After collecting nearly 2,800 pairs of old, unwanted eyeglasses for the poor, Michael E. Inch has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
‘It felt good,? he said. ‘I know that a lot of people in developing countries need glasses to see and if they can’t see very well they won’t be able to get jobs, because they won’t be able to do things.?
Inch, a Clarkston High School Junior and member of Boy Scout Troop 185, collected glasses for the Clarkston Area Lions Club in his neighborhood, as well as leaving donation boxes with area eye doctors and funeral homes. The collection was done over two Saturdays by Scout volunteers.
He started his ‘Trail to Eagle,? in 1998 as a first grader in Tiger Cub Pack 3425 at Cottonwood Point Elementary School in Overland Park, Kansas. He progressed through the Cub Scout ranks, receiving his Webelos Badge in 2002, and his Arrow of Light in 2003. He attended summer camp that year at Camp Geiger, St. Joseph, Missouri, and completed the 25 mile Katy Spirit Bike Trail during a spring weekend campout in Booneville. Missouri.
‘When I started Tiger Cubs, I just went through it kind of interested and then as I got into Cub Scouts it got more interesting because we started to go out on campouts and stuff. Then once I crossed over into Boy Scouts a lot of stuff happened,? said Inch. ‘I was getting close, so I wanted to finish it. It was one of my goals of scouting.?
However, he will be the first to tell you he couldn’t have reached his goal without support of his parents Terry and Tami Inch and his two brothers Matt and Kyle.
‘My parents helped push me through,? he said. ‘There was times when I just wanted to stop because it was really tough, but my mom really helped me out. She helped put a lot of things together for me and it made it a little bit easier.?
That July Inch and his family moved to Michigan where he joined Troop 185. Since then, he has attended summer camp each year at Owasippe Scout Reservation in Whitehall. He also attended the Trail to Eagle camp at D Bar A in Metamora, winter Klondikes, Tenderfoot campouts, Hocking Hills, and other various outing and troop service projects.
Inch has earned 34 merit badges and is an ‘Ordeal Member? in the Chippewa Lodge of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s honor society. He has served the troop as an assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant patrol leader, and troop guide.
He also does well in school. He is an Honor Roll student and member of the National Honor Society, as well as a varsity letter holder in cross country and swimming. He said his dad was also a runner and both of his parents were good swimmers
‘In sixth grade, my parents started me in this cross country club they had in my school,? said Inch.
‘When I got into high school I started to swim and it’s just really progressed from there.?
Though only a junior, as Inch looks ahead at the future, he is considering going to college either to be an engineer or something in the medical field.
‘I like math and science in school,? he said. ‘Somewhere where I can keep close to my family, maybe to Michigan State University, Central, or Eastern. There are some good schools around here.?
As far as scouting goes, there are definitely two key things he has learned, which he said will help him the rest of his life.
‘The big thing is it helps you with leadership. A lot of things you need to have good leadership skills in order to go through life. It also helped with taking feedback from people when you go through your scout master conferences and board of reviews they give you feedback on things you can improve on,? said Inch.
‘If you can take feedback from people and learn to work on what they say, you’ll be able to make it through life a little easier too.?
A spring Eagle Court of Honor is planned.