Morgan Taylor/Reporter
ENID, Oklahoma – Muscogee (Creek) citizen and Boy Scout Jaden Jenkins earned his Eagle for his “Little Sister” project in Enid, Oklahoma.
In the 1950s, Boy Scouts of America led a project placing around 200 “Little Sisters of Liberty” across the country.
Enid was home to one of those statues, but in 2014 the statue suffered damages due to a storm and was placed into storage.
Jenkins had learned about the “Little Sisters of Liberty,” which was a replica of the Statue of Liberty purchased by the Scouts of the Great Plans Council, predecessor to today’s Cimarron Council.
After approval from the Cimarron Council Board and Garfield County Commissioners, Jenkins took on the challenge of restoring the statue as his Eagle project.
He found storage for the statue during repairs and coordinated efforts with local and area companies to repair and restore the statue and create a new frame. Jenkins also did his part on weekends to clean and repair both the statue and the base.
On March 27, the “Little Sister” restoration was complete and placed back to its original location on the courthouse square.
Jenkins earned a bronze palm and a gold palm. In order to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, youth must earn 21 merit badges. The bronze palm is presented for earning 5 additional merit badges. The gold palm is presented for earning 10 additional merit badges.
Over Jaden’s Scouting career, he attended summer camps in Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, and South Dakota. He led Scouts on treks at all four BSA High Adventure Bases.
He hiked 118 miles over 10 days at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. He sailed over 50 miles throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. He canoed 63 miles from Minnesota into Canada in the boundary waters. He also led a 60-mile whitewater-kayaking trip in West Virginia.
By completing those treks, he became the first person in Cimarron Council history to earn the Boy Scout’s “Grand Slam of High Adventure.”
In addition to those adventures, he attended the World Scout Jamboree at Glen Jean, West Virginia. He was also one of only 13 Scouts selected nationwide to present the “BSA Report to the Nation” to President Donald Trump and leaders of Congress in the Oval Office.
“You would be hard pressed to find another Scout who has done more,” Cimarron Council President Brad Waken said. “He’s a fantastic young man. We need more like him.”
According to Jenkins it has been a busy time for him but a memorable one, and the experience he has had Scouting as a whole has been rewarding.
Jenkins has signed with Bacone College on a golf scholarship and will be attending in the fall.
Once an Eagle always an Eagle!
Congratulations, Jaden. We are proud of you. Keep working diligently to meet the goals that you have set for yourself.