Chip and Benjamin Waggoner
If you were watching the Good Day on Fox 4 Monday morning, you may have been a little concerned about Lake Highlands resident and traffic guru Chip Waggoner. He looked like he might simply burst with pride.
Waggoner’s son, Benjamin, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a ceremony over the weekend at Lake Highlands United Methodist Church. Benjamin is a member of Troop 890, and for his Eagle project he designed, planned and led the installation of a 9-hole Frisbee golf course at Camp John Marc. The camp in Bosque County, which treats children with medical and physical challenges, is where Benjamin attended as a child and mentored as a teen.
Earning one’s Eagle requires months of dedication, but Benjamin’s achievement is particularly notable because of the medical issues which have left him in a wheelchair. The setback didn’t slow him much – he also plays alto sax in the Wildcat Marching Band and is part of their Esprit de Corps, a spirit group which leads fun activities for band members. And take note, Waco: Benjamin hopes to be a 5th generation Baylor Bear this fall.
“I have a wonderful son,” said Chip on Fox 4. “I’ve had a front-row seat to watch him grow and develop over the years and overcome a number of challenges and yet, through it all, have an unbelievably positive attitude.”
Chip’s esteem for his son, though, isn’t newly acquired. In 2016, he wrote a piece for Christian Parenting Magazine on why his son is his hero.
And Benjamin has other admirers.
“He has been so determined and joyful since he was born, really, in every aspect of life despite all his challenges,” says mom, Wendy. “That determination, coupled with so many people that have supported and encouraged him through scouts, doctors and nurses, family and friends, helped him achieve so much.”
Benjamin Waggoner with his awards and photos
