The John Paul Jones Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will present its coveted Eagle Scout Award to Bodie Harrison Strom of Bainbridge Island Feb. 24 at the Disabled American Veterans Offices in Bremerton at 9 a.m.
His Eagle Scout Project provided over 162 hours of combined Scout and adult efforts to build an information kiosk for the entrance of the Grand Forest Park for the BI Metro Parks and Recreation District.
Strom will also accept the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest winner medallion, certificate and cash prize.
In addition to earning the highest rank in Scouts, Strom, who is a senior at Bainbridge High School, has earned 48 merit badges (five Eagle Palms), the God and Life Religious Award and is the 2023 recipient of the Chief Seattle Council of Scouts BSA, Bruce Kennedy Scholarship.
He has participated in Running Start, taking college-level classes and earning dual credit for high school and college. As a freshman, he received the Red Pen Writing Award, Distinguished Leadership Award and Biology Student of the Month.
Strom is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which recognizes the academic achievements of college students. He has stayed on the Dean’s list each quarter with a 3.95 grade point average and is an active member of the National Honor Society, earning the Bronze level of service.
Strom is a varsity cross country runner. He has served as team captain and has been awarded the Strongest Work Ethic, Most Valuable Player, and Most Inspirational Awards by his teammates and coaches.
He earned the National Heisman School Award in 2023, varsity letter for three years in track and one year in boys’ swim and dive. This fall Strom will study Biblical Theology at Corban University in Salem, OR, and compete on its men’s cross-country team and track and field.
He has served his community by volunteering as a Boy Scout in Troop 1496 for seven years, and a BI Rotary Auction volunteer and department manager, donating around 100 hours yearly. He also helps with the Kiwanis Club All Comers Track Meet each summer, serves as an academic coach at his high school, and is a zero-period tutor at BHS.
Strom is a Junior Member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Washington State Society, John Paul Jones Chapter and an active member of Bainbridge First Baptist Church.
Every SAR chapter sponsors an Eagle Scout Competition that includes an application detailing Scouting experience, academic achievements and community service, a 500-word essay on a patriotic theme, and a four-generation genealogy chart. The winner of each SAR chapter competition is entered in the SAR state completion. The winner of each state completion competes in the National Society’s Eagle Scout Competition and vies for over $10,000 in scholarships.
The Knight Essay Contest is designed to give high school students an opportunity to explore events that shaped American history. At Chapter, State Society, and National Society levels, students must submit an original essay, with topics based on original research and deal with an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the US Constitution.
Strom is a member of the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of America and registered in Troop 1496 sponsored by William Renton Masonic Lodge No. 29. He won essay and Eagle Scout honors at both the chapters and state levels.
