Eagle Scout award ceremony honors Dallin Jamison Hughes

An Eagle Scout award ceremony was held on Sunday, July 7, to honor Dallin Jamison Hughes and Christopher Joseph Haynie. 

Dallin Hughes is a resident of Branson and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints.  He is a registered scout in Troop 879.  He is a homeschooled student and performs with his family at the Hughes Brothers Theatre.  For his Eagle Scout project, he organized a group of scouts and volunteers who served the city of Branson by making improvements to the Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area off of Fall Creek Road.  The historic Owen homestead is located there and overlooks Lake Taneycomo and the College of the Ozarks.  The service group cleared heavy brush and created a walking path along a stone wall that surrounds the homestead. 

Dallin enjoys writing, dancing, singing, public speaking, public relations and outdoor activities.  He has performed on stage in Branson from the time he was 2 years old.  He teaches hip-hop dance at Sonshine Dance Studio and was the recipient of Branson Show Awards' Young Male Entertainer of the Year in 2012.  He plans to serve a two-year mission for his church and continue performing.  He would also like to be come a mentor and motivational speaker.

Christopher Haynie is a student at Branson High School.  He enjoys playing the trumpet and French horn.  He is in the marching band, jazz band, and has been in the orchestra for two musical productions.  He is an honor student, having earned an academic letter, and is a participant in Missouri Scholars Academy for 2013.  He is an academic team and chess club member.  He will be a junior in the 2013-14 school year.  Haynie is a member of Troop 978 and has earned 31 Merit Badges.  He has served as patrol leader, bugler, and historian.  For his Eagle project, Haynie met with the city, determined where a new trail needed to go (including a pass by a scenic water fall) and then organized a group of youth to mark, clear, and define a new trail at Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area in Branson.