The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — Orry Farrington and Greg Miller have shared a lot of adventures since joining Scouts a decade ago.
For Greg, the most memorable was Sea Base High Adventure Camp.
“You almost died,” laughed Orry, remembering how Greg had a series of mishaps that almost got him evacuated from the Florida island where the Scouts were learning survival skills.
“I got a sprained ankle, a bite from something venomous on that exact same ankle and some gnarly sunburns just about everywhere … even though I applied sunscreen,” Greg said, reading from a speech he was about to make to family, friends and fellow Waterville Troop 101 members as the two officially became Eagle Scouts during a July 9 Court of Honor ceremony at Waterville United Methodist Church.
Was it worth the discomfort? Absolutely, Greg said, recalling a photo of himself standing on the beach, his ankle wrapped, just before the Scouts prepared to canoe the 5 miles back to the mainland.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I did it!’”
Sea Base was a favorite for the two Scouts, as was Camp Daniel Boone in North Carolina.
“So many memories. We were the older Scouts, so we were able to do more. It was just a good campout and one of my last real ones,” Orry said.
Both were in first grade when their dads suggested Scouts. With the campouts, the activities and the camaraderie – as well as the goal of becoming an Eagle Scout – both were motivated to stay in the program.
“I saw these Courts of Honor – the achievement, the Scouts smiling constantly and being so active and friendly and following the law … I just wanted to get to that point,” Greg said. “I realized how big an accomplishment that is. It’s something to work toward.”
Orry, whose father is from England – where he was involved in Scouts – stayed involved and went to every campout. In addition, Orry looked up to his older cousin, Bradley Schmidt, who was also an Eagle Scout with Troop 101.
“He’s now a neurosurgeon. He was always a huge role model to me,” Orry said. “I just always wanted to stick with it because I knew how big an accomplishment it is. It will help me get into college and get a good job.”
Completing a large Eagle Scout project also just makes him feel good, Orry said.
“It’s good to know that I’ve helped others in my community,” he said.
Both teens opted to work on projects for Hooves, a nonprofit organization that aids veterans with equine therapy. One of Troop 101’s leaders, Nolan Baker, is on the board of directors for Hooves and suggested projects.
“I thought it’s a good idea because they help veterans with PTSD through equine services. That stuck out to me,” said Greg, whose grandfathers both served in the military. “It’s helping veterans to reintegrate into everyday life a little better.”
Working at home, Greg built a podium and benches for use in various areas. Orry built a 12-by-13-foot horse shelter.
“Right now, it’s for pigs, goats and a miniature horse,” Orry said. “When we came back the next day, the pigs were snoozing in it and had dug out the whole ground, too.”
The project was fun and, if given the chance, Orry said he would do it again.
Both helped one another with the construction and installation – which included a last-minute height reduction of 2 feet to the horse shelter. Orry wrapped up his project in June 2022 and Greg in November 2022.
Now that they’ve achieved the top honor for a Scout by senior year, both plan to help out the troop when possible. Orry’s younger brother, Callan, is in the troop and will inherit the extra money in his Scout account from selling popcorn and flowers. Greg used his additional Scout funds to pay for materials for his Eagle project.
In addition to Scouts, Orry is on the high school swim team as a sprinter and freestyler. He also works at Chowders ‘N Moor. He hopes to study information technology at Wittenberg University.
Greg plays the trumpet in band, and as squad leader played taps at the Memorial Day services in Waterville and White-house. He works at Sweet Retreat. After graduation, he hopes to study engineering at The Ohio State University – where he’s trying out to see if he can get into the best darn band in the land.
