Vancouver scout first in area to earn Summit Award

Lake Shore — Jordan Parkes, 17, became the first scout from the Cascade Pacific Council to earn the Venturing Summit Award, the highest award a scout can receive in Venturing. It’s the equivalent to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, and currently, less than 150 scouts nationwide have earned the Summit Award. Parkes is a junior at Columbia River High School and is also part of the culinary magnet program at Fort Vancouver High School. She had to complete a service project for the award, so Parkes upgraded the toddler room at the Clark County Family YMCA. She spent the summer of 2017 raising nearly $900, which she used to purchase toys and supplies for the room. During the YMCA’s yearly closure in August, she painted a chalkboard wall, installed shelves and storage units and assembled a play kitchen and train table. Parkes started with the Girl Scouts at age 5, and joined Venturing, the Boy Scouts of America’s co-ed program, when she was 14.