The Connection

Boy Scout Troop 673, sponsored by the Great Falls United Methodist Men, celebrated the promotion of two new Eagle Scouts, twin brothers Cameron and Mitchell Williams, on Jan. 5.

Cameron Williams, son of Dr. Mickey Williams and Dr. Susan Keating of Great Falls, joined Troop 673 in 2012 after earning the Arrow of Light as a Cub Scout. Since joining the troop, Cameron has served in numerous leadership positions, including Patrol Leader, Troop Guide (several times), and Chaplain Aide. He earned 26 merit badges; the Snorkeling BSA, 50-Miler, and Frosted Camper awards; and the National Outdoor award (for camping); and he participated in numerous summer camps. Cameron was accepted into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s National Honor Society, in 2016. He participated in two High Adventures: Sea Base (sailing in the Florida Keys) in 2015, and Philmont (hiking in the mountains of New Mexico) in 2016, and attended the National Jamboree in 2017.

For his Eagle Project, Cam worked with Riverbend Park in Great Falls to construct a boardwalk spanning a drainage area. The boardwalk allows park visitors to access a picnic area along the river from the main parking lot without having to walk through mud and puddles. The boardwalk also allows water to effectively drain without its course being tampered with by visitors.

Cameron graduated from Langley High School in June 2019, where he was a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams. He is now a freshman at Reed College in Portland, Ore., where he is planning to pursue a degree in either political science or international relations.

Mitchell Williams, also a son of Dr. Mickey Williams and Dr. Susan Keating of Great Falls, joined Troop 673 in 2012 after earning the Arrow of Light as a Cub Scout. Since joining the troop, Mitch has served in numerous leadership positions, including Den Chief, Instructor, Scribe, and Patrol Leader. He earned 23 merit badges; the Snorkeling BSA, 50-Miler, and Frosted Camper awards; and the National Outdoor award (for camping.) Mitch attended four summer camps and he participated in two High Adventures: Sea Base in 2015, and Philmont in 2016, and participated in the National Jamboree in 2017.

Mitch’s Eagle Project was to build a set of stairs down an eroding hill in Riverbend Park. The stairs allow park visitors to safely travel to the picnic area from the lower parking lot without damaging the hill with foot traffic. The stairs also made it possible for many of the plants that had been damaged or destroyed by trampling to regrow. Mitch built the stairs with the assistance of park authorities and many volunteers.

Mitch graduated from Langley High School in June 2019, where he was a member of the crew team for three years. He is currently a freshman at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla. He plans to major in Mechanical Engineering and he is considering a minor in Computer or Electrical Engineering.