Becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor one can receive within the Boy Scout community. There are many requirements that go into becoming an Eagle Scout, including earning many badges, showing leadership qualities within the troop, and completing a community project organized and lead by themselves. With many years of hard work and dedication to the organization and the benefit of others, senior Matthew Cox is soon to be awarded with this prestigious title.

Matthew has recently completed one of the last requirements to become an Eagle Scout by installing a disc golf course at Mauriceville Middle School. He got the idea from the Nazarene Church disc course. With lots of planning, fundraising, and good time management, Matthew, with the help of others, was able to complete the set up and construction of the disc course within four hours.

“The weather was great and everyone worked well together,” Matthew said. “We had to have many test trials to see what could make a set, in order to save as much money as possible. A lot of it was pre-planning, but once that was all done I was able to coordinate everyone on the final work day to finish it from nothing to everything.”

When the project was in it’s beginning phases, Matthew received help from his father and mother. Fundraising was a big part of the project. Matthew’s parents set up a GoFundMe and donated $75, and by the end of the project they had raised a total of $3,000 for the project. Matthew also received multiple donations from local businesses to help with the project. With the money raised they were able to install eight sets at the MMS campus. With his parents’ help, Matthew was able to run the project efficiently and smoothly.

“My wife and I suggested ideas about the project, we donated $75 to get his GoFundMe up and running, we worked at the big “Project Workday”, and Kim [Cox’s mother] helped him compile his Eagle Project notebook” Matthew’s father, Woody Cox, said.

Cox became a Boy Scout in 1977 and in 1984 he received his Eagle Scout award. He pushed his son to do Boy Scouts and although Matthew seemed resistant at first, Cox knew he would learn many valuable things.

“I knew that Matthew, any boy for that matter, would develop better as a young man if involved in Cub and Boy Scouting,”  Cox said. “He tried new things he may not have had the opportunity to attempt, and I believe he developed skills that will aid him in the near future and lifelong.”

Some of Matthew’s favorite moments are spent with his Scout Troop, Troop 62 of Orange. One of his favorite moments was spending the weekend hiking in El Paso with the friends he had formed within the group. Matthew is one of the founding Scouts of Troop 62 of Orange, along with other LCM students.

“It was good we were able to found the Troop in order to create a presence of Scouting within Orange,” Matthew said. “It makes us feel strangely responsible for the health of the troop; however, we know that this Troop holds a strong reputation across the council and will succeeded and will continue to grow as one of the strongest Troops in the region.”

Matthew will be attending the University of Texas in Austin in the fall of this year and will major in computer science and engineering. He plans on becoming a software designer and helping communities through urban design. While Matthew will not be far, he will be missed by many while he is away and his parents will always be proud of everything he has achieved and everything he will.

“Matthew has a big interest in improving the human condition, both for Orange and the globe,” Cox said. ” I can’t describe my pride or even begin to understand that God let us raise him. We are so blessed.”

With Boy Scouts being a major part of Matthew’s life, he has been able to form many friendships, learn new skills, and always be reminded to do his best. He will always be able to carry these through life, and because of that, will achieve greatness in the future.

“Being an Eagle Scout is a great honor; it is also a great milestone,” Matthew said. “It reminds me that it is well within my reach to complete great tasks that require substantial, physical, mental, and moral capabilities, if I persist at accomplishing my goals.”