Introducing South Lake's very own Future Eagle Scout...
MacMomma: Tell us a little about yourself, Bailey.
BAILEY: My name is Bailey Zollweg, I am 12 years old and a 7th grader at East Ridge Middle School. I am a Life Scout with Troop 784 in Clermont. I have one dog named Mason and 2 Sugar gliders. I just got the dog for Christmas. My favorite food would be steak from Outback Steakhouse. I have a 7yo brother, he is a Wolf Scout in Cub Scout Pack 20. He also plays ice hockey, soccer, and flag football. He also likes camping and fishing just like me.
MacMomma: Tell us about your time in Scouts.
BAILEY: I was a Cub Scout with Pack 20 in Clermont. I started as a Tiger and earned my Arrow of Light and Webelos Super-achiever award. I am a Den Chief for Pack 20 in my brother's Wolf Den. I have earned 57 merit badges so far. My goal is to earn every merit badge that the Boys Scouts of America offers while I'm still a Scout. They add and remove merit badges about every year and I think there are about 137 merit badges currently available.
MacMomma: What do you like to do in your spare time?
BAILEY:In my free time, I text and play Xbox live with my friends. My favorite subject in school is band because it is fun learning how to play a musical instrument. I play 1st trumpet and I'm learning to play the bugle for a merit badge.
MacMomma: What do you love most about Scouting, the least, and why?
BAILEY: In scouting, I like the different places I get to see when we go camping. We recently went to Raccoon Mountain, Tennessee and did a 6 hour crawling cave tour with only our headlamps. We then got to sleep in the cave. In about another year, my troop is going to spend a week aboard a sailboat at one of the BSA's National high adventure camps, called Sea Base. I am also going to a leadership seminar and conference for the Boy Scout honor society, the Order of the Arrow at Michigan State University in 2015. I also have a goal to go to Philmont, Northern tier, and the new Summit High Adventure Camps. I really enjoy working on my Eagle project, but the thing I probably like least about scouting is all the paperwork that is required in the process.
MacMomma: What skills has your time in Scouting brought you, and how do you share those with others?
BAILEY:Some of the important skills that scouting has taught me are cooking and first aid. I have taught these skills to other scouts as they advance in rank and on campouts and trips. In terms of leadership, I'm currently my Troop's scribe and a Den Chief for my brother's Pack. I would like to continue to serve as a leader in Scouting. I would like to be a merit badge counselor one day.
MacMomma: What is your most meaningful merit badge, and why? What does the Scout Oath mean to you, and why is it important to "Do a Good Turn Daily?"
BAILEY:For me, the Communications merit badge is one of the most meaningful because it teaches you how to discuss and get your ideas across to other people. The Scout Oath means to me that even if no one is looking, do the right thing and help other people. It is important to do a good turn daily so that you are always giving back to the community you live in and so you are living the Scout Oath.
MacMomma: Tell us about your Eagle Scout Project, in your own words. Include why you chose the project, and the leadership and community involvement that has helped you along the way.
BAILEY:My Eagle project combines my love of sports with my desire to help other people. My project is to gather new and used cleats and lacrosse equipment to donate to Lake Lacrosse, the local non-profit lacrosse club. I will inspect, clean, and repair any gear that is donated to make sure it is safe. My project is important because it can give kids a chance to try out lacrosse without the large expense of buying new gear. It can cost between $200 and $400 to buy all the new gear. I will donate this gear to Lake Lacrosse and they will use it to help others. Lacrosse is a very popular sport in the north where many elementary schools and middle schools have teams. The sport is growing in central Florida but is still not that common. I need people to help me by donating new and used lacrosse gear, new and used cleats (soccer, football, lacrosse), and by asking their friends and family for help. Since lacrosse is not that common, not everyone has that gear in their garage.
MacMomma: What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?
BAILEY:When I grow up, I think I would like to be a lawyer because I like debating against others. I also would be able to help other people as a lawyer.
MacMomma: How can people connect with you, to support the project?
BAILEY: twitter @laxeagleproject * email: laxeagleproject@gmail.com * google voice: 904-834-1LAX
MacMomma: A question for your parents. How proud are you, mom and dad?
BRIAN & AMY (aka Mom & Dad): We are very proud of the young man that Bailey is becoming. His values and achievements have been very well developed, not on ly by our family and friends, but by Scouting, his teachers at Cypress Ridge Elementary and East Ridge Middle, and many of his sports coaches over the years. Bailey has the proven that he has a great motivation to set and achieve many goals. He's learned the ability to multitask and to manage his school work, multiple sports teams, and Scouting all at the same time. He genuinely loves to help others, kids especially, and is a great role model for the other scouts he works with. Although he is extremely competitive, he has many friends on opposing teams and has dealt with that competition admirably. I recall one instance where a hockey buddy of Bailey's was playing goalie on an opposing lacrosse team. His competitor and friend was getting upset, having let in a couple of goals, and Bailey went over to him during the game to give him a pat on the back and some encouraging words.
