With only 8 percent of all Boy Scouts achieving the honor of Eagle Scout, Kingfisher BSA Troop 196 has more than its share.

Accomplishing the goal recently, Matthew Miller and Andrew Osborn added their names to the list.

Led by Scoutmaster David Johnson and Assistant Scoutmaster Brian Miller, the troop has proudly recognized five members for achieving the feat in the last several years.

Earning his Eagle Scout in 1988, Johnson rechartered the troop in 2014 and, along with Miller and other volunteers, has been a mentor for boys involved in the troop.

From its first charter decades ago, Troop 196 has produced at least 50 Eagle Scouts.

The distinction is respected throughout the world for the hard work, determination, commitment to service and other positive qualities recipients develop through the achievement.

The son of Brian and Sharon Miller and a senior at Kingfisher High School, Matthew began his journey in Cub Scouts at 6 years old and earned the Arrow of Light to cross over into Scouts BSA, formerly known as Boy Scouts.

Active in many aspects of the troop, Matthew said he has gone on numerous campouts and summer camps, earned various merit badges, held leadership positions, learned many valuable lessons and made many friends through the years.

Recalling a campout in Colorado, he said he and other troop members had the opportunity to put their wilderness survival merit badge to work by constructing a shelter from the natural surroundings and sleep overnight with only an emergency blanket in 30-degree weather.

Of the 32 merit badges he’s earned, Matthew said some of his favorite are welding, archery, fishing and first aid/emergency preparedness.

“I really enjoyed learning all the different techniques in emergency preparedness,” Matthew said. “It helps prepare you for real world situations.”

Matthew progressed through the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star and the last rank before Eagle Scout, Life Scout, leading to his quest for Eagle Scout.

To achieve Eagle Scout, 21 badges are required including citizenship, first aid, cooking, emergency preparedness, personal fitness, camping, family life as well as other beneficial life skills.

Scouts must spend at least six months at each rank attaining knowledge and badges as well as hold a leadership position within the troop.

One of the final steps is to plan, develop and provide leadership to others while completing a service project for the community.

“Ever since I was a child in Cub Scouts I thought it would be cool to become an Eagle Scout,” Matthew said.

With a suggestion from DHS child welfare worker Debbie Osborn, Matthew decided to construct a handicap ramp for Kingfisher County’s DHS visitation house, Soft Landings.

After contacting the city building inspector and determining specific ADA requirements, Matthew laid out the plans with his father and grandfather, Alfred Teders.

“My grandpa made a donation of materials to the project and helped a lot with the fine cuts and measurements as well as many other aspects,” Matthew said.

Onsite construction of the ramp took a full day, Matthew said, but the overall planning took several months.

The ramp was built at a specific incline and width, anchored and painted with non-slip abrasive epoxy paint, meeting American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, he said.

Osborn recalled a recent encounter with a parent who had great difficulty entering the DHS house due to the lack of a handicap accessible ramp and commented on the benefits of the new ramp.

“The ramp is very well constructed with a professional appearance and will serve families and children for many years to come,” Osborn said.

“We are thrilled at DHS with the help it will provide our clients.”

Through his scouting experiences, Matthew said, “I have learned dedication and responsibility and developed traits worthy of an Eagle Scout.”

As Assistant Scoutmaster, Miller said, “I’ve been with Matthew since the beginning as he worked his way up.

“It’s cool to see not only my son, but all the scouts grow in wisdom and stature through the years.”

Scouting, he added, requires a lot of work and time to accomplish goals. You can’t skip ranks…you have to work your way up and earn it which will help them well into adulthood, Miller said.

Matthew also enjoys photography and is KHS chief of photography as well as being on the academic team and is a taking computer networking classes at Chisholm Trail Technology Center.

He is involved in the First Baptist Church youth group and has been on mission trips to Colorado, New York and Arkansas.

After graduation, he plans to attend SWOSU and pursue a master of business administration degree.

“Scouts really prepares you with versatile experiences which help narrow down what your interested in and what you might want to do later in life,” Matthew said.

Earning his Eagle Scout the same evening, fellow troop member Andrew Osborn also began his scouting career as a Cub Scout, earning the Arrow of Light and transitioning into Scouts BSA.

While working his way through the ranks earning merit badges, making friends and attending camps, Andrew said some of his favorite times were spent at summer camp.

“It’s not only about earning merit badges, but just spending time with others,” he said. “It was a week of making memories.”

Over the years, he has held leadership positions in the troop and earned 31 merit badges and he said some of his favorite were first aid and life and personal management.

Keeping a three-month daily log of how you use your money for the personal management badge, Andrew said, “really puts in scale how much money you use on a daily basis and will be beneficial throughout life.”

A difficult badge required to attain Eagle Scout was hiking 20 miles in one day, Andrew said.

“It was difficult, but one of my favorite memories,” he added.

As drumline captain for the KHS band, Andrew recognized a need within the band program and chose a service project that would benefit it.

Andrew chose to design and install shelving and pegboard in the high school band percussion room, a much needed improvement, to increase organization and efficiency for the band.

In order to fund the project, he and other troop members painted house numbers (and OSU/OU logos) on curbs of homeowners in Kingfisher and Okarche, he said.

As all the preparations were made, which Andrew said took two or three months, materials were purchased from local hardware and lumber businesses.

With the help of his grandfather, Don Osborn, the design, measurements and cutting of materials were completed and troop members, as well as some band members, helped with the installation, which took two or three days.

“Clayton Weinmeister was a big help with the project and my grandpa helped a lot in the background,” Andrew said.

“His project helped us to be more efficient with equipment storage,” KHS band director Dakota Horn said. “Andrew worked hard and is a valuable asset to the band program.”

Andrew is a junior at KHS and the son of Debbie Osborn. He also enjoys writing and is a writer for the KHS newspaper and plans to become a history teacher.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is an honor and requires sacrifice, Andrew said.

“It’s a big deal and not a lot of people do it,” he said. “It shows you have dedication and you’re willing to work hard and be patient to achieve the goal.”

Andrew and Matthew are now part of an distinguished minority of Scouts thanks to their determination and those who helped them along the way.

Court of honor ceremonies are in the works to acknowledge their accomplishments and celebrate their scouting journey.

“Getting your Eagle Scout is definitely worth it,” Matthew said.

“It’s a worthy accomplishment and you feel good after you get it, having learned all the skills and traits necessary to pursue a career.”

As an encouragement to future Eagle Scouts, Andrew added, “Just keep at it, because it’s a real honor.”