The Town of Shalimar is beaming with pride over the accomplishments of brothers Bradley and Chandler Buckthal, both members of Scouts BSA Troop 529, who have recently achieved milestones that showcase leadership, service and dedication.
On Sept. 17, 2025, Bradley Buckthal, 17, was honored by the Town of Shalimar with a Certificate of Recognition for being named an alternate delegate to the American Legion Boys Nation program. Considered the pinnacle of the Legion’s youth leadership initiatives, Boys Nation brings a select group of high school students to Washington, D.C., each summer for a weeklong mock Senate. Delegates debate bills, elect leaders, meet with top officials and gain firsthand insight into civic life. Selection requires excellence in academics, leadership and service—qualities Bradley has consistently displayed as an Eagle Scout and community leader.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Chandler Buckthal, a freshman at Fort Walton Beach High School, cleared a major hurdle toward earning Scouting’s highest honor—Eagle Scout—by leading the construction of a fully equipped archery range that will benefit thousands of students for years to come. A member of Scouts BSA Troop 529, Buckthal selected the project after recognizing a need for upgrading his school’s archery range.
With help from a volunteer crew, Buckthal designed and built a 50-by-60-foot range that met official National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) standards. They first leveled the field, framed it and filled it with gravel. To finish it off, they installed target, 10-meter and 15-meter shooting lines, built sturdy benches for archers and mounted a cable-and-pole system to safely hang the arrow-catching curtain.
After investing 388 hours and raising nearly $7,000 worth of donated supplies from several local businesses, Chandler’s Eagle Scout project was completed. More importantly, it created a suitable range for the school’s archery classes, competitive team, and JROTC program. With level ground and proper target distances, the teams can now practice under tournament conditions—an important step toward greater success in competitions.
Thanks to Buckthal’s initiative, which reflects the Scouting values of service and community, approximately 1,600 students who attend FWB High School have access to a regulation archery range fit for physical education and competition.
Together, the Buckthal brothers embody the values of Scouting and community service—one leading in the halls of government, the other leaving a lasting mark on local education and athletics.
Interested in joining Scouts BSA? To start the process or learn more, visit https://beascout.scouting.org/.
