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It can be a long road to go from a Boy Scout to an Eagle Scout, with multiple projects and hours of community service required. Local Boy Scout Troop 383 took a step in that direction, doing community service last Friday by helping clean up around Chick-fil-A. The boys cleaned trash both from the parking lot and the surrounding area, before owner Kolby Shepherd and general manager Josh Apke gave them a lesson in entrepreneurship and business. This helped earn them their entrepreneurship merit badge.

Both men spoke with the Post-Searchlight about the project.

“I’m in a church group with one of the troop’s moms, and they’re always looking for service projects,” Apke said.

Apke is himself an Eagle Scout.

“I think something that was important to them was not just the merit badge, but seeing it from a business owner and a general manager who cares about them,” Shepherd said. “I mean that’s why you run a business, to have an impact on people.”

“I think one of the things was seeing it from a business owner,” Apke continued, “They think entrepreneurs are these big tycoons, but then they meet Kolby, and you see he has a family, and you think he’s not the kind of guy you think would run Chick-fil-A.”

Troop 383 is made up of boys from Bainbridge, as well as the surrounding area, including Thomasville, Whigham, etc. Their Scout Master is Phillip Ponder. Assistant Scout Master Al Akridge also spoke to the paper about what is needed for the merit badge.

“They have to find out what an entrepreneur is,” he said. “The boys had to come up with a business plan for whatever business they wanted.”

Part of the workshop with Apke and Shepherd involved them proposing a business and accounting plan for things like manufacturing the product, hiring employees, advertising and community relations.

“Lisa Martin hooked us up with the general manager and owner… I think there will be a good relationship going forward. They said they’d be willing to help with more projects,” Akridge concluded.