Reaching the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts of America, is extremely difficult. It’s such a rare accomplishment, only 4 boys out of 100 earn the honor.

That is, unless you belong to the Schwarz family.

Levi Schwarz, an 18-year-old senior at Bend High School, recently became the sixth member of his family to become an Eagle Scout. He follows his four older brothers and late father, Doug Schwarz, who died in 2014 after a two-year battle with cancer.

“It was Dad’s goal that we all get Eagle Scout,” said Samuel Schwarz, 26, the second-oldest brother in the family.

Their father’s goal was realized Friday evening inside the Bend Park & Recreation District’s Riverside Community Room, where Levi Schwarz received his Eagle Scout title at a formal ceremony.

He stood up before his Troop 21, friends and family, including his mother, Janet Schwarz, and younger sister, Martha Schwarz.

All four of Levi Schwarz’s older brothers came from across the country to attend the ceremony. Joseph Schwarz, 21, came from Spokane, Washington. Peter Schwarz, 23, traveled from Kansas City, Missouri. Samuel Schwarz rode down from Redmond. And Benjamin Schwarz, 29, arrived from Hamilton, Montana.

An Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges and complete a community service project.

Joseph, Peter and Samuel Schwarz did their service projects by adding trails and benches to the Diocese of Baker Diocesan Retreat & Conference Center in Powell Butte. Benjamin Schwarz did his project by cleaning up the former St. Vincent De Paul building in Bend.

Levi Schwarz’s project was building a meditation area next to a statue outside St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bend. He and his family are members of the church.

The meditation area consists of a brick walkway that connects to a landing in front of the church’s statue. On the brick landing is a bench dedicated to his father.

“Once I found out I was going to be doing something here at the church, I knew right away I wanted to have some dedication to my dad,” Levi Schwarz said.

His service project took more than a year to complete and was delayed by 2 feet of snow on the ground during the historic winter in 2016-17. It was officially finished last September.

To fund the project, Levi Schwarz needed to raise between $3,000 and $4,000. He spent a Sunday at his church giving a speech at all five services to explain his project and ask for donations. The congregation responded in a big way and helped him raise about $6,000.

The extra funds are being set aside to help future Eagle Scout projects.

For Levi Schwarz, becoming an Eagle Scout is just part of his accomplishments. He is an honors student, captain of his high school’s nordic ski team, a member of his school’s award-winning choir and a lacrosse player in the spring.

After graduation, he plans to study at Montana State University and possibly major in engineering, which was his father’s profession.

Among Levi Schwarz’s various interests, being a Boy Scout was always front and center in his life.

His oldest brother, Benjamin Schwarz, a post-doctoral researcher at a lab in Montana, said he remembers his little brother being around Boy Scout events as a infant.

“His experience with the Boy Scouts goes way deeper than the rest of us,” Benjamin Schwarz said. “He was doing it since he was a toddler.”

For all five of the Schwarz boys, pursuing the Eagle Scout title was a way for them to connect one-on-one with their father. They each recall special memories working toward the rank with their father’s guidance.

“In a big family, you don’t get your parents’ exclusive attention all the time,” Benjamin Schwarz said. “It was a really cool way for each one of us to get to spend time with Dad and get to learn from him.”

That quality time and guidance led to each son reaching the Eagle Scout rank.

Levi Schwarz joked he would be excommunicated from his family if he fell short of Eagle Scout. But in all seriousness, he said, reaching the highest rank just became an expectation within his family.

“I saw all my brothers received the rank,” he said. “And that’s just something the Schwarzes did.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com