Kotob Brothers Earn Eagle Scout Badges

Ashland’s Kotob brothers, Mak, age 18, and Jordan, age 16, recently received their Eagle Scout badges. Earlier in 2019, the boys completed their projects, making significant contributions to the community.
“Mak and Jordan both started their scouting journey when they joined cub scouts as Tigers in 1st grade,” Kim Kotob, their mother, said. “They earned their Arrow of Light badge, the highest award boys can earn in cub scouts, when they reached 5th grade. Then in 2012 Mak joined Ashland’s Boy Scout Troop 232, and in 2015 Jordan followed.”
In November 2019, Mak and Jordan celebrated becoming Eagle Scouts with a Troop 232 Court of Honor (COH) at the Ashland Community Center. The event was well attended by family, friends, and many scouts and scout leaders.
Only 5 percent of boys in boy scouts become Eagles, the highest rank a boy scout can achieve.
Mak realized that vaping was a huge health issue among his high school peers, so for his Eagle Scout project he created a public service announcement (PSA), Vaping: Myth vs Fact, for Decisions at Every Turn (DAET).
Kim said, “Maky wrote a script on the myths and facts of high school students’ vaping. He led other students and scouts in filming and acting, using the Ashland high school as the setting for the PSA. He choose to animate the facts that vaping is not a safe choice. He created a short video that can be viewed on the DAET website (https://bit.ly/34jlihe), was shown on Ashland’s cable channel, and is now part of the high school’s 10th grade health class curriculum.”
Over the years Jordan Kotob and his family visited many animal shelters, and in the process, they rescued a kitten. In recent years, Jordan volunteered at the local cat shelter by helping set up at a craft fair fundraiser. When it came time for him to choose an Eagle project, he wanted to do something to help the cat shelter.
“The shelter director asked if he would be willing to paint a main room that needed to be brightened up,” Kim said. “Jordan agreed to paint the room and build a hiding cubby for the feral cat room. When Jordan returned a few weeks later to pick up paint choices, he walked out with a new plan for painting three rooms and a small bathroom, as well as building the hiding cubby.”
“In the end, with the help from volunteers, he improved the shelter’s second floor. He patched holes, freshened up trim, painted three rooms, improved latches on makeshift doors, secured hooks and towel holders to the walls, and constructed hiding spots that the kittens love.”
“Jordan learned a lot from this project, especially that when you are working in a room of friendly kittens, it is hard to get any work done at all!”
“A scout must earn their Eagle rank by age 18. Though Mak has now ‘aged out’ of the scouts, he plans to continue to give back to the troop by helping out with meetings and campouts.”
“Jordan, who is not yet 18, plans to stay active in the troop. He wants to continue to earn merit badges, and has a bet with one of the leaders that he will earn more merit badges than him. If Jordan earns 52 (he has earned 44 so far) merit badges, his leader will dye his hair pink.”