*Davis, Austin, and Mason on V-Day at Camp Longhorn in Burnet, Texas, during the summer of 2018.*

Bill and Jessica Miller have raised three Eagle Scouts. That’s not something every family can say, but with a legacy of service and Scouting like the Millers have instilled, it’s not surprising to see their three sons are accomplishing great things for their communities.

Bill and Jessica met through friends in college, serving as each other’s fraternity and sorority dates at member functions one weekend in February at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The two have been together since.

*Davis’ Eagle Scout portrait – March 2018*

After Bill graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, he went on to Texas Tech School of Law in Lubbock. Jessica moved to Houston to put her degree in Economics to work briefly before moving to Dallas to pursue a teaching certificate from Southern Methodist University. After law school, the two moved to Texarkana to settle down. “Bill grew up in Texarkana, and we both wanted to live close to family,” Jessica said. “When Bill received a job offer in Texarkana following law school, it was an easy decision to move back here and make this our home.”

Bill went to work as an attorney for Patton, Haltom, Roberts, McWilliams & Greer Law Firm fresh out of law school, and Jessica took a second grade teaching position at St. James Day School. The two were married in 1997 during their first year in Texarkana.

*During July 2017, Bill, Davis, and Austin attended the National Jamboree at the Bechtel National Scout Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia.*

The couple’s three sons, Davis (21), Austin (18), and Mason (16), each attended St. James Day School, and when Davis was old enough, the Millers’ Scouting journey began. It wasn’t immediately clear what an adventure was in-store, but over time, Scouting became more than just a hobby. “When Davis was in first grade, I was told that he should join Cub Scouts with Pack 16 at First Baptist Church,” Jessica said. “He started Scouting that year and continued to enjoy it all the way through high school. Once he crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts in fifth grade, earning the rank of Eagle Scout became a goal, as well as an expectation.”

Bill and Jessica credit good Scout leadership for inspiring their boys to be successful at Scouting. “The boys were lucky to have had encouragement, support and strong leadership from Troop 16,” Jessica said. “Davis’ leader, Mike Asher, set the standard for the Miller boys. He made Scouting fun, cultivated a love of Scouting in his patrol, and pushed hard to get all his boys to make Eagle. After Austin and Mason transitioned to Boy Scouts, it was understood that they would follow the same path to Eagle as Davis had taken.”

*Austin’s Eagle Scout portrait – April 2021*

Bill and Jessica each played an integral role in getting each of the Miller boys to the Scouting finish line. Bill helped plan, lead, and attended campouts, hikes, and Scouting activities for all three boys. He served as an Assistant Scoutmaster for the Troop 16 Wolf, Panther, and Kodiak patrols, Troop Adult Quartermaster, completed the Wood Badge course and related community service projects, and was a High Adventure Counselor for troop and patrol activities. He served as an adult Scoutmaster for the 2017 National Jamboree Caddo Area Council Troop 4203 and has served many years as a merit badge counselor at Caddo Area Council Winter Camp by teaching photography and law courses. In addition, he has served on the Caddo Area Council Board of Directors, is a member of the Order of the Arrow, and is a recent recipient of the Silver Beaver Award for service to youth within the Caddo Area Council.

*Mason’s Eagle Scout portrait – November 2021*

Jessica served as the quintessential Scout mom, taking the boys to weekly Cub Scout and pack meetings, driving the boys around town so they could sell and later deliver popcorn for a fundraiser, helping plan and organize annual Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquets, attending multiple Mom and Me campouts with the boys at Preston Hunt, making countless trips to The Silver Needle to have patches sewn on the boys’ uniforms, attending tap out ceremonies at Camp Pioneer for the boys’ induction to the Order of the Arrow, and so much more.

All that to say that the boys pulled their own weight when it came to Scouting. “The boys faithfully attended Monday night meetings and served in various leadership roles within their dens and their patrols,” Jessica said. “They each attended Webelos Resident Camp at Preston Hunt, Scout summer camp at Camp Pioneer and Camp Hale, and Caddo Area Council Winter Camp at Preston Hunt. In 2017, Austin and Davis spent a week in West Virginia at the National Jamboree. All three boys participated in many Eagle service projects, conservation and cleanup efforts, food distributions, Scout-A-Rama campouts at Spring Lake Park, and long hikes. They are all members of the Order of the Arrow, the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America.”

*Bill and Mason with an Indian during an Order of the Arrow tap out ceremony at Camp Pioneer in Mena, Arkansas, in June of 2018.*

The Miller boys’ Eagle projects have each benefitted the Texarkana community greatly. “Davis created and produced PSAs for four local nonprofit organizations,” Jessica said. “He chose this because it was enjoyable to him and allowed him to use his talents with filming and editing. Austin designed, built, and hung owl boxes at Bringle Lake Park. He chose this because he has a love of animals and was interested in providing shelter and helping to sustain owl habitats. Mason designed and built an outdoor classroom at St. James Day School. The project included a planter box for educational use, as well as a teaching and gathering space. He chose this because there was a need for such a space at St. James, and it allowed him to give something back to his former elementary school.”

Bill and Jessica are extremely proud of their sons and the contributions they’ve made, but Scouting has taught them a lot more than that. “Scouting is more than an activity,” Bill said. “It is fundamentally a program to teach good citizenship and leadership skills to our kids. Scouts progress from being part of a group to having to lead the group; from learning life skill to teaching life skills. They must learn team building skills and how to work together to accomplish goals. In the end, the whole program is designed to teach kids how to be self-confident, productive citizens who are proud of their country, their relationship with God and who know how to work with others to accomplish all the challenges that are thrown at them as adults. Overall, Scouting taught leadership skills! The boys have learned how to be self-reliant, look out for others, be a good citizen, be involved in their community, work well with others, and set a goal and work towards achieving it.”

The Miller boys are involved in a lot more ways than just Scouts, but in every aspect of their lives, they use the skills and lessons learned in Scouting. Davis is currently a junior at The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Radio, Television-Film. When he’s not in class, he films UT home athletic events for Bevo Video Productions, films community events for Earl Miller Productions, Inc. such as concerts and Austin FC soccer games. He is actively involved with TSTV (Texas Student Television) and the Delta Kappa Alpha Cinematic Society. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, camping, playing the guitar, and spending time with friends.

Austin is a senior at Texas High School where he is a four-year varsity soccer player, and a club soccer player for FC Dallas East Texas. He is a member of the Student Council and National Honor Society. Austin serves as a church acolyte at St. James Episcopal Church. He plans to attend Sewanee: The University of the South, where he will join the men’s soccer team in the fall. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, listening to music, playing soccer and refereeing youth soccer games.

Mason is a sophomore at Texas High School, where he’s on the JV basketball team and the track team. He is a member of Student Council and serves as a youth soccer referee. His hobbies include playing basketball, attending church youth group, and spending time with his friends.

Feature Stories

A Legacy of Service & Scouting