Zach Phillips has been involved in the Navy JROTC program at Parkersburg High School for four years. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Scouting has taught Zach Phillips the value of working within a group to get a job done, which is something he plans to carry on in a career in equipment operations.

The 18-year-old senior at Parkersburg High School and member of Troop 12 was scheduled to receive his Eagle Scout award at his Court of Honor event Saturday.

“It is an honor to be an Eagle Scout,” Phillips said.

Only about 2% of all Scouts reach the rank of Eagle.

During his time in Scouts, Phillips has held multiple positions within his troop, serving as a senior patrol leader at least a few times, having to step back into the position after someone had left the troop. He has earned 30 merit badges.

Zach Phillips does tai chi as a form of meditation and to control his breathing. (Photo Provided)

Phillips has been involved in Scouting since he was a Cub Scout in first grade.

“It has been a lot of opportunities for someone (who) would otherwise have just (been) sitting at home,” he said. “You get to be outside, go camping, learn to make fires and cook.

“The first time I ever rode a bike was because of Scouts.”

His favorite merit badge was Family Life where he had to sit down with his family and work up a budget. He said he enjoyed spending that time with his family.

Phillips even got to talk with then-Gov. Jim Justice through his Scouting experience.

Zach Phillips, a senior at Parkersburg High School and part of the Navy JROTC program, participated in the Military Ball on Feb. 14, where cadets don formal dress uniforms and engage in a social setting. (Photo Provided)

In addition to Scouts, he is involved in Junior ROTC at PHS and is the orienteering commander because of his experience earning the Orienteering merit badge in Scouts.

“ROTC is a program that allows you to better yourself,” he said.

Phillips has done marching drills and other things to help others learn about the military, having served as a senior chief where he checks where cadets are in their knowledge and gives them their promotion tests. He did drills for four years, air rifle for two years and participated in the program’s physical training. They go out into the community, do demonstrations and answer questions about the military.

“It is a good overall leadership program,” Phillips said. “I help teach the kids the main things about the military if they want to learn about it.”

In addition to Scouts and ROTC, he also does tai chi after a guest discussed it in his psychology class.

Zach Phillips does archery at Camp Kootaga. (Photo Provided)

“I wanted to try it out,” he said. “It is something physical to do. It is also good meditation. You can work really well on your breathing when you do something like that. That is what got me into it.”

Every Scout working toward their Eagle Scout rank has to organize and do a community service project with the help of his troop. Phillips painted the parking space lines at Stout United Methodist Church in May with the help of 21 people, Scouts and leaders from his troop.

“The parking lot lines were really faded, and it had been a long time since they had been painted,” Phillips said.

He is now looking at going into a trade career as a heavy equipment operator in construction work, like operating a crane and being able to put the various pieces in place to construct a building. He is looking at trade schools that would allow him to do that, including the Washington County Career Center or West Virginia University as a traditional college education was not something he felt compelled to do.

Phillps said he’s been talking to people in different unions and gathering information on what he would need to do to become an apprentice, then work up to being a journeyman worker.

Zach Phillips crosses a rope bridge at Camp Kootaga during a Scouting event. (Photo Provided)

Phillips also knows people and has family in the construction trades and connections to possible work in the future.

“I am a lot more of a hands-on person,” he said. “That will help me more than just sitting at a desk job.

“I am decent with tools and have helped my friends working on cars.”

Phillips said his time in Scouts has taught him how to be prepared for a lot of things that come along in life as well as the importance of time management.

“That is one of the harder things for most people to do, and that was something that helped me a lot,” he said. “Scouting has also helped me develop my public speaking skills.”

Zach Phillips, standing, gets paint together with the help of his grandfather, Jerome Phillips, to paint the parking lot lines at Stout Memorial United Methodist for his Eagle Scout project. (Photo Provided)

Phillips said he has also developed leadership skills through his Eagle Scout project as well as working with the cadets in ROTC. That could help in the future on construction projects where he will have to work with people to complete tasks.

“Being able to lead people, that is a big thing,” he said.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com

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Zach Phillips goes down the repelling tower at Camp Kootaga during a Scouting event. Phillips will be presented his Eagle Scout Award this weekend. (Photo Provided)

Zach Phillips, second from left in the front row, participates in ROTC Leadership training. Phillips is a senior at Parkersburg High School. (Photo Provided)

Zach Phillips, center, participates in an ROTC Drill meet where he had to demonstrate a number of skills in different events. (Photo Provided)