Horseshoe Bay resident achieves Eagle Scout rank

The city of Horseshoe Bay recently honored resident Brandon Lovelady for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

“It makes me feel more accomplished and motivated me to set the bar higher for myself as a leader,” he said of the city’s acknowledgment.

Lovelady is a member of Boy Scout troops 282 and 73 and was appointed to be the senior patrol leader, the highest post, for the past two years. He has been a Boy Scout for 10 years.

To become an Eagle Scout, he earned 40 merit badges, double the minimum number required.

Along the way, Lovelady became a member of the Order of the Arrow after earning Brotherhood with the BSA Tonkawa Lodge 99 in 2019.

The Llano High School senior’s favorite badges are for rifle, shotgun, and cinematography. 

Lovelady earned so many badges, he said, because he “was most motivated by that window of opportunity and being able to have that experience with the skills (the Boy Scouts) teach.”

One of the requirements to become an Eagle Scout is to complete a service project. Lovelady chose to restore benches and clean up the courtyard at Epiphany Episcopal Church in Burnet. 

“The benches in the courtyard had been rotting,” he said. “I decided to make them new and clean the area and put new paint on the other furniture. The members allowed my troop to use their facilities and hold meetings there regularly.” 

Lovelady became interested in being a Boy Scout when he read books and saw movies featuring the organization. Then, when a friend, who already was a Cub Scout, invited him to attend a gathering, he was sold. 

He loves the Boy Scouts so much that he has started the procedure to become an assistant Scout Master, an adult role, with his troop. 

“It’s being able to do stuff I enjoy as well as learning valuable skills,” he said. 

The son of Laura and Robert Lovelady plans to major in history to become a teacher. He is leaning toward attending Angelo State University. 

jfierro@thepicayune.com