Seventeen-year-old Zach Meyer of Sartell’s Troop 211 recently achieved Eagle Scout level, the highest honor possible in Boy Scouts of America.
Meyer has loved all things nature ever since he can remember. Many childhood memories are of spending time outdoors with his parents, Saijai and Andy Meyer of St. Joseph, and his two older brothers and fellow Eagle Scouts, Sam, 19, and Ben, 22. Meyer joined Cub Scouts at age 8, embarking on a journey of commitment and adventure spanning nine years that Meyer said, “had many ups and downs.”
Meyer’s accomplishment is no small feat. From Cub Scout to Boy Scout in the fifth grade, to Life Scout and later Eagle Scout, Meyer had to fulfill each rank’s requirements. There were 21 skills-based merit badges to earn, a minimum of 13 hours of volunteering and troop leadership positions to hold.
The Eagle Scout process in and of itself is quite extensive with a project proposal seen through to completion, project report and board review, and finally the court of honor where Meyer received his Eagle Scout title in December.
Taking Meyer nine months to complete, he began his Eagle Scout project in April 2023 after contacting Director and Abbey Land Manager John Geissler at St. John’s Preparatory School where Meyer is a senior. As an avid nature enthusiast, Meyer wanted to dedicate his Eagle Scout work to improving the environment.
Meyer organized the planting of 100 burr-oak and red-oak saplings in St. John’s University Arboretum last May. The university funded his project, and he recruited about 15 friends, family members and Scouts from his Troop 211 for the ambitious planting task.
The time Meyer has dedicated to his new rank as an Eagle Scout has made for a lifetime of scouting memories. A favorite experience for Meyer was taking a sea-based trip in the ninth grade to the Florida Keys with his dad as a mentor and brother Sam by his side. While there they worked on sea-based skills such as fishing, snorkeling and sailing.
“It was really fun!” Meyer said.
With highs come lows. Meyer recounts one of those lows was during the pandemic when he felt very distanced from Scouts and almost quit. He credits his scoutmaster Eric Dietz for pulling him back in and giving him encouragement and purpose to stick with it.
Dietz elevated Meyer to Quartermaster in the fall of 2022 and that leadership role proved to be another favorite experience. As a Quartermaster, Meyer helps younger Scouts with cooking and leads them on campouts.
After years of troop meetings two to four times a month and summers filled with Boy Scout events and activities, Meyer continues to live his best life outside as a star runner and outdoors person.
He has competed at state in cross-country three times and in track once, winning a title in the 4 x 800 relay. He plans to run at the collegiate level next fall.
In the summer of 2022, Meyer seized the opportunity to take a month-long expedition into Canada with Les Voyageurs Inc., putting his hard-earned Scouting skills to the test. Also, as a long-standing family tradition, Meyer has explored the Boundary Waters Canoe Area one to three times per year since age 8, continuing his father’s legacy who has visited there since the 1970s. He is looking forward to a “graduation trip” to the BWCA with a group of friends this summer.
Eagle Scout Meyer embodies his new title and without a doubt will continue to soar.
Zach Meyer demonstrates planting and caging oak saplings to his team of volunteers for his Eagle project at St. John’s University.
Zach Meyer in uniform at his Eagle Court of Honor.
Zach Meyer plants and cages oak saplings May 13, 2023, for his Eagle Scout project at St. John’s University.
