Andrew joined Troop 17 in October of 1996 after receiving his Arrow of Light from Cub Pack 489 at Conway Elementary School. Early in his scouting career, Andrew attended the council’s Junior Leader Training Camp, served as a Den Chief, and as an Assistant Patrol Leader. When he became Patrol Leader of Hawk Patrol, he led his patrol admirably for almost a year and a half finishing as the troop’s top patrol at the troop camporee.
After serving as one of Troop 17’s better all-time Quartermasters, Andrew became Senior Patrol Leader, the troop’s top boy leader. During his year’s tenure, he was known as an excellent teacher and a warm and caring leader.
Particularly noteworthy is that Andrew has twice been selected as Troop 17’s Scout of the Year, one of only four to be so recognized in the last sixty years.
However, it has been the out-of-doors that has personified Andrew’s scouting career. Such activities have included attending seven years of the troop’s annual summer camp, and numerous hikes,
campouts, and camporees. In 1999, Andrew was elected by his fellow scouts to the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national society for scout honor campers. Then in 2000 Andrew was a part of Troop 17’s ten-scout contingent to Philmont – BSA’s national high adventure camp in the mountains of New Mexico. He repeated this experience with the troop in 2003.
An avid outdoorsman outside of scouting, Andrew has also attended high school summer band camps, wrestling camps, cross country camps, and church camps.
A review of the optional merit badges he has compiled along his trail to Eagle also reveals that strong outdoor flavor: Canoeing, Rowing, Cooking, Nature, Archery, Rifle Shooting, and Wilderness Survival.
In the summer of 2002, Andrew spent four weeks in Utah at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School learning basic traditional wilderness skills, such as water purification techniques, trapping, and primitive fire building, while living in wickiups and teepees. During that time, he successfully completed a 14-day field course where the participants hike long distances in Southern Utah’s mountains and desert, and spend several days without food or water while living off the land using only their outdoor survival skills. After he returned, Andrew graciously shared many of his skills with the scouts in the troop.
Academically, Andrew is a National Merit Commended Scholar and has scored top scores of “5” on Advanced Placement exams in Biology and European History.
Andrew played the oboe and clarinet for all his high school years, in concert, symphonic, and marching bands.
As an athlete, Andrew lettered in varsity wrestling, track, and cross-country and was co-captain of the Ladue High School Cross Country team his senior year — a team that placed 4th in the state.
For his Eagle project, Andrew designed and constructed several picnic tables for the handicapped at Babler State Park.
Andrew is also a member of the Bakers, Troop 17’s unique older boy’s organization and has been awarded the troop’s Leadership Cocade, emblematic of the leadership and service he has provided to the troop.
Yes, it is in the service to others he has exhibited that has also marked his Scouting career. A popular and unselfish scout of high moral character, Andrew is the embodiment of the third Scout Law, “A Scout is Helpful.”
Andrew currently serves the troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster.
This fall, Andrew will be attending the University of Alaska-Fairbanks on a Chancellor’s Scholarship where he plans to major in biology.
Andrew Brenner —
Outdoorsman… Honor Camper… Scout of the Year… Order of the Arrow… Baker… Athlete… Eagle Scout
TROOP SEVENTEEN IS MIGHTY PROUD OF ANDREW BRENNER