Luke Daniels, 17, a senior at the Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH), of Boy Scout Troop 297, will be honored at a special Eagle Scout ceremony Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

To earn the Boy Scouts’ highest award, Daniels had to earn at least 21 merit badges, serve as a leader in his troop and complete a plan and lead a major community project. During his Boy Scout career, Daniels earned 33 merit badges.

For his Eagle Project, he opened discussions last year with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about its needs. As the DNR was refurbishing the McDill Pond Boat Launch, it said it needed a kiosk built for their signs and the fishing pier stained.

Daniels drew up specifications based off the DNR’s rough sketch and submitted it to the DNR for approval. In September 2015, he organized some Boy Scouts to stain the fishing pier.

Then, on Make a Difference Day Oct. 24, 2015, he orchestrated 18 youths and six adults who not only built the kiosk but raked the leaves for three elderly widows and one elderly couple in ill health.

He split the Boy Scouts into three groups, the first to rake and divided the other two to work on two separate parts of the kiosk. As a result, the boys earned a glimpse of a 1952 Boy Scouts of America coin, a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a well needed $100 donation to the troop.

Daniels has been a member of Troop 297, chartered to the St. Stephen Catholic Church, for nearly seven years. He has served as chaplain aide, scribe, patrol leader, senior patrol leader and troop guide.

Daniels has also worked the past three summers at Akela’s World in Rhinelander and has held leadership roles in the Tom Kita Chara Lodge.

He is a member of the Emerson Chapter of the National Honor Society. He is also very active in the SPASH Wind Ensemble Band, Jazz Band I, Pep Band and the Pit Orchestra. He has been accepted by several colleges and plans to pursue either music education or computer software engineering.