Scouts

The Olympic Medal of Scouting

(above) Eagle Scouts Baxter Perry-Miller ’24 and Spencer Burke ’22 The Boy Scouts of America’s William T. Hornaday Silver Medal for distinguished service in natural resources conservation

is so rarely earned, it has been called the Olympic Medal of Scouting.

Recipients must earn numerous Merit Badges and plan, lead, and carry out four separate conservation projects. Only 1,200 of the 100 million active Scouts have earned this Medal since 1910. In 2021, Hornaday Medals were awarded to not one, but two Marksmen. Eagle Scouts Spencer Burke ’22 and Baxter Perry-Miller ’24 each earned a Medal after dedicating hundreds of hours to the study and practice of conservation around Dallas.

For his projects, Spencer installed 100 custom solitary bee nesting boxes across Dallas parks; removed invasive plants and planted native grasses and wildflowers at Twelve Hills Nature Center; established pollinator habitats along the Northaven Trail; and incubating, brooding, banding, and releasing quail into the Blackland Prairie. In addition to earning the Hornaday Medal, Spencer is one of only a few dozen Scouts in history to earn Eagle Scout with 23 Palms and all 138 possible Merit Badges.

Baxter’s endeavors consisted of placing custom trash and recycling bins along trails at the Trinity River Audubon Center; helming a city-wide battery disposal drive; monitoring the survival rate of pen-raised quail at the Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area; and installing native flowers and grasses to support a bee apiary at Bonton Farms.

The Scouting program stresses the importance of leadership, service, and perseverance — lessons that are familiar to any Marksman. As he pursued his conservation projects, Baxter relied on much of what he has learned both inside and outside the classroom.

“St. Mark’s really taught me to be persistent and to persevere,” Baxter said. “During the past few years, I’ve encountered all kinds of obstacles blocking my path, but I continued to pursue each project one at a time.”

As Scouts, Baxter and Spencer were also right at home during St. Mark’s campouts, and Baxter even served as a Sherpa on several Middle School camping trips.

“Most of these kids are completely out of their element, but it’s so cool to mentor them and show them how to not only survive but thrive in different environments,” Baxter said.

And when it comes to leadership, there is plenty of crossover in the lessons taught by St. Mark’s and the Scouts. As Captain of the Varsity Fencing Team and President of the Classics and Chess Clubs, Spencer is taking every opportunity to follow the example of teachers, mentors, and students who came before him.

“From an early age, St. Mark’s teaches you courage and honor, which are directly in line with the Scout Oath,” Spencer said. “We talk in class about morals and ethics, and that, by itself, has made me a better person. But then I’m also able to demonstrate those virtues through actions, like leading a team or a club.” Some of the boys’ role models also became their biggest supporters. Many teachers offered their time and expertise as Baxter and Spencer worked on their conservation projects, helping the boys develop their plans and even offering feedback on the substantial amount of paperwork they each had to submit to the National Conservation Award Committee.

(left-to-right)) Baxter Perry-Miller ’24 and fellow Scouts building recycling bins

Spencer Burke ’22 with a set of solitary bee nesting boxes

Dan Northcut ’81 assists Baxter with his battery disposal project

“It’s a real benefit that the teachers not only care about my education, but they are also willing and able to guide me while working on my passion in conservation and the goal to earn the distinguished award,” said Baxter. “It’s very meaningful to be at St. Mark’s where there is a substructure with people who go the extra mile to foster the students' interests.”

Environmental Science teacher Dan Northcut ’81 offered both Marksmen guidance on their conservation projects, including helping them scale their efforts to achievable goals, though he never taught them in class.

“They had the curiosity, the desire, and the drive to make an impact in the real world,” said Mr. Northcut. “That’s what we really want from our students.”