Ellis attains rank 
of Eagle Scout

Nicholas Hoffman Ellis, 17, has earned the highest achievement award the Boy Scouts of America offers to scouts, the Eagle Scout Award.

Ellis will be recognized at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Court of Honor will take place at United Presbyterian Church in Newton.

Ellis became active in the scouting program as a Tiger Cub in first grade with a personal goal to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout since the age of 6. As a member of Boy Scout Troop 354, sponsored by Woodrow Wilson PTA, Ellis is one of approximately 4 percent of all Boy Scouts who attain the Eagle Scout rank. Troop 354 is lead by Scoutmaster Jim Kessler.

Each Eagle candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a service project to earn the Eagle Award. Ellis’ project was an outdoor classroom at Aurora Heights Elementary, the grade school he attended. The project included building a deck, five benches and landscaping the area. The project was sponsored by the Aurora Heights PTA. Ellis earned 36 merit badges on his Eagle Journey and served as patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow Brotherhood. He has spent a total of 55 nights camping and earned 176 polar bear points camping outside when the temperature dropped below freezing. Ellis has volunteered for a total of 81 service hours since his last advancement in rank to a Life Scout in October 2006. He has participated in two Boy Scout High Adventure Trips, Elkhorn High Adventure Base in Colorado and a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota.

Ellis is a member of the United Presbyterian Church, where he has participated in two homeless sleep out nights, rang bells for the Salvation Army, provides summer lawn care and delivers congregate meals with his family. He is a senior at Newton Senior High School, where he has participated in the annual blood drive, cross-country, soccer and track. He was a Newton Daily News carrier for five years and has worked for Jasper Winery for the past five years.