The Boy Scouts of America Troop 141 and the Atlanta Area Council honored New Manchester High School student, Terrell Edward Orr, who recently achieved the Eagle Scout rank.
"The occasion of a Scout attaining Eagle Rank has great significance for the community at large as well as for this young man," said Walt Stephens, Troop 141's scout master. "If we wish to keep high the ideals these Scouts have lived by, we must affirm their importance."
According to Stephens, for the Eagle Leadership Project, Terrell planned and organized a pet food drive – Food for Furry Friends. Terrell succeeded in collecting more than 1,000 pounds of food, and he launched an Adopt-a-Pet awareness campaign for his neighborhood animal shelter in Douglas County during National Pet Month.
He also led a team of his peers in building a floor for the shelter’s pet food storage shed to protect and secure stored pet food from rodents and other pest.
"These were not easy milestones but a true testimony of Terrell’s commitment to his project and his determination to persevere," said Stephens. "The animal shelter director and staff were impressed and appreciative of his relentless commitment to their cause."
Very active in the local community, Terrell lives each day with a passion for serving his community in accordance with the Scout Oath and Law.
Earlier this year, after attending the SCLC Women’s Black Heritage tour which focused on the African-American struggle for voting rights, Terrell wrote one of the three winning essays sponsored by the tour. Terrell wrote about how he would promote voting in his community. Two months later, Terrell put his ideas into action by volunteering to help set-up and operate a Voter’s Registration booth at a local event. Because of his efforts, a number of first-time voters completed applications for voting cards.
A ninth grader at New Manchester High School, Terrell is the son of Gene and Lee Orr, and the family has lived in Douglasville for more than 10 years.
Ethelyn Stephens