Sophomore is 13th from Notre Dame to receive honor in recent years.
Logan Hand, a sophomore at Notre Dame Preparatory School, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest award given by the Boy Scouts of America. According to BSA, only 4 percent of the nearly three million scouts nationwide earn Eagle Scout status.
Hand joins current NDP senior William Ballew and junior Anthony VanDieren, and alums Logan Verheyen, Brennan Eagle, Tyler Obear, Ryan Flaherty, Ryan Dau, Erik Egner, Connor Verheyen, Jack Stouffer, Joe Lombardo and Peter Dondanville, who also achieved Eagle Scout status in recent years.
Hand started his scouting career as a Cub Scout in Pack 186 at St. Joseph Catholic School in Lake Orion. After receiving his Arrow of Light, he crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 128 in a ceremony at St Mary's In-The-Hills Episcopal Church, also in Lake Orion. Logan held multiple leadership positions in Troop 128 as the senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, chaplain aide, quartermaster, troop guide and patrol leader.
Hand completed 23 merit badges, camped over 100 nights, hiked over 125 miles, completed dozens of service hours and was an active mentor to the younger scouts of his troop. During this time, he was nominated to scouting’s National Honor Society, Order of the Arrow.
“One of my favorite parts about being a scout was camping where I learned many outdoor skills and developed a keen sense of ‘being prepared’ for anything,” he said. “I also am very proud of the awards I received from the Archdiocese.”
For his Eagle Scout project, Hand designed and constructed a prayer area for St. Anne Catholic Church in Ortonville, where he was baptized. He greatly improved the prayer site that has an existing statue of Mary with a stone bench, a paver walkway, edging, mulching, roses and perennials that provide a calm and peaceful spot for parishioners to enjoy.
As an additional project and challenge, Hand joined a 12-day backcountry hiking/camping high adventure scouting event at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. This 80+ mile trek in elevations of up to 12,441 feet required him to use his extensive scouting and training experiences.
In addition, Hand completed three additional awards, which were presented by Archbishop Vigneron and the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. He received his Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei (Children to God), and Ad Altare Dei (to the Altar of God).
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.