Why the Fund?
Carter Herne: The Eagle Scout
Carter's family has a long history in scouts with his great-grandfather, grandfather and father all earning the rank of Eagle Scout. This set a strong example for Carter to follow in their footsteps and then mentor his younger brother Jack to do the same. Scouting gave Carter a beautiful appreciation for the outdoors and the skills to fully enjoy them. He carried those skills into his adulthood when he found his passion in carpentry and woodworking, becoming an avid hunter proud to harvest his own meat and exploring the world through travel with his family and friends.
Outdoor Adventures
In 2009, Carter bridged over to Boy Scouts. Although he was uncertain about continuing with scouts, his first outing to Loch Leven in the Sierra Mountains left a lasting impression. The scout-led outings fed his deep sense of adventure and nurtured his love of the outdoors.
Friends & Fun
Carter's scouting experiences started in 2004 when he became a Tiger Scout in Kindergarten. His cub scout years were filled with earning badges, patches, belt loops, awards and attending scout camp each summer. There was also great excitement around the annual pinewood derby, deciding on a design and building the car. He was thrilled to win a few Pinewood Derby awards over the years.
Carter continued earning patches and progressing through ranks, but his favorite part was attending scout camp and going on outings. The outings included snow camping, Klondike sled races, river rafting trips, orienteering trips, learning to scuba dive, backpacking trips on the California coast and countless adventures to the Sierras.
Carter ended his scouting career by earning scouting's highest rank of Eagle Scout on October 1, 2015, the day before his 18th birthday. The experiences and skills Carter gained in scouts led him into his many adult adventures, much of which was outdoor focused.
Carter loved the Philmont experience so much, he returned the next summer for a solo Rayado trip also at Philmont. Carter often referred to these two treks as having a profound impact on his life and shaping his life priorities.
In 2012, Carter and his buddies began preparing for the Philmont High Adventure Camp trip with a return hike to his favorite spot, Loch Leven Lake. In 2013, Carter was able to journey to Philmont with his troop, hiking about a hundred miles in two weeks and making memories with his best friends, his dad and his cousin Caeden.
Skills for Adulthood
Carter's family found a note in his phone that he named his "Creed". This creed perfectly embodies Carter's approach to life:
Live a life filled with joy, not happiness.
Surround yourself with those who care for you as much as you care for them.
Be as genuine as you can throughout your life.
Direct your life towards others, and love will be returned selflessly.
Carter's Creed
Work Harder
Carter had one tattoo that read "Work Harder" in his own handwriting. It would be easy to say "work smarter, not harder" but to Carter, "work harder" was about tenacity and not giving up when things get difficult. Often, if you just keep after something, eventually you can master it.
Carter loved traveling with his family with big trips to Macchu Picchu, Australia, and Belize. In his adulthood, he became an avid hunter with an epic trip to South Africa with close friends in 2023.
Forever Adventuring
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Carter had one tattoo that read "Work Harder" in his own handwriting. It would be easy to say "work smarter, not harder" but to Carter, "work harder" was about tenacity and not giving up when things get difficult. Often, if you just keep after something, eventually you can master it.
Work Harder
Carter tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident in August of 2023 at the age of 25. This memorial fund was created through extremely generous donations by family, friends, and people who were touched by Carter's story in some way.
Carter's adventurous spirit was rooted in scouting. His family felt the best way to honor his memory would be to create a scholarship fund that might ignite that same sense of adventure in others.
Carter loved his experiences at Philmont Scout camp. The scholarships will be used to help scouts attend Philmont and other high adventure camps. The hope is that as an endowment, the fund will provide scholarships for many years to come.
