Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon's Gooding Is New Eagle Scout

Gurdon's Adam Gooding has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Gooding's Eagle badge project was to replace light reflectors around fire hydrants in Arkadelphia following the March 1, 1997, tornadoes.

The Gurdon High School junior, who also plays for the Go-Devils and picked off a pass against Horatio in Friday night's homecoming game, said replacing the reflectors took a lot of planning, but only about a weekend to actually do the work.

Of course, it helped having about 12 people lending a hand.

Driving around after the twisters ravaged downtown Arkadelphia, Gooding noticed the missing reflectors. He contacted the Arkadelphia Fire Chief and worked out the details for replacing them.

The scout master, Roy Wood, and committee leader, Don Chaney, signed on the project and Gooding started to work.

While he has been assured of being named an Eagle Scout, the paperwork hasn't yet been completed by the Boy Scouts of America, however, this is only a formality.

Gooding has been a scout for about 11 years, starting the program as a Tiger Cub. Once this period was completed, he became a Cub Scout, going through and earning Wolf and Bear status.

Next up came the Webelos for two years, where Gooding earned all 20 activity badges and the Cub Scout Conservation Award.

While a Cub Scout, he attended day camp at Camp Winnataska, near Birmingham, Ala.

Toward the end of the fifth grade for Gooding, his time in the Cub Scouts blended into the Boy Scouts.

Excitement abounded as he went on his first official camp out almost immediately. It was something he will long remember, as he burned his face while cooking bacon. Dinner on the trip consisted of rattlesnake as well. (He said it tastes just like chicken).

Summer camp that year was a visit to Camp Sequoyah in Delta, Ala.

Gooding has been to camp five other times as well, twice to Camp Pioneer in Hatfield.

"While I've been in the scouts," he said, "I've had a chance to do a lot of things most kids can't. I've camped and hiked Vicksburg, Va. Shiloh, Va. (three times), Chickamauga (three more times), Lookout Mountain, Pea Ridge, Fort Donalson, Fort Henry and others.

"I've backpacked the entire 100 mile Pinhoti Trail in the Talladega National Forest and the Cinnabee Silen Trail, the Odum Trail, the Skyway Loop twice, the Sipsey Wilderness in the Bankhead National Forest, and part of the Ouachita Trail."

Gooding has been able to make these journeys in 10 degree weather, rain, sleet, snow and ice. He's also had the chance to swim in the ocean, go spelunking, white water rafting, repelling, canoeing and water skiing during his time in the scouts.

He's also visited the National Boy Scout Museum in Murray, Ken., and completed the COPE course, along with camping at Land Between the Lakes while in Kentucky as well.

His adventures in scouting have also resulted in Gooding going to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Fla., sleeping on the USS Alabama three times in Mobile, Ala, and having a birthday party there as well.

Leadership positions Gooding has held as a scout include being a patrol leader, den chief, quartermaster, senior patrol leader and troop guide.

In all, he's earned 39 merit badges, the Den Chief Award, the Boy Scout World Conservation Award, the BSA Lifeguard and God and Life.

He's been tapped into the Order of the Arrow, where he's earned his brotherhood.

With all Gooding has experienced as a scout, he said the most exciting thing he's done was repel from Buck's Pocket at Mountain Valley, Ala. This, he said, is a 100-foot cliff.

Gooding has been busy during his academic career at Gurdon as well.

He was in the GHS band, both marching and concert, from the seventh through the 10th grade. In the band, Gooding played trumped and earned ensemble and solo medals, as well as superior awards for state contests in both middle and high school, marching and concert bands.

He played baseball in grades 9-10 and was on the senior Little League team, making the all star roster.

Gooding plans to play baseball again this season, once the weather moderates. Last season, the Diamond Devils won the conference and district titles.

In his first year as a Go-Devil gridder, Gooding was on a team unbeaten on the field and going into the second week of state playoffs.

He has lettered twice in baseball and once, so far, in football.

Gooding is also active in the First United Methodist Church.

He belongs to troop 24 of the Arkadelphia chapter of the BSA, which is in the Ouachita Area Council of Hot Springs.