Young eagle scout makes difference in local community

Ian Stewart, Staff Writer|March 24, 2023

Job+well+done.+Brady+finished+his+eagle+scout+service+project+outside+of+South+Lebanon+Elementary.+Photo+Credits+Allen+Harman++

Job well done. Brady finished his eagle scout service project outside of South Lebanon Elementary. Photo Credits Allen Harman

He’s quiet and unassuming. Always thinking. He’s a young man of few words, but he’s not afraid to diffuse a situation. He spends most of his time balancing 100 hours of community service for Eagle Scouts, CCP and AP classes.

Brady Harmon has put six years of loyalty, bravery and reverence into a goal that shows dedication and strong will. Boy scouts share these qualities as part of their code of 12 traits that define leaders. Comprising only six percent of all scouts, eagle scouts have the highest achieving rank they can meet. 

According to Harmon the most challenging part of becoming an Eagle Scout is “planning ahead and thinking out what you’re gonna do. Taking everything step by step.”

Harman takes these traits and molds them into his everyday life of a leader. Leadership makes a strong boy scout. “He’s the best candidate for an eagle scout that I know, he’s always open to new ideas and always in charge of a situation,” fellow boy scout Max Westermeyer said. Harman believes there’s a calm and logical solution to most problems.

Part of becoming an eagle scout is a community service project. Harman decided to help local south Lebanon elementary school where he organized and built a gaga pit for their playground. This was no small feat as he would end up putting 100 hours into just prep work for this community project. The commitment to become a top ranking boy scout is no easy task. “I think it means that they were willing to put in that little bit of extra hard work,” Harman said, “I’ve been doing this for six years nearly the entire time.”

A good scout is more than just collecting patches and completing projects. “Someone who’s a hard worker, and willing to lend a hand,” Harman said. Those are core qualities that scouts live by. Additionally being a high-ranking scout also brings on more responsibility. He led his troop for 6 months organizing and preparing activities and meetings. “I try my best to help those younger scouts. I try to be a good figure,” Harmon said. 

“

He’s the best candidate for an eagle scout that I know, he’s always open to new ideas and always in charge of a situation

— Max Westermeyer

Harman continues to use his organization and planning skills from boy scouts and is already planning his future. He plans on attending Ohio Northern University just like his mother Rhonda Allen-Harman did. Harman and his mother have a really healthy relationship. “There’s nothing we won’t talk about,” Allen Harman “ there’s respect that we have for each other, and there’s nothing we won’t talk about ”. 

“We like to play tennis together, I like to play it less now than I used to because he beats me much more often,” Allen Harman said “ We like to watch jeopardy, cook and eat together. Those are times when we really bond,” With the bond formed between Harman and his parents he feels they are his biggest supporters.

Part of being a scout is preparing for the future and that’s exactly what Brady has done with his schooling. His schedule of AP and CCP classes are more than just a challenge. “They’re a bit more challenging obviously but if I can save more money I might as well,” Harman said. The cost of college is only growing so saving money while taking harder courses was a no-brainer for Harman. He still takes the human body system and Biomed courses provided by the high school.

Harman wants to go into the medical field and study pharmaceuticals. To prepare himself for the challenges of college courses Harman has started to take AP and CCP classes.” I think CCP this year was the right thing for him. He had to work more independently and manage his time and communicate with the instructor,” Allen-Harman said.

“I’m so proud of him, he makes me laugh and he teaches me something new every day”, Allen Harman said.