Not many people get to accomplish a feat of great importance at a young age.

Usually it takes a life time of hard work and dedication, but although it’s not been a life time, William Cox has accomplished something that only very few in the United States can put on their resume.

Over the summer, Cox completed his Eagle Scout rank.

Cox said there are only two percent of Boy Scouts who obtain an Eagle Scout title.

“To me it means that I’ve put in the work and done something that only two percent have done,” Cox said. “It means when I go out in life and I tell people I’m an Eagle Scout, it will tell them that I should be able to go beyond a normal person.”

Cox is the son of Jennifer Dyer of Albany, and Paul Cox of Nashville, Tennessee. William Cox lives in Albany with his mother and brother, Chris, but often spends time with his father in Nashville.

Cox has been a part of the organization since the first grade. He started out as a Cub Scout and moved up into the Boy Scouts as he grew older. Now, Cox is a full fledged Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank within the organization.

“I got my Eagle Scout over the summer,” Cox said. “Since there is no group up here, I had to be a part of the group in Nashville, TN, but I couldn’t go to any of their meetings. I’m technically a Lone Scout which is a program for Boy Scouts who aren’t able to meet regularly with a troop.”

Cox said being a part of a Boy Scouts troop has already helped him in life and it is not just about camping or the outdoors.

“It’s a place where young men can go and learn about life,” Cox said. “You learn camping and stuff, but it’s more than that. You learn first aid, how to communicate, how to be a good citizen … It’s all about being prepared for life. ‘Be Prepared’ is the motto.”

Cox said there are several badges a person has to learn in order to become an Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scouts have to earn 21 badges total which is 10 more than required to finish the Boy Scouts program.

“You have to earn several different merit badges ranging from environmental sciences to one about family,” Cox said. “You also have to pick 10 of your choice. You can do rifle shooting or photography and you also have to be a leader in the troop. I couldn’t do that because I didn’t live there, but you could do other things in the place of that.”

Cox also said he had to go through a board of review, which is basically an interview or a final test.

“You also have to make an Eagle Project. I made a shelter next to a creek at my dad’s house. It’s supposed to be a long lasting thing for your community,” Cox said.

Becoming an Eagle Scout was very important to Cox. He said he is glad he stuck with it and glad he reached his goal.

“Anytime that you have a big goal that you’ve set, it’s a relief and it’s good to know that when you start something you are going to be able to finish it. If you can stick to something for 12 years, even if you want to give up, but you don’t, then you know that whatever you go into you will finish because you’ve done Boy Scouts,” Cox said. “It reassures you of your ability.”

Cox said he has enjoyed being a part of the Boy Scouts of America organization, but one of the most difficult tasks didn’t win him a badge, but rather was being far away from his troop.

“The distance was hard,” Cox said. “I had to contact adults through phone and e-mails instead of getting to talk to them face to face. I made real good friends with some of the kids in the group, but I didn’t get to know them all. It was hard in that aspect.”

Becoming an Eagle Scout will benefit Cox for the rest of his life. Not counting the life lessons and the knowledge of the outdoors he has obtained, being an Eagle Scout gives him potential to obtain scholarships and could even help with employment.

“I’ve been told that if you go into an interview and you are an Eagle Scout and there is somebody who is not an Eagle Scout then the Eagle Scout has a better chance to get the job,” Cox said. “It helps with college admissions and scholarships … When you are looking at the long term benefits, then Eagle Scouts is definitely the best thing to do.”

Cox said using what he has learned in the Boy Scouts has already helped him.

“It’s helped me in school, health … I know more about CPR and first aid. It’s helped in all different aspects of life,” Cox said.

Cox said he got to pick several different badges to complete including rifle shooting, archery, photography and snow sports. He said his favorite was snow sports.

“Usually people in the area are not going to pick snow sports, but we went to Colorado and sometimes a badge is something you can knock out in a week. It was really fun,” Cox said.

One day Cox said he would like to see a Boy Scout troop in Albany. It might be something he looks at leading.

“I would love to see a group get started here in Clinton County,” Cox said. “It’s a great thing for young people to do. They always ask what can you do for your community and what can you give back to the Boy Scouts? I told them I think it would be a great thing to start a troop here.”

Cox said he had a lot of support from both of his parents, but his dad, Paul Cox, was key in his motivation for moving toward being an Eagle Scout.

“He was always telling me that I need to do this and need to do that. He was a really big influence in helping me through it,” Cox said. “Most of the time it was just me doing stuff with him. Sometimes I wanted to quit, but he was always the one who told me that I needed to do this and I’m really grateful for that because now I did it.”

Becoming an Eagle Scout doesn’t come without pressure. Cox said there were several times he wanted to quit, but his dad pushed him and Cox said he is glad he did.

“My dad was a Boy Scout and my uncle was a Boy Scout, so it’s a great family thing,” Cox said.

“They are very proud. I have my Eagle Scouts Board of Honor coming up and they will be there. I know both my mom and my dad are proud of me. They both have helped me and I am very thankful for that.”

William Cox is shown at right during the construction phase of the park shelter project that he selected as his Eagle Scout project in Nashville. Above, the finished shelter that Cox built in a Nashville park.