Eagle Scouts Eli McCoy, right, and Cole Hamilton are the recipients of the 2023 Josh Dormagen Scout Leadership Award, which was established by friends, family and Scouts of Troop 420 to perpetuate the memory of Josh Dormagen, an exemplary scout who passed away in 1998.
LAURINBURG —Eagle Scouts Eli McCoy and Cole Hamilton have been named the recipients of the 2023 Josh Dormagen Scout Leadership Award.
The Josh Dormagen Scout Leadership Award was established by friends, family and Scouts of Troop 420 to perpetuate the memory of Josh Dormagen, an exemplary scout who passed away in 1998. Along with a plaque recognizing the recipient’s leadership and service, each recipient receives a $4,000 scholarship to be applied toward college tuition.
Eli McCoy is the son of Walker and Julie McCoy of Laurinburg. During his Scouting years, he served the troop as quartermaster and senior patrol leader. He is a graduate of the Cape Fear Council, Boy Scouts of America’s National Youth Leadership Training Course (NYLT).
Eli’s Eagle Scout Project demonstrated leadership through planning, building, and placing bat habitat boxes at the Lumber River State Park in Wagram. His fellow Scouts elected Eli for membership in the Klahican Lodge, and he is a part of the Brotherhood of the Order of the Arrow. The Order of the Arrow is Scouting’s honor camping society. Eli is a 2023 graduate of Scotland High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and participated in wrestling, cross country, football and baseball.
Over the years, Eli consistently volunteered for the Scotland County Highland Games, helped place flags in downtown Laurinburg during holidays and cleaned up yards following storms. This fall, he plans to continue his education at North Carolina State University, College of Engineering.
Cole is the son of Dan and Shannon Hamilton. of Laurinburg. Cole is a 2023 graduate of Scotland High School, where he was a junior marshal and member of the Beta Club and National Honor Society, the captain of the soccer and tennis teams, and played on the bowling team. He also represented Laurinburg as an Oban Ambassador to our Sister City, Oban, Scotland. During his Scouting years, Cole served the troop as a Patrol Leader, Troop Guide and Senior Patrol Leader. He is a graduate of the Cape Fear Council, BSA’s National Youth Leadership Training Course (NYLT). Camp Monroe was the beneficiary of Cole’s Eagle Scout project, in which he led Scouts and friends in building 18 tee boxes for the disc golf course. Cole is a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church. He plans to continue his education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Dormagen was an Eagle Scout who personified the ideals of Scouting in his daily life. The award is presented annually to a Scotland County High School Senior who has excelled in the classroom and serves as an example for others through community involvement and leadership. The recipient is recognized for his scholarship, leadership and community service. Dormagen was a student at Scotland High School in Laurinburg, ranked number two in his class after his sophomore year. He participated on the Cross Country and Track teams.
The most notable parts of Dormagen were his “personality, kindness and humor.” His love for his family, friends, and life was said to be extraordinary, as was his love for scouting.
He joined Troop 420 in September 1994, achieving Eagle rank in June 1998. His ceremony that month was one of the highlights of his life and a proud moment for him and his whole family. He had documented more than 350 hours in his Eagle project, a safety fair for children, before his death in a tragic automobile accident in July 1998.
In his Eagle Book, his life’s goals were simple, “…after college, I would like to return home to a small town in North Carolina, practice medicine, stay active in church and scouts, and work on cars.”