Canyon Lake Scouts earn Eagle rank

Troop 444 of Menifee and the families of Canyon Lakers Chase Cordon and Ethan Clark hosted an Eagle Court of Honor for the boys on Mar. 3 at the Wooden Nickel Ranch in Menifee. Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in Boy Scouts of America. It’s a prestigious award is widely recognized throughout the country.

Chase and Ethan began Cub Scouts together as Tigers in first grade in Canyon Lake’s Pack 346 in the fall of 2007. It’s particularly special to the boys that they started together in Canyon Lake and reached the highest rank together.

Their first campout was at the Wooden Nickel Ranch in 2008. The Canyon Hills Ranch is owned by Tom Furhman, an Eagle Scout himself. He generously allowed the scouts to have many events at his ranch over the years.

Chase and Ethan were active in the Pack, meeting all over Canyon Lake, including Happy Camp, the lodge, Sierra Park and Holiday Harbor Park. They participated in the Parade of Lights and the Fiesta Day Parade, served at the Lions Club annual Pancake Breakfast and volunteered at many community events. “Canyon Lake is their home and it is a great place to be a Scout,” said Chase’s mother Wendy Cordon.

In March 2012, Chase and Ethan crossed over to Menifee Pack 444, having completed all levels of Cub Scouts and earning the highest award in Cub Scouts, the Arrow of Light, at a ceremony at Happy Camp.

The boys had many adventures with Troop 444. They learned much about leadership, teamwork and being true to the principals of Scouting. Some highlights from Troop 444 include camping in the snow in Idyllwild Camporee, attending Survival Camp in Ocotillo where they had to build their own shelter, a summer bus trip to Yosemite, hiking to Fire Lookout in San Jacinto Wilderness, target shooting at Mataguay Scout Ranch in San Diego and visits to Battleship Iowa Museum and General Patton Memorial Museum.

During much of Scouting, Chase and Ethan also were busy students and athletes at Temescal Canyon High School.

Chase joined the water polo team and swim team as a freshman. He was the MVP team swimmer that year and a member of the water polo team that brought home the CIF Championship win for TCHS in 2017. He went to CIF for swim as a sophomore and junior.

Chase also plays club water polo for CHAWP and went with his team last year to the Junior Olympics in San Jose and to Europe with his team this year to play water polo in Hungary and Romania.

Even with his busy schedule, Chase maintains good grades and has been an AP and Honor Roll student each year. He recently committed to Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania, for the engineering program and will be joining the Division III water polo team.

Chase’s Eagle Scout Service Project was to build a 10-station fitness trail at Evan’s Park on Canyon Lake Dr. The project came at a cost of more than $6,000 and was a big undertaking both financially and work-wise. He was able to make it happen due to the generous donations from many friends, family and community clubs, and the support of Canyon Lake Operations and the Recreation Committee.

Chase is especially appreciative for the substantial donations made by the Jr. Women’s Club, Woman’s Club and Michael and Kathy Stewart.

Ethan is a Temescal Canyon High School senior and a fire explorer in the Riverside County Fire Explorer Program. The program is designed to allow youth between the ages of 14 and 20 to explore a career in the fire service. Participants receive fire service training under the supervision of trained firefighters.

As a fire explorer, Ethan is continuously learning the job of a firefighter. He has been in the program for four years, training and preparing himself for a career in this field in the future.

Ethan has worked through the ranks and is now a lieutenant. As an explorer, Ethan is able to go out on calls in uniform with firefighters, allowing him to be the additional body on the fire apparatus. He has attended and assisted numerous medical aids, fires, rescues and traffic collisions.

Ethan also served as division chief at the Inland Empire Fire Explorers Association at Ft. Irwin where he supervised 60 explorers during live fire training.

In addition to being a Boy Scout and explorer, Ethan is an Honor Roll student, played on his high school’s football team and was a member of the mountain bike team. He is a faculty member of the National Youth Leadership Training Program, helping adolescents learn the skills they need to become successful and respectable adults, and a certified basic life support instructor.

Ethan’s Eagle Scout Service Project was to build a gym for the staff at Canyon Lake Fire Station 60 to use while they serve the community. His goal was to raise enough money for gym equipment and a rubber workout floor. He wanted to help the firefighters with their personal fitness, as well as ensuring their readiness as firefighters. He said he chose this project because he wanted to support his local fire station. With the help and donations from the Canyon Lake community, family and friends, Ethan’s project was a success.

Ethan enlisted in the United States Navy on Jan. 20. He deploys to boot camp on Aug. 27 where he’ll spend five months training. He said he is “looking forward to proudly serving our nation.”

After his service, Ethan hopes to return to Canyon Lake Fire Station 60 and serve his community as a firefighter paramedic.

“No one can pass through life, any more than he can pass through a bit of country, without leaving tracks behind, and those tracks may often be helpful to those coming after him in finding their way,” said Founder of the Scouting Movement Robert Baden-Powell. These words speak to the actions of the few scouts who seek the highest rank in scouting, Eagle Scout.




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