, you can be pretty sure they had a good home, a good family, and most of them did. Whenever you honor an Eagle Scout, you have to honor the parents as well.”
Markwardt’s former scout master and current assistant scout master, Dean Schoppe, spoke to Markwardt’s character, recalling his willingness to help and serve. Schoppe described Markwardt as a reliable scout who always was willing to get the job done.
“I look around the room, and I just see the reflection of you in this because if you think about this, the people who are behind you and really support you, it shows you the character that you are,” Schoppe said to Markwardt. “I’ve always been impressed with your character. Your demeanor. …
“There’s a couple different types of scouts that we have. We got the scouts who are basically climbing the walls like cats and you try to get them down and all that. Then you’ve got the guys who just kind of chilled out and doing their job and doing their thing. … That’s what I was always impressed with. When Rylan would come to meetings or to campouts or whatever, you knew there was a guy you could count on. You could always turn to Rylan and say, ‘I need this done,’ and he got it done. I mean he was just there to make it happen.”
Once Markwardt was formally deemed an Eagle Scout, his family was asked to adorn him with his new regalia. His father, Roger, replaced Markwardt’s neckerchief to show his promotion in scout status. Then, his mother, Dawn, adorned Markwardt’s uniform with his Eagle Scout pin.
Markwardt wasn’t the only person recognized that day, however, as he was given pins to place on the shirts of his parents and his grandparents for their support in his growth through the Boy Scouts and life.
As the ceremony honoring Markwardt’s promotion to came to a close, the audience was invited to the back lot behind the Boerne Police station where a formal ribbon cutting was conducted, marking the official opening of the obstacle course Markwardt worked to complete.
Lt. Mitch Scoggins, who worked with Markwardt in his efforts, had nothing but kind words to say about the young Eagle Scout
“Working with these young men has been especially rewarding, especially for me as an Eagle Scout myself,” Scoggins said. “In providing guidance during their projects, I have seen how their attention to detail, hard work and tenacity have only increased as they successfully navigated the planning and construction processes.
“As with past Eagle Scout projects completed at the Boerne Police Department, the Boy Scouts have been exceptional partners. Over the past few years, they have helped us expand our resources so our officers can continue to train and improve in order to provide the quality service the community of Boerne expects and deserves.”
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