Where Eagles soar
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 7 years, 12 months AGO
These medals represent three (soon to be four) generations of Eagle Scouts in the Vest family. The youngest Eagle, Lawson Vest of Coeur d’Alene, earned his rank in October and will receive his medal soon. Left to right: Earned by Lawson’s late great-grandfather, Donald J. Vest, in 1945; earned by Lawson’s grandfather, Donald B. Vest, in 1966; and earned by Lawson’s father, Jason Vest, in 1989. (Courtesy photo)
Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy’s drama club shares a happy moment with freshman Lawson Vest, far left, in Scout uniform, after he completed a shed for the club as his Eagle Scout service project at the beginning of the school year. Lawson represents the fourth generation of Scouts in his family to earn the rank of Eagle, starting with his great-grandfather in 1945. (Courtesy photo)
Courtesy photo Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy freshman Lawson Vest stands near the shed he built for Charter’s drama program as his Eagle Scout project, which he completed about a month after school began. He received his Eagle ranking in October, making him the fourth male in four generations of his family to achieve the honor.
Jason Vest holds his son, Lawson, as they smile for the camera with Great-grandfather Don Vest on July 13, 2004. Great-grandpa Vest started a family tradition when he became an Eagle Scout in 1945, followed by his son Don, grandson Jason and great-grandson, Lawson. Lawson, now 15, received his Eagle Scout rank in October 2017. Great-grandpa Vest passed away in 2009, but his son, Lawson’s grandpa, said he would have been very proud. (Courtesy photo)
Lawson Vest, right, smiles big as he and his great-grandfather, Don Vest, have their photo taken in July 2006. Lawson, now 15, has continued the Eagle Scout tradition his great-grandfather started in 1945. This is the last photo of them together before Great-grandfather Vest passed away in 2009. (Courtesy photo)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — A lovingly worn Eagle Scout medal rests on red plush in a case next to two others, its red, white and blue ribbon faded and its eagle emblem tarnished by time.
The medal was earned by Lawson Vest's late great-grandfather, Donald J. Vest, in 1945. The adjacent medal was earned by Lawson's grandfather, Donald B. Vest, in 1966, and the third by his father, Jason Vest, in 1989.
Lawson completed his Eagle Scout criteria in October, and soon his medal will be placed next to his father's to represent the next generation of Eagles in the Vest family.
"I am really proud to be a fourth-generation Eagle Scout," said Lawson, 15, of Coeur d'Alene. "I feel like it’s a great honor to be an Eagle Scout alone, plus the three generations behind me."
His dad said scouting has always been a big interest in their family, beginning with great-grandfather Vest, who was born in 1928.
"My grandfather spoke about scouting and the outdoors often," Jason said. "Like most of his generation, he practically grew up outdoors and valued the skills and morals that scouting taught him. He was proud of becoming an Eagle, and wrote in his diary of that day: 'Got my Eagle Badge in church today. Got 5 merit badges, Mother and Dad gave me an Eagle Scout silver ring.' [Feb. 11, 1945]. He was so proud of being an Eagle Scout that he wore his Eagle Medal and ring often. I now own both and they are very worn."
Jason's dad, Don, who lives in Pocatello, said he’s proud of his grandson for the accomplishment. He’s planning to attend Lawson's court of honor when the ceremony is held in the spring.
"It's a wonderful thing," he said. "It's a hard thing to do."
After a silent moment, he shared that his father also would have been pleased to see another Eagle Scout in the family. Great-grandfather Vest passed away in 2009.
"He was very proud when Jason got his," Don said. "He'd be very proud that Lawson’s continued on.”
Earning the rank of Eagle is no easy task. Scouts must first reach the rank of Life Scout, then earn 21 merit badges, demonstrate exemplary citizenship and live by Scout principles, complete a service project, participate in a unit leader conference and successfully complete a board of review.
For his service project, Lawson, a Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy freshman, organized a crew of about 30 people who donated 260 hours to build a shed for Charter's drama department. He could have done a simpler project for the school band, in which he participates, but his mom, Jennifer, said he wanted to do something more challenging.
"I feel a lot of honor," he said. "I'm just glad to have helped something I'm not even really a part of."
Jason said aside from becoming an Eagle Scout, his dad was one of the first Boy Scouts to earn what is now the Nuclear Science Merit Badge and he worked as staff at a Scout summer camp. Jason also worked at Scout camp in his youth and was a Scoutmaster from 2006 to 2010 in upstate New York.
"While a Scoutmaster, scouting parents would say that my son, Lawson, would be guaranteed to become an Eagle Scout given my scouting history and involvement," Jason said. "I would tell them joking that I already have three Eagle Medals — mine, my father's and my grandfather's — and it is up to Lawson if he wants to earn his own."
Lawson has been given a double dose of high-ranking Scout DNA. His mom's three brothers were all Scouts, with one achieving Eagle rank, and her father reached the rank of Life Scout.
She said it recently hit her how cool it is that her son has this legacy from his forefathers.
"It takes a lot of work to be a Scout," Jennifer said. "I certainly feel very proud of my son. Having now helped him through his Eagle project, I am really impressed with how much work goes into it. My husband’s a hard worker and I have begun to understand, watching my son go through the project, that for my husband going through this process it was a point of development for who he would become."
All of the Vest men received their Eagle rank at relatively young ages. Lawson had just turned 15 and his dad and grandpa were about that age too, when many don't obtain it until they are a little older.
Lawson plans to go on a Church of Latter-day Saints mission and attend Brigham Young University once he graduates from Charter. He was 8 when he joined Cub Scouts, and now that he's the highest rank, he looks forward to imparting his knowledge and experience onto younger Scouts.
And someday down the road, he hopes to continue the Vest family tradition.
"I really want to have future generations (of Eagle Scouts)," he said. "Possibly a fifth generation or even further."