Summer 2010 - National Eagle Scout Association

EagleScout
www.NESA.org
SUMMER 2010
|
Vol. 36, No. 2
Seeing
Is Believing
Despite Facing a Slippery
Slope of Obstacles,
Former Scout wins
Olympic Gold
Also in this issue:
NESA at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, page 8
Eagle Scout helps build homes in Mexico, page 10
Long-forgotten merit badges make a return, page 13
News in Brief, back cover
News From the Trailhead
From the President
From the Director
Dear Eagle Scouts,
To paraphrase Napoleon Dynamite: Gosh! The 2010 jamboree is
going to be freakin’ cool!
The 100th Anniversary jamboree is your chance to meet the
star of the blockbuster movie Napoleon Dynamite, actor and Eagle
Scout Jon Heder. Jon will appear at the NESA national exhibit tent
during the jamboree to meet not only fellow Eagle Scouts, but all
Scouts who visit. Just don’t ask Jon if you can have his tots! (That’s
tater tots to us older guys.) The NESA exhibit will be easy to find;
it is housed in its own tent for the first time and located on Thomas
Road, near the Boys’ Life exhibit and the arena show entry road.
The NESA exhibit will provide a cool respite from the sultry Virginia
heat, with misters and large fans keeping you—our visitors—cool
while meeting numerous nationally prominent Eagle Scouts such
as retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Charlie Duke (Apollo 16 lunar
module pilot and the 10th man to walk on the moon) and the only
living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient who is an Eagle
Scout, Col. Leo Thorsness. Also attending are Scott Strauss, formerly
of the NYPD and a 9/11 hero, and Col. Charlie McGee, an original
Tuskegee Airman who will be 90 years young when he visits the
NESA exhibit.
The NESA exhibit will be staffed by 27 outstanding Eagle Scouts,
led by our chief and Distinguished Eagle Scout, Judge Shawn
Briese. His assistant chief is Joe Weingarten. Ably assisted by
team leaders Bill Farmer, Dennis Wilson, and Ed Yarborough, you
will find an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff ready to assist
you with NESA regular and life memberships, at a reduced price.
All Eagles joining NESA at the jamboree will receive a uniquely
designed membership certificate recognizing the 100th Anniversary
of Scouting and the last jamboree “on the hill.” For the collectors
among us, there will be NESA jamboree-specific items available
only at the NESA exhibit. You can also learn about the history of the
Eagle Scout medal.
A bald eagle from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota,
will be present daily for a “nose-to-beak” experience for visitors.
Learn more about NESA.org’s interactive Web site and view flat-screen
TVs displaying stories of Eagle Scouts. With so much going on, you
will want to stop by the exhibit each day.
Our NESA president, Glenn Adams, has told you what is planned
for this summer’s national Scout jamboree in Virginia. NESA has
never before had such a prominent exhibit tent so full of wonderful
daily features. It’s going to be a tough act to follow at our next
jamboree in 2013, but we will rise to the occasion.
I would like to tell you about other things NESA has going now.
This is the third issue of Eagle Scout Magazine—our new look and
name. The feedback that I have received has been very good.
Our members are happy with it. But we are not done making it better.
We have a plan that we are following one step at a time.
The first national winner of the new Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams
National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award, Alex Griffith,
was honored at the BSA’s National Annual Meeting in May. This is
only the beginning of this meaningful award, endowed through the
generosity of the NESA president and his wife, Melinda. We had
35 of the 298 councils participate this first year, so we have lots
of room to grow.
And speaking of growing, we certainly are. Our membership is
increasing nicely. The word seems to be out about our many
membership benefits, not only the Eagle Scout Magazine, but the
many online services for members at NESA.org, how interesting our
Web site is, and special projects such as the Eagle Scout storybook
that we published this year. It’s all part of NESA’s contribution to the
100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.
Yours in Scouting,
C. William Steele
Director
Yours in Scouting,
Glenn A. Adams
President
2 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
summer
Eagle Scout
Eagletter
Magazine
EagleScout
ISSN 0890-4995
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
National President
Rex Tillerson
John
Gottschalk
National Commissioner
Tico Perez
Perez
Tico
Chief Scout
Scout Executive
Executive
Chief
Robert J.
J. Mazzuca
Mazzuca
Robert
NATIONAL EAGLE
EAGLE SCOUT
SCOUT ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL
President, Glenn
Glenn A.
A. Adams
Adams
President,
NESA Committee, Shawn L. Briese,
NESA Committee, Shawn L. Briese,
Dr. David Briscoe, Peter P. Casey,
Dr. David Briscoe, James H. Burton,
John M. Coughlin, Clark W. Fetridge,
Peter P. Casey, John M. Coughlin,
Marshall Hollis, Brad Lichota,
Clark W. Fetridge, Marshall Hollis,
Thomas L. Owsley, Congressman
Jack O’Neill, Thomas L. Owsley,
Pete Sessions
Congressman Pete Sessions
Director, C. William “Bill” Steele
Director, C. William (Bill) Steele
Regents consist of more than 600 life
Regents
more than
600
life
membersconsist
of the of
National
Eagle
Scout
members
of
the
National
Eagle
Scout
Association who also are recipients of
Association
who also
areScout
recipients
of
the Distinguished
Eagle
Award.
the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
EAGLE Scout Magazine
EAGLETTER
Editor, C. William “Bill” Steele
Editor,
C. William
(Bill)
Steele
Associate
editor, Jeff
Laughlin
Associate
Jeff Laughlin
Staff: Loiseditor,
Albertus,
Teresa Brown
Staff: Lois Albertus, Teresa Brown
Address all correspondence to
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4Putting U.S. Bobsledding on the Map
Steven Holcomb wasn’t given much of a chance to succeed
as a bobsled driver. However, the Eagle Scout overcame vision
problems and being cut from Team USA at one point to eventually win Olympic gold during the Winter Games in February.
8 NESA Exhibit Has Plenty to Offer
The NESA exhibit at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree will
include Napoleon Dynamite, a bald eagle, and a man who
has walked on the moon. Those alone should pique your
interest. Read on to discover what other attractions you
will find at Fort A.P. Hill.
10 Building a Better Future in Mexico
Eagle Scout Justin Churchman routinely travels to one of
the most dangerous cities in the world. Why? He wants
to help residents in need by aiding in home construction.
“The first time I saw someone cry because their family
now had a house, I knew I had to go back,” he says.
13 Americanism Breakfast
Honors Excellence
NESA’s Americanism Breakfast during the BSA’s National
Annual Meeting showcased positive messages and
outstanding citizens. Find out who was honored during
the special ceremony.
22Saluting the Can-Do Troop
Troop 409 in Pensacola, Florida, includes 22 members
with various physical and mental disabilities. However,
with some outstanding leadership, they do everything
in their power to accomplish what any other Scout does.
For detailed
detailed submission
For
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and click on Eagle
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and Scout
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summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 3
Eagle Scout Overcomes Odds to Win Olympic Gold
by Mark Ray
S
teven Holcomb slid into the history
books February 27 as the driver of
USA 1, America’s first four-man
bobsled team to win Olympic gold since
1948. The team’s performance in the Night
Train sled —which included setting a
Whistler Sliding Centre course record on
one run—capped a remarkable season
in which the team also won America’s
first world championship since 1959
and its first World Cup title since 1992.
What made the season even more
remarkable is how Holcomb got here.
The Kindest Cut
A Park City, Utah, native, Holcomb came
to bobsledding from alpine skiing. He made
the U.S. bobsled team in 1998, securing a
spot as a pusher, one of the two athletes
who get a sled started on its 90 mph dash
4 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
through the twists and turns of the course.
Holcomb dreamed of competing in his
hometown during the 2002 Olympics,
but driver Brian Shimer didn’t give him
the chance. “He cut me from the team,”
Holcomb said. “I was only 21 at the time,
and he picked up a guy who was 29 or
30 years old, had been in the Olympics
before, and was just a lot more seasoned
veteran than I was. It’s understandable
what he did, but of course at the time,
I was pretty upset.”
Holcomb quickly turned his disappointment
into determination. He decided to become a
driver—a position from which he couldn’t
be cut—and to serve as a forerunner at the
2002 Games. (Forerunners test a bobsled
track before competitive runs begin.)
There was just one problem. To become
a certified driver, Holcomb needed to
complete 100 runs without a crash—and
the Olympics were barely a month away.
So for the next month, Holcomb virtually
lived at the track, completing run after run
using whatever warm bodies he could find,
including his father, friends, track workers,
and even the team’s physical therapist.
“She was like a 110-pound woman who
basically just sat in the sled,” he said.
“I would push off the sled and jump in and
ride down. It was literally whoever I could
find and whatever I could do to get those
runs in. Sure enough, I finally made it.”
But Holcomb’s biggest challenge
lay ahead.
Flying Blind
About the time Holcomb decided to
become a driver, doctors diagnosed him
with keratoconus, a degenerative eye
condition that makes the corneas bulge
and seriously affects a person’s vision.
Contact lenses helped for a while, but his
vision gradually worsened too much for
contacts to correct it. Eventually, he couldn’t
distinguish the leaves on a tree or make
out the largest letter on an eye chart.
He was slowly but surely going blind.
Amazingly, as Holcomb’s vision got
worse, his driving got better. Rather than
rely on his eyes, he began to rely on his
instincts, feeling a course’s curves instead
of looking at them. Sports Illustrated called
him “America’s sledi knight,” recalling
the scene from Star Wars in which Luke
Skywalker learns to use his lightsaber
while wearing an opaque visor.
“Bobsledding’s not reaction,” Holcomb
explained. “A lot of people think you’re
reacting to what’s going on, but it’s actually
more anticipation and correction. Once you
see something, you’re past it and it’s over
and you’re going to have some issues.”
By 2007, Holcomb’s keratoconus got
so bad that he decided to quit bobsledding.
But Shimer, who was now the bobsled
team’s head coach, wouldn’t let him walk
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 5
Lessons Learned:
Steve Holcomb and Scouting
Scouting didn’t introduce Steve Holcomb to winter
sports, but it certainly gave him plenty of time in the
outdoors. “Growing up here [in Utah], we did a lot of outdoor
stuff,” he recalled. “Every weekend, we were out with Scouts
doing something.”
Beyond the outings, Holcomb credits Scouting with broadening
his horizons. “Earning all the merit badges really opens your
eyes to more than just one thing in life. There’s so much to learn,
so much you have to do,” he said.
The advancement program also whetted his appetite
for achievement. “You always have to do your best; you
really do have to perform,” he said. “It’s not like you
just show up and automatically get your merit
badges. You actually have to learn
and use your skills.”
away. Instead, Shimer did some research
and learned of a radical surgery that
involved implanting polymer lenses
behind the irises.
Holcomb underwent the surgery and
immediately regained his 20/20 vision.
Once again, he could see the leaves on
trees, the letters on an eye chart—and
everything flying past him on bobsled runs.
“It took me a few weeks to figure out that
there was too much information,” Holcomb
said. “My visor started getting dirty, and
eventually it got to the point that it was
6 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
really dirty, and I was like, ‘This is really
helping me. I’m not able to see as much as
I did before, so I can actually concentrate
on my sense of feel.’ ”
Ever since, Holcomb has intentionally
scratched his visor to limit visual cues.
Like Luke Skywalker before him, he learned
that your eyes really can deceive you.
Fun and (Olympic) Games
Holcomb learned something else as
well—the value of leadership and teamwork. “I was a pusher for four years,
so I know what it’s like,” he said. “The drivers
can make it very stressful.”
Determined not to make that mistake,
Holcomb has worked hard to make sure his
team has fun. Most famously, he breaks
into a shuffling dance called the Holcy
Dance whenever teammate Steve Mesler
starts singing. (You can find video evidence
on YouTube, but don’t look for Holcomb on
“Dancing With the Stars.” He’s a much
better bobsledder than he is a dancer.)
And then there’s the 50/50. After a day
of training at Whistler—in British Columbia,
Canada—last year, Holcomb and his team
dubbed the track’s 13th curve the 50/50
because only half the sleds were making it
through that section unscathed. The next
morning, as the team inspected the track
before another day of training, Holcomb
adorned the curve with a sign made out of
a brown paper bag left over from a Chinese
takeout order. The sign didn’t survive the
day, but the name did, as did the team’s
carefree attitude.
“There’s a point where you need to relax
and calm down,” Holcomb said. “This isn’t
the end of the world. This is meant to be
fun. It isn’t supposed to be a stressful,
miserable time.”
Racing Into the Future
The fun continued just a few days after
the Olympics, when Holcomb and USA 1
appeared on “The Late Show With David
Letterman” to share a list of the “Top Ten
Things You Don’t Want To Hear from a Guy
In Your Bobsled.” (Among the highlights:
“We’re lost,” “Stop breathing down my neck,”
and “Somebody else steer; I’m Twittering.”)
They’ve also appeared at countless
meet-and-greets and sponsor events
across the country.
“We were able to put bobsledding
back on the map. It’s really going to help
us get back in the spotlight and get our
sport rolling again,” Holcomb said.
Before long, however, the spotlight will
move on, and Holcomb’s team will return to
Lake Placid to prepare for the 2010–2011
season. Will USA 1 compete for gold again
at the 2014 Winter Olympics? “For sure,”
Holcomb said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 7
NESA’s Jamboree Exhibit Features
High-Flying Eagles
(Feathered and Otherwise)
by Mark Ray
T
he 37,000 participants in this summer’s
national Scout jamboree will probably
take home 37 million memories.
For some, the highlight will be the sea
of Scouts at the arena shows or a close
encounter with a Scout from beyond the
seas. Others will remember completing
the confidence course or competing
in the bikathlon at one of the four action
centers. Many will treasure memories of
the Brownsea Island Camp, the Order
of the Arrow Indian Village, or the OA’s
Mysterium Compass (a live-action
adventure that combines elements of
video gaming, theater, and theme-parkstyle immersion).
8 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
For Eagle Scouts, however, one highlight
of the jamboree will undoubtedly be a visit
to the NESA exhibit.
“Exhibit” might not be the right word.
While there will be plenty to look at, the
exhibit will be far from static, thanks to
NESA jamboree chief Shawn L. Briese
and his team, as well as NESA president
Glenn A. Adams, the NESA Committee,
NESA director Bill Steele and his staff, and
other volunteers. They’ve all devoted their
time and energy to making the NESA exhibit
a must-see for every jamboree participant
and visitor.
“If you’ve never come by the NESA
exhibit, you need to stop by and see
what’s happening,” Briese said. “If you
have come by in past years, stop by in 2010
because it is an exhibit that has changed
and progressed forward from past jamborees.”
Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days, the
exhibit will seek to “expose as many Scouts
and Scouters as possible to NESA, NESA’s
goals, and how those Scouts and Scouters
can become involved in NESA,” Briese said.
However, that doesn’t mean you have
to be an Eagle Scout to visit. The booth will
welcome Eagle Scouts of yesterday, today,
and tomorrow, including day visitors such
as Cub Scouts. Current Eagle Scouts will be
able to join NESA at special jamboree rates
and receive commemorative membership
summer
About the NESA Exhibit
The NESA exhibit at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree will be located
in the national exhibits area near visitor parking and the arena. Staffed by
27 Eagle Scouts from across the country, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
daily except for Monday, July 26, and Sunday, August 1, when it will open
at 1 p.m.
Scouts, Scouters, and the general public are welcome to visit the
jamboree, which will take place at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, although most
activities are restricted to official participants. For detailed information,
visit www.bsajamboree.org.
certificates. Future Eagle Scouts will learn
more about the value of reaching Scouting’s
highest rank as they watch testimonials
on flat-screen televisions mounted around
the exhibit. And all those visitors will be
able to get nose-to-beak with a bald
eagle from the National Eagle Center in
Wabasha, Minnesota.
That eagle will get plenty of attention—
and appear in plenty of photos—but he’ll
have to fight for attention each afternoon.
Thanks to Briese, Congressman Pete Sessions
and author Alvin Townley, a nationally
prominent Eagle Scout, will visit the exhibit
each afternoon to meet and greet, sign
autographs, and pose for photos. The VIP
NESA VIP Guests
Each afternoon, a nationally prominent Eagle Scout will visit the NESA exhibit.
At press time, the list included:
• U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. (and Apollo 16 lunar module pilot) Charlie Duke
• Col. Charles E. McGee, an original Tuskegee Airman
• Col. Leo Thorsness, the only living Eagle Scout recipient of the Congressional
Medal of Honor
• Col. Michael E. Fossum, NASA astronaut and Scoutmaster
• Ron Young, an Apache pilot and former POW in Iraq
• Jim Rogers, CEO of Kampgrounds of America
• Scott Strauss, hero of 9/11
• Burton Roberts, “Survivor” contestant and video producer
• Jon Heder, actor from Napoleon Dynamite and other films
• Vince and Vance Moss, prominent surgeons who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Commerce secretary Gary Locke
• Former FBI director William Sessions
guests will range from actor Jon Heder of
“Napoleon Dynamite” fame to astronaut
Mike Fossum to Col. Charles McGee, one of
World War II’s legendary Tuskegee Airmen.
(See the sidebar for a complete list.)
“We tried to come up with some nationally
prominent Eagles that adults would recognize
straight off and some that only youth would
recognize straight off,” Briese said. “I didn’t
know who Jon Heder was; of course, my
wife did.”
Col. McGee will do more than just
visit the NESA exhibit. He will also receive
the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
during a special reception—a first for
a national jamboree. Yet another DESA
recipient will host the reception: Air Force
Brig. Gen. Charles Duke, the 10th man
to walk on the moon.
While astronauts Duke and Fossum
won’t be on hand all week, their mission
patches will. One highlighted display of
the NESA exhibit will be a unique collection
of patches—64 in all—from NASA missions
that have included Eagle Scouts. Another
highlight will be Terry Grove’s extensive
collection of Eagle Scout medals and
patches dating back to the earliest days
of Scouting.
Steele agreed that the NESA exhibit will be
a popular jamboree attraction. “Everyone’s
going to want to have their photo taken
with a live bald eagle, to see all those
NASA patches, and to meet an Eagle Scout
who walked on the moon,” he said. “Our
main goal is to engage Eagle Scouts of all
ages, but perhaps even more importantly,
to inspire younger Scouts to achieve this
lofty pinnacle rank.”
And that might be the most exciting
thing of all.
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 9
Building a Better Future in Ciudad Juárez
Eagle Scout Devoted to Housing Construction Project in Mexico
by Mark Ray
One of Justin Churchman’s specialties, while constructing
homes in Mexico as part of a charity project, is roofing.
H
ome to Fort Bliss and a massive
contingent of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection officers, El Paso,
Texas, ranks among America’s safest cities.
Including the surrounding county, it reported
only 18 murders in 2009, all but four of
which have been solved.
Just a stone’s throw—or perhaps a pistol
shot—away, lies Ciudad Juárez, Mexico,
the murder capital of the world. In 2009,
2,600 people were murdered in the city,
some in drive-by shootings, some in raging
turf battles between competing drug lords,
some in the ongoing war between drug
cartels and the Mexican army. Nearly all
of the murders remain unsolved.
So why does Eagle Scout Justin Churchman
travel regularly from El Paso to Juárez?
One simple reason, seven familiar words:
“To help other people at all times.”
10 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
Although he’s only 17, Justin has helped
build more than a dozen houses for impoverished Juárez families with El Paso-based
charity Casas por Cristos (literally “Houses
Because of Christ”). “The first time I saw
someone cry because their family now had
a house, I knew I had to go back,” Justin
wrote in an El Paso Times op-ed piece.
“The first time I saw someone realize their
children would stay warm and dry that night,
I knew I had to go back.”
And go back he has. In snow, in rain,
and in blazing heat, he has built houses
for people who previously lived in shacks
cobbled together from shipping pallets,
cardboard, scrap lumber, and even castoff hubcaps and tabletops. Recently, in
fact, he worked on his 14th Casas house.
“I’ve done a couple of builds with him, and
it isn’t easy,” said his mother, Laurie Paternoster.
“To think that he would rather spend a
three-day weekend doing that than
hanging out with his friends is amazing.”
Paternoster said the violence that has
scared off other volunteers has only made
Justin more committed to Casas’ mission.
“He felt like if nobody else was going to
come because of the fear that he had a
moral responsibility to do his part,” she said.
“So he built more in the last two years than
he had before.”
A proud but still cautious mom, Paternoster
pointed out that Casas does everything
possible to minimize the risk to its volunteers
and staff. “They go over just the outskirts
bridges, and they only build out in the desert,”
she said. “If they’re coming back across
the border at night, they always leave the
site by 4 o’clock so they’re coming back in
the daytime.”
summer
Meanwhile, Justin is less concerned.
“I’m very spiritual, and I believe that God
wouldn’t let me go over or he would let
something cancel a build if there was
any danger,” he said.
Justin discovered his house-building
passion by accident in 2005, when his
seventh-grade class from St. Clement’s
Parish School traveled to Juárez to build
a house. Watching the new homeowner
pound in the ceremonial last nail, Justin
was hooked. “I can’t really explain it other
than it was life-changing for me and made
me realize that I would want to come back
every chance I got,” he said. “All the people
who had their hearts in what they were
doing actually came out with a bigger reward
than the family that got the house.”
When it came time to choose an Eagle
Scout service project the next year, there
was little doubt what Justin would do,
although his parents and his Scout leaders
pointed out the challenges he would face.
“He had to raise the money, he had to recruit
Justin Churchman helps set a concrete foundation at one of the home sites.
the team, he had to do all the paperwork,
he had to get the vehicles and arrange food
for three days, he had to make sure they
had all the proper equipment and parent
permissions,” Paternoster said.
What’s more, the leaders of Troop 82
wanted to make sure Scouts who couldn’t
travel to Juárez were still able to participate.
So Justin added a school-supplies drive to
his project. In the end, he raised $6,000,
recruited 30 volunteers, and built a three-room
house in three days. His older sister, Megan,
A family about to receive a new home from the Casas por Cristos charity, based
in El Paso, Texas, keeps a close eye on progress.
About Casas por Cristos
Founded in 1993, Casas por Cristos has built nearly 4,000 houses in Juárez and Acuña (across the border from Del Rio, Texas).
Each house is built and paid for by a team of volunteers from a church, college, business, or other organization. Casas has attracted
teams from across the United States and Canada, and this summer is hosting its first team from England.
A team of 12 to 18 volunteers can build a “single”—a two-room house for a family of five or less members—in three days. The cost is
$4,100 in Juárez and $4,500 in Acuña, although some teams pay an extra $300 to order a concrete truck. (Otherwise, they mix concrete
by hand.) Larger teams with larger budgets build “doubles,” which have three rooms and space for families of six or more.
The wood-framed, stucco houses feature a concrete foundation, doors and windows, insulation, drywall, and a ceiling fan. There’s no
plumbing because most families have an existing outhouse and don’t have access to sewage systems.
“These houses aren’t mansions, but they’re good for the land these families own,” Casas por Cristos director Amy Lowrey said.
For more information, visit www.casasporcristo.org.
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 11
Justin Churchman is helping
families escape patchwork
homes such as this one.
worked alongside him, leading parts of the
project in order to complete her Gold Award
in Girl Scouting.
“He was great,” said Amy Lowrey, Casas’
director of programming and scheduling.
“He would call us on the phone, and he would
have a list of questions. The thing that was
helpful was that he actually read all our
materials. He was super well prepared.”
Since completing that house, Justin has
become Casas’ first and only junior intern.
(Regular interns have to be at least 20 years
old.) In that role, Justin has an open invitation
to join building teams whenever he’s free.
Casas attracts church, school, and business
groups from around the country, and when
a team needs an extra hand, Justin joins it.
“He has an open-door policy to come with
any of our staff and join a group and be with
us for the week,” Lowrey said.
12 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
In March, Justin joined an all-adult team
from Fairfield, Texas, that Lowrey was
working with. “I sent him up on the roof,
and he actually taught them to do the roof,”
she said. “I didn’t even have to explain it.
He led that whole project. It was neat to see
a teenager take charge and lead adults.”
Not surprisingly, the adults—all of whom
were in their 40s or older—were impressed.
“They just took to him immediately; it was
as if he’d known them forever,” Lowrey said.
“Most of them said, ‘We wish our children
were more like you,’ and one man said, ‘I wish
my grandchildren were more like you.’ ”
After graduating from Coronado High
School this year, Justin will soon leave for
college. (He hopes to attend the U.S. Naval
Academy.) However, that doesn’t mean
he’s built his last house for Casas. In fact,
he dreams of serving in the Marine Corps
and then starting his own business so he
can donate his military pension to Casas.
In the meantime, you’ll know where to
find Justin on long weekends and holiday
breaks. Last year, when he was about to
turn 16, his mom offered to throw a special
party—a tradition in south Texas. “He said,
‘You know, I can’t think of a better thing for
my birthday than to give a gift to someone
else, so I’m going to go build,’ ” Paternoster
recalled. “I was already a proud mom, but
that pretty much brought me to tears.”
On March 13, gunmen in Juárez killed
three people associated with the American
consulate, including a man and his pregnant
wife who were shot to death in front of their
1-year-old baby. Two days later, Justin crossed
the border to begin work on his 14th Casas
house, more determined than ever to build a
better future for his Mexican neighbors.
summer
Americanism Breakfast Celebrates Excellence
NESA is strong and getting stronger.
That was the recurring theme of the
NESA-sponsored Americanism Breakfast
during the BSA’s 2010 National Annual
Meeting on May 28.
Speaking at the breakfast, NESA president
Glenn A. Adams offered a telling statistic: In
2009, NESA membership grew to 292,701—
a 33 percent increase. And those members
have access to more services than ever,
including free NESA e-mail addresses,
an online career center and discussion
groups, and much more. “Many thousands
of our members are making use of these
value-add services, and the feedback
has been very good,” Adams said.
That’s not all that was new at the
Americanism Breakfast. Nathaniel
Lamoreaux of Pennsdale, Pennsylvania,
received the inaugural United Health
Foundation Scholarship, a $25,000 award
that goes to an Eagle Scout who plans to
pursue a health-care career and commits
to working in an underserved community.
And Alex Griffith of Jarrettsville, Maryland,
received the first Glenn A. and Melinda W.
Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project
of the Year Award. (Alex’s project was featured
in the spring 2010 issue of the Eagle Scout
Magazine.) Zac Beres of Cambridge, Ohio,
winner of the $48,000 Mabel and Lawrence S.
Cooke Scholarship, was also recognized.
Beyond the awards, the breakfast
featured comments from Ralph de la Vega,
chairman of the BSA’s Hispanic Initiatives
Committee, and Eagle Scout Steve Holcomb,
who led Team USA’s four-man bobsled team
to Olympic gold last winter.
Nathaniel Lamoreaux (right) is presented with the
inaugural United Health Foundation Scholarship
during the NESA Americanism Breakfast.
Historical Merit Badges
Return for 100th Anniversary
Pathfinding
Carpentry
As part of Scouting’s 100th Anniversary
Celebration, today’s Scouts have a
rare chance to earn some of the same
merit badges their great-grandfathers
earned. From now through the end of
the year, the BSA is bringing back four
long-forgotten merit badges: Carpentry,
Pathfinding, Signaling, and Tracking
Tracking
Signaling
(originally called Stalking before that term
took on a different connotation).
The badges, which count toward Boy
Scout advancement, look like the originals
and feature the same requirements. That
means Scouts can’t use power tools for
Carpentry, GPS units for Pathfinding, or
cell phones for Signaling.
The other catch is that the badges
must be earned by December 31, 2010.
For complete information, including
requirements and links to vintage
merit badge pamphlets, visit
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/
BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/
historical_mb_program.aspx.
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 13
Awards
and Recognitions
Eagle Scouts just seem to shine, even after reaching the top honor in Scouting.
They continue to strive for new heights, and accolades naturally seem to follow.
David L. Belden, P.E., Ph.D.
Alexandria, Virginia
Honored by the American
Society of Mechanical
Engineers for his outstanding
accomplishments as a
leader in the worldwide
engineering association
community. Dr. Belden is
currently the executive
director of the United
Engineering Foundation.
He is a recipient of the
Distinguished Eagle
Scout Award.
Brent Blazek
Lenexa, Kansas
Chosen Outstanding Student
Leader of the Nation by the
Council for Advancement and
Support of Education, which
oversees advancement
professionals at thousands
of colleges and universities
across the country. He served
as past president of the
University of Kansas Student
Alumni Leadership Board,
and in 2008 was a recipient
of the Judith L. Rusdlinger
Scholarship, an honor
given to students for their
involvement in student
and alumni activities.
Brian Blazek
Arlington, Texas
Received a master’s in
business administration
(corporate finance) from the
University of Dallas. Brian
is currently a global manager
for Roofing Supply Group of
Dallas, Texas.
14 | Eagle Scout Magazine
summer 2010
Brett Andrew Coghlan
Fort Collins, Colorado
Received a bachelor’s degree
with a major in wildlife biology
and a minor in Spanish from
Colorado State University.
Brett worked at the USDA
National Wildlife Research
Center in Fort Collins before
joining the Black Mesa Hotshot
Fire Crew in Arizona in April.
Dale E. English II, R.Ph.,
Pharm.D., FASHP
Received a Distinguished
Service Award from the
American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists.
He was one of only six
award recipients and the sole
recipient of the award for
the Section of Inpatient Care
Practitioners. He is currently
the director of instructional
laboratories and professional
relations at the Northeastern
Ohio University Colleges of
Medicine and Pharmacy’s
College of Pharmacy.
Robert B. Fish Jr.
Parkersburg, West Virginia
Received the Bolton/Carothers
Innovative Science Award
from the DuPont Company
in recognition of his work
developing new polymers.
He retired from DuPont in
July 2006.
Miles Carroll Harrison
Victoria, Texas
Received a master’s in computer
information systems from
the University of Houston–
Victoria, where he is
also employed.
Michael Kenneth Graves
Fresno, California
Received the Daniel Carter
Beard Masonic Scouter Award
and the Silver Beaver Award
from the Daniel Boone Council.
Marty Val Hill
Honored with numerous
awards recently, including
the U.S. President’s Lifetime
Call to Service Award, the
BSA’s Silver Beaver Award,
Best of State Foundation’s
gold medal for being Utah’s
Best University Professor
in 2009, Appointed Official
2008, and Individual Volunteer
2008 and 2009. Marty was
also elected president of the
National Speakers Association,
Mountain West regional chapter.
In 2009, he was profiled in
HR Magazine as a global
leader in business ethics
and a key national volunteer
for the Society for Human
Resource Management.
Robert M. Hozian
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Graduated magna cum
laude with a bachelor’s in
economics and political
science from Wheaton
College in Wheaton, Illinois.
Kyle John
Huntington Jeffery
La Mesa, California
Received a bachelor’s in
political economy of industrial
societies from the University
of California, Berkeley.
Alexander M. Johnson
Zion, Illinois
Received a bachelor’s in
criminal justice from Southern
University and A&M College
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Larry L. Jones
River Ridge, Louisiana
Received the Louisiana
Governor’s Gold Award Veteran
of the Year 2009. The award
recognizes a disabled veteran
who has served honorably in
the U.S. armed forces and has
a record of exemplary services
in the disabled community.
Eric Christian Keys
Received a bachelor’s in
agriculture business from
Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge.
L. Allen Klope
Alton, Illinois
A golf writer since 1961,
and an avid golfer, he was
inducted into the Alton Golf
Hall of Fame for his continued
coverage of amateur, varsity,
and professional events.
He scored his first hole-in-one
on June 4, 2007.
David Michael Mariano
Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Received a bachelor’s in
computer science and
computer security from East
Stroudsburg University in
Pennsylvania. He now works
as a network administrator
for Coordinated Health in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Jon Michael McGrath II
Tulsa, Oklahoma
A member of the U.S. Shotgun
Team, Jon earned skeet
shooting titles as the 2008
U.S. national champion and
2009 NSSA world champion.
Monte Alan Miller
Templeton, California
Received a bachelor’s degree
in aviation technology with
an emphasis on operations
and a minor in business
administration from San Jose
State University in California.
Jonathan A. Murray
Received the National Heroes
Award for Emergency Medical
Services for Children for
applying a color-coding system
to enhance pediatric safety
during CT scans. He has been
granted six U.S. patents,
including a gender-specific
ECG interpretation algorithm.
Jonathan currently serves
as general manager of cross
business programs for
GE Healthcare.
Gary Opper
Named managing member
of Levie-Opper, LLC, a boutique
forensic CPA firm that
handles expert testimony
and litigation support for
civil and criminal cases in
state and federal court.
Jeffery M. Pousson
Graduated from the California
Highway Patrol Academy in
December 2009. Jeff finished
in the top 10 percent of
his class in a 27-week
course where only 163 of
240 cadets graduated.
R. Dean Sever
Leesburg, Florida
Received the Masonic
Daniel Carter Beard Award
on March 16 at Leesburg
F&AM Masonic Lodge 58,
Leesburg, Florida. He is
currently the organizational
representative/CEO of Boy
Scout Troop 1, sponsored
by the Masonic Lodge.
John Spruill
Oxnard, California
Earned an MBA in financial
planning from California
Lutheran University in
Thousand Oaks, California.
The CLU program is one of only
five MBA/Financial Planning
programs in the country.
James Daniel Wyant
Norfolk, Nebraska
Received a bachelor’s in
industrial distribution from
the University of Nebraska,
in Kearney
SUMMER 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 15
Eagle
Scouting is a Family Affair
Scouting’s highest honor is best shared with other generations of family members.
Auslen family
Piedmont, California
Donald Auslen (1949), Jim Auslen (1979),
Michael Auslen (2008)
Azzinaro family Westerly, Rhode Island
James E. Azzinaro Jr. (1968), Paul Azzinaro
Jr. (2008), Paul Azzinaro (1972), James E.
Azzinaro III (2007)
Bloch family
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Matthew Bloch (2009), Kyle Bloch (2009)
Bongers family
Appleton, Wisconsin
Quinn Bongers (2005), Nicholas Bongers
(2009), Kale Bongers (2001)
Carver family
Trenton, Michigan
Tom Carver (1995), Ken Carver (1998)
Cavett family
Austin, Texas
Ryan Scott Martin (2003), Tyler Michael
Martin (2007), Brian Andrew Cavett (2003),
Kenneth Eugene Cavett (1968)
Coddaire family
Lake Odessa, Michigan
Zachary Aaron Coddaire (2005), Katherine
Christina Coddaire (Girl Scout Gold Award,
2003), Jacob Alexander Coddaire (2008),
Mackenzie Adam Coddaire (2009)
Conklin family
Orlando, Florida
Kevin P. Conklin (2006), Andrew C. Conklin
(2009), Theodore E. “Ted” Conklin (2000)
Coombs family
Girard, Ohio
Evan D. Coombs (2006), Frederick S. “Fritz”
Coombs (1964)
Corso family
Youngstown, Ohio
Dustin J. Corso (2009), Dominic J. Corso II (2005)
Craft family
Fayetteville, New York
Matthew Craft (2006), Andrew Craft (2009),
Robert Craft (1980)
Dietzius family
San Antonio, Texas
Ryan Dietzius (2009), Billy Barrett (1953),
Barrett Dietzius (2008)
16 | Eagle Scout Magazine
summer 2010
DiLuca family Rochester Hills, Michigan
Adam N. DiLuca (2009), Joseph A. DiLuca (1969)
Downham family
The Woodlands, Texas
William “Price” Downham (2006), William “Skip” Downham (1989), George Downham (2009)
Eng family
San Francisco, California
Kevin L. Eng (2007), Bruce M. Eng (1978)
Fitzgerald family
Phoenix, Arizona
Riley Fitzgerald (2009), Maurice Fitzgerald Jr. (1977), Maurice Fitzgerald (1953)
Gates family
Schertz, Texas
Stephen Gates (2003), Ryan Gates (2006),
Kyle Gates (2009)
Grunenwald family
Merrill, Wisconsin
Nick Grunenwald (2002), Bob Grunenwald, Ty
Grunenwald (2010), Alex Grunenwald (2005),
Janet Grunenwald, Chris Grunenwald (1998)
Guerrero family
Modesto, California
Nicholas Leon-Guerrero (2003), Cameron
Leon-Guerrero (2008)
Hahn family North Potomac, Maryland
Robin Hahn (1976), Nicholas Hahn (2009), Terry Hahn (1973)
Harvey family
Twinsburg, Ohio
Benjamin C. Harvey (2006), Brad A. Harvey (2009)
Hintz family
Eldridge, Iowa
Adam Hintz (2009), Richard Hintz (1978),
Alex Hintz (2008)
Howell family
Jackson family
Evansville, Indiana
Patrick Jackson (2006), Peter Jackson (2009)
Chuckatuck, Virginia
R. Leroy Howell Sr. (1947), K. Lauren Howell
(Venturing Silver Award, 2005), Ralph L.
Howell Jr. (1977)
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 17
Eagle
Scouting is a Family Affair
Scouting’s highest honor is best shared with other generations of family members.
Jones family
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Thomas Andrew Jones (2006), James Scott
Jones (2009), Michael Richard Jones (2005)
Jordan family
Saxapahaw, North Carolina
John M. “Mac” Jordan Jr. (1976), John M.
Jordan (1954), T. Carter Jordan (1984)
Kistler family
Centre Hall, Pennsylvania
Peter A. Kistler (2010), Judge Thomas K.
Kistler (1973), Robert K. Kistler, Esq. (1941), Midshipman Hobart K. Kistler (2006)
Kittelberger family
Raleigh,
North Carolina
Kenneth Kittelberger (1952), Kyle David
Kittelberger (2008), Reah Kittelberger (Asst.
Scoutmaster), Keith Paul Kittelberger (1975)
Lowry family
Kansas City, Missouri
William Lowry (1976), James Lowry (1974), Robert Lowry (1994), Edward Lowry (1979)
McNay family
Weatherford, Texas
Michael McNay (2009), Larry McNay (1980)
Messing family
Moorpark, California
Matthew Messing (2009), David Messing (2007)
Miller family
Dickinson, North Dakota
Cody Miller (2000), Kylen Miller (2007)
Miller family
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Kyle Thomas Miller (2005), Brian Ray Miller
(1973), Sean Robert Miller (2010)
Mitchelson family
Pittsburg, Kansas
William J. Mitchelson (2009), Kevin F.
Mitchelson (1971)
Morgan family
Rincon, Georgia
Thomas Morgan (2005), Richard Morgan (2007)
Nedimyer family
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Sean Nedimyer (2003), Kent Nedimyer
(2007), Tom Hammaker (1947), Reid
Nedimyer (2005), Mike Nedimyer (1973)
18 | Eagle Scout Magazine
summer 2010
Nelson family
Lake Villa, Illinois
Benjamin Nelson (2009), Scott Nelson (1981)
Postar family
Piedmont, California
Daniel B. Cohn-Postar (2008), Gideon D.
Cohn-Postar (2010), Robert D. Postar (1972)
Radford family
Reigelman family
Grapevine, Texas
Gage Reigelman (2009), Peter Reigelman
(2006), Grant Reigelman (2006)
Rennebaum family Chapin, South Carolina
Reynolds family
LaCanada, California
Brandon Reynolds (1989), Trenton Reynolds
(1994), Damon Reynolds (1990), Marc
Reynolds (1997), Todd Reynolds (1991),
Brent Reynolds (2008)
Jake Rennebaum (2001), Rick Rennebaum
(1976), Josh Rennebaum (2010), Luke
Rennebaum (2005)
Edmond, Oklahoma
Chandler Aaron Radford (2003), Michael Lee
Radford (1976), Griffin Ryan Radford (2008)
Rotta family
Tigard, Oregon
Nathaniel Robert Rotta (2003), Jason Ross
Rotta (2009)
Ryan family Hopkinton, Massachusetts
James F. Ryan (1976), Andrew J. Ryan (2010), John P. Ryan Jr. (1975), Timothy P. Ryan (1977)
Schmidt family
Springfield, Illinois
Robert Schmidt (2007), Peter Schmidt (2009), Paul Schmidt (2008)
Scott family
Cincinnati, Ohio
Gabriel Ryan Scott (2009), J. Kevin Scott (1973)
Shouse family
Silverman
family
Richmond, Virginia
Capt. Chris Berge (1996), Maj. Charles P.
Bris-Bois III (1994), Jonathan S. Shouse
(1970), David H. Bradley (2009), John “Jack” Bradley (2001), Maj. Charles P. Bris-Bois Jr. (1958)
East Stroudsburg,
Pennsylvania
Ross Silverman (2009), Matthew Silverman (2006)
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 19
For
God and Country
Many young men exchange their Scout uniforms for fatigues, dress blues, or battle dress uniforms.
The National Eagle Scout Association salutes Eagle Scouts who are currently serving in our nation’s armed forces.
Col. Scott Aiken
U.S. Marine Corps
Serves as the commanding
officer of the II Marine
Expeditionary Force
Headquarters Group,
the last Marine Fleet unit
to redeploy from Iraq.
Petty Officer
2nd Class
Brian Anderson Hill
Fleet Marine Force
Is deployed with the
4th Light Armored
Reconnaissance in
Helmand Province,
Afghanistan.
2nd Lt.
Jonathan D. Meyers
U.S. Army
Received a bachelor’s
degree in information
technology from the
U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, New York.
20 | Eagle Scout Magazine
E5 Nicholas Gregory
Butler
U.S. Navy
Serves as an ET3
(electronics technician)
aboard the USS Memphis,
a Los Angeles class
Nuclear Fast Attack
sub stationed at
New London Base,
Groton, Connecticut.
Sgt. Lance Holter
SSG Ryan Cobin
Lance Cpl.
Matt Combs
Lance Cpl.
Andrew J. Good
U.S. Army
Is a combat medic
currently serving his
third tour in Afghanistan
with the 4th Brigade of
the 82nd Airborne.
U.S. Marine Corps
Is deployed to the
Helmand Province
in Afghanistan.
U.S. Marine Corps
Serves in the Headquarters
and Support Battalion
at Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina.
Airman 1st Class
Jason A. Koontz
1st Lt.
Richard K. Lee
Seaman Thomas
Lengyel
U.S. Marines
Awarded the Bronze Star
for his actions while
deployed in Afghanistan
with the 2nd Battalion
7th Marines.
U.S. Air Force
Serves at Aviano Air Force
Base in Italy as a munitions
systems apprentice.
U.S. Army
Serves with the
82nd Airborne in
Afghanistan as a
Kiowa helicopter pilot.
U.S. Navy
Completed basic training in
Great Lakes, Illinois, in
February 2010. After a brief
assignment at the training
school, he will transfer to
San Diego to begin his
career as an advanced
electronics field sonar
technician—surface.
2nd Lt. James
Thomas Morgan
Lance Cpl. Clay
William Patterson
Brig. Gen.
L. Scott Rice
Seaman Robert J.
Tanner
U.S. Army
Received a bachelor’s
degree in mathematical
sciences from the
U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, New York.
summer 2010
U.S. Marine Corps
Serves with CLB-3 in
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Massachusetts Air
National Guard
Is currently assigned as
the Assistant Adjutant
General for Air in Milford,
Massachusetts.
U.S. Navy
Graduated boot camp at
Great Lakes Naval Training
Center on Lake Michigan,
Illinois, in March 2009.
He is currently serving
aboard the USS Ashland
LSD 48, based in Little
Creek, Virginia.
Gone HOme
Robert S.S. Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, taught Scout trailblazers to make a simple trail sign,
a circle with a dot in the middle, to indicate that they had gone home. The following Eagle Scouts blazed
many trails for us to follow, and now they, too, have gone home.
Frank “Tick” Coleman
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
John Steven Crane
Hampton, Virginia
Eagle Scout since 1928
Eagle Scout since 1977
Eagle Scout since 1996
Death: December 25, 2008
Death: February 24, 2010
Death: April 11, 2010
Charles “Mike” Heptas
Olathe, Kansas
Eagle Scout since 1969
Death: January 31, 2010
John Kinkead Stiles
Leander, Texas
Eagle Scout since 2004
Death: February 16, 2010
Benjamin Andrew
Lance
Salem, Illinois
Eagle Scout since 2002
Death: February 4, 2008
Siegfried “Jon”
Wallner Jr.
Hickory, North Carolina
Nathan Lee Dunbar
Rochester, New York
Vernon Paul Metzger
Aurora, Illinois
Eagle Scout since 1956
Death: March 6, 2010
Dr. William “Will”
Frederick Yancey
Dallas, Texas
Eagle Scout since 1939
Eagle Scout since 1972
Death: January 10, 2010
Death: February 11, 2010
Living Memorial
In memory of
James Wesley Cook Jr.
Vicksburg, Mississippi
In memory of
Clifford R. Johnson
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Eagle Scout since 1992
Death: May 17, 2008
From his mother, Ms. Naomi P. Cook, of Vicksburg, Mississippi
Eagle Scout since 1937
Death: July 9, 2009
From his daughter, Susan Kitterman of
Fortville, Indiana. Forever an Eagle Scout.
In memory of
Rushmore (Rush) R. Houghton
Chapin, South Carolina
In memory of
Kenneth Allan Vetrovec
Racine, Wisconsin
Eagle Scout since 1927
Death: December 22, 2009
From Adam Michael Curtis of Troop 870 in Chapin, South Carolina. Rush received his 85-year Service to Scouting pin in 2007, and remained active in Scouting until his passing at age 99.
In memory of
William T. Jensen III
Wayne, Illinois
Eagle Scout since 1942
Death: September 8, 2009
From his wife, Marguerite (Peg) J. Jensen. Bill was a trustee in the Village of Wayne, Illinois, and respected
community member. In 2006, he and his wife were named
citizens of the year. Good night, and God bless, Bill.
Eagle Scout since 1967
Death: July 6, 2009
Fifty-year member of the Boy Scouts of America. Ken was a James E. West Fellow and recipient of the Silver Beaver Award and Cliff Dochterman Award. From his wife Janet.
The National Eagle Scout Scholarship Endowment accepts
tax‑deductible contributions in memory of deceased Eagle
Scouts or in tribute to Eagle Scout achievers.
Contributions may be sent to:
NESA Director, S222, Boy Scouts of America
1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane, P.O. Box 152079
Irving, Texas 75015‑2079
Please mark the envelope “Personal and Confidential,” make
the check payable to NESA, and mark the check: “In memory
of (name of person)” or “In tribute to (name of person).”
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 21
The 409 Formula
In This Eagle Scout’s Troop,
the Accomplishments Are as Special as the Needs
by Mark Ray
L
ike any veteran Scoutmaster, Richard
Coleman likes to brag about his Scouts
—and he has plenty to brag about.
There is the Scout who was featured on
television’s “Rescue 911” for saving his
father’s life by using the Heimlich maneuver.
There is the Scout who signs the national
anthem when Troop 409 conducts flag
ceremonies around the Pensacola, Florida,
area. There is the former Scout who is such
a valued worker at a Gulf Coast casino that
he was kept on the payroll even when
Hurricane Katrina shut the casino down.
And then there’s the Scout who always
shows up at uniform inspections with his
shoes properly tied. “He gets his shoes on,
and he ties them up real good, but he doesn’t
know if he’s got them on the right feet,”
Coleman said.
mental disabilities—including seven of
the 10 charter members from 27 years ago.
(They’re still involved because ordinary
age limits don’t apply to Scouts with
permanent disabilities.)
Some live with their families, others in
group homes. Those who are able to work
hold jobs in the community or at sheltered
worksites. All cherish Scouting, looking
forward to Thursday troop meetings as the
highlight of their week. One Scout even puts
on his uniform every Wednesday to make
sure it’s in order, giving his mother all day
Thursday to fix any problems.
“They’re the can-do troop,” said Jim Boksa,
program director for the Gulf Coast Council.
“They don’t ask for a lot of concessions. They
do everything that the regular Scouts do.”
The Can-Do Troop
That includes going to summer camp
at the Spanish Trail Scout Reservation.
Although the Scouts won’t be there this
summer because of scheduling conflicts,
most summers find Troop 409 in camp.
Coleman said the troop participates fully
Such is life in Troop 409, a special-needs
troop that Coleman, an Eagle Scout, has
led since 1988. Chartered to the North
Pensacola Optimist Club, the troop has
22 members with various physical and
22 | Eagle Scout Magazine
SUMMER 2010
All for One, One for All
in the camp program, only occasionally
running into obstacles
Several years ago, one obstacle—the
camp’s sandy soil—made getting around
camp difficult for a Scout in a wheelchair.
Before Coleman could intervene, his Scouts
solved the problem. “They got the idea that
if they hooked up some ropes, they could
pull him,” Coleman said. “He just sat back
there and yelled, ‘Mush.’ It looked like
a giant dogsled. That was their idea. They
saw the problem; they overcame it. It was
a group effort.”
Coleman said the troop approaches
most problems that way, just like Robert
Baden-Powell intended when he developed
the patrol method. “These guys can do
anything,” Coleman said. “Maybe one can’t
do it, but as a patrol group, they can get it done.”
Getting it done includes running the troop.
“They have their patrol leader meetings and
they do all the planning,” Coleman said.
“The adults are basically there to guide
them. In our troop, they just need a little
more guidance.”
summer
A Very Special Eagle Scout
As the BSA approached its 100th
birthday this year, troop historian
Derek Connell, 54, decided it was
important to be sure Troop 409’s history
was preserved. A big part of that was
recording a StoryCorps story with
Richard and Claudia Coleman. That story,
which aired on National Public Radio in
February, will be preserved forever in
the Library of Congress.
Connell, who’s been in the troop
almost since the beginning, became
an Eagle Scout in 1995. His Eagle Scout
service project involved refurbishing
Pensacola’s historic St. John’s Cemetery,
where his grandmother and other
relatives are buried. “There are these
round things, and we put plants in them,”
With guidance, the Scouts accomplish a
lot—as a group and as individuals. “We do a
top shooter contest every week for shooting
sports, and a couple of their boys are always
top shooters,” Boksa said. “We can’t get
those boys off the rifle range.”
While some Troop 409 Scouts focus on
target shooting, others focus on advancement.
Over the years, five Troop 409 members
have earned the Eagle Scout Award.
The Accidental Scoutmaster
Coleman has an impressive track record
for someone who never set out to lead a
special-needs troop. An Eagle Scout at 13,
he remained active in Scouting throughout
a 20-year Air Force career, working with
Scout troops wherever he was stationed.
Soon after he and his wife, Claudia, retired
to Pensacola, he stopped by the local Scout
office to find out if any local troops needed
help. To his surprise, none did.
Not long after that, Coleman read in the
Gosport Naval Air Station’s newspaper that
Troop 409 was looking for leaders. Although
he had no special-needs experience, Coleman
went along on an outing and experienced
something amazing. “At the end of that
weekend, they all came by and thanked me.
The parents thanked me. I’d never seen this
in a Boy Scout troop before,” he said.
He signed on as an assistant Scoutmaster
in 1987. A year later, the parents asked him
to take on the role of Scoutmaster—“ just on
chance to teach nondisabled Scouts.
he said. “It was hard to do because they
“Some of the troops come and want to
had so many rocks in there, and we
learn about us so they can do the
had to move the rocks over.”
handicapped badge, too,” he said.
Like many Eagle Scouts,
Connell has continued a life
of service. According to his
mother, Ernestine, he has
adopted the six-acre
Dunwody Park, picking up
pinecones before city crews
mow. “And they never stop
falling,” he said.
Over the years, Connell has
earned 42 merit badges. His
favorite, he says, is Disabilities Awareness. Not only did
the badge teach him about
Photo by StoryCorps
different types of disabilities,
Troop 409 Scoutmaster Richard Coleman, Eagle Scout Derek
Connell, and Claudia Coleman.
but it has given him the
a temporary basis until we find someone,”
they told him.
Twenty-two years later, they still haven’t
found anyone, nor are they trying. According
to parent Ernestine Connell (whose son,
Derek, is the troop’s first Eagle Scout), the
Colemans are marvelous leaders. “I don’t
think there’s any troop anywhere that can
equal those kind, kind people,” she said.
“They’re like they dropped from heaven.”
Claudia Coleman is just as involved in
the troop as her husband, although she
prefers to skip summer camp to let him have
his time with the boys. “We think of them as
an extended family,” Richard Coleman said.
Focusing on the Possible
Not having a background in working with
people with disabilities, Coleman relied at first
on a foster parent with some expertise. “As
far as the disability side, he had all that training.
I had the Scout side. We kind of put it together,
and that worked out pretty good,” he said.
Coleman also realized that the troop
parents were underestimating their sons’
abilities. On campouts, for example, the
parents would cook all the meals while the
Scouts ran around unsupervised. Coleman
quickly changed that system. “Sometimes
it would take all morning just for everybody
to cook an omelet,” he said. “But they
seemed to be having more fun.”
They were also learning something—as
were their parents. “I’ve heard I don’t know
how many times, ‘I didn’t know he could
do that,’ ” he said.
Coleman said most of his Scouts are
smart, eager learners and that their biggest
problem is often being able to communicate.
Sometimes, when a Scout can’t get him to
understand something, the Scout will tell
another Scout, who will tell another Scout,
who will finally explain to the Scoutmaster
what the first Scout was trying to say.
It’s sort of like the old game of telegraph—
except the message usually gets through.
“They lower themselves to my level,”
Coleman said.
And in turn, he has raised a generation of
Scouts to his level. It’s the Scouting way—
and the 409 formula.
Troop 409 Eagle Scouts Keith MacPhail, Derek Connell,
and Bradley Ard.
summer 2010
Eagle Scout Magazine | 23
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NEWS
IN BRIEF
Keeping NESA Members Informed of Scouting’s News
NESA Ups Committee Support
Through national searches in 2008 and
2010, NESA has identified nearly 500,000
Eagle Scouts. Now, we’re helping councils
develop NESA committees in which those
Eagle Scouts can connect with one another
and with Scouting on the local level.
At www.nesa.org/guidelines.html,
councils can find extensive content on
starting a NESA committee and conducting
a local Eagle search. The Web site now
features an expanded Distinguished Eagle
Scout Award section, including a nomination
form, order form, and citation template.
If your council has had success setting
up a committee or conducting an Eagle
Scout search, send your story to NESA
director Bill Steele at [email protected].
Eldred Descendent Recognized
Scouting often ties generations together
despite the years and the miles. That’s the
case with the descendents of Arthur R.
Eldred, who was named America’s first
Eagle Scout in 1912. In the BSA’s first
100 years, men in three generations of the
family became Eagle Scouts. Now, Eldred’s
great-grandson, Tennessee Abbott, has
become the first member of his generation
to reach Boy Scouting’s highest rank.
A member of Troop 70, Seattle’s oldest
troop, Tennessee organized a successful
community blood drive for his Eagle
Scout service project—and convinced
his troop and the Queen Anne United
Methodist Church to repeat it twice a year
in the future. He received his Eagle Scout
badge during a May court of honor. The
event’s special guest was Willard Eldred,
Arthur Eldred’s son.
Rifle Honors Eagle Scouts
For many Scouts, the summer camp rifle
range is one of the most challenging yet
enjoyable stops along the trail to the Eagle
Scout Award. And one of Scouting’s oldest
awards, the Rifle Shooting merit badge,
remains among its most popular.
The Henry Repeating Arms Company
has introduced a new Eagle Scout rifle, a
commemorative edition of the .22-caliber
Henry Golden Boy. The gun’s walnut stock
features an inlaid Eagle Scout medallion,
while the forearm features the other Scout
ranks. Hand-cut engravings of the Eagle
Scout medal, a bald eagle, and the phrase
“Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle” appear
on the nickel-plated receiver and are accented
in 24-karat gold. The rifle retails for $1,049.95.
Go to www.henryrepeating.com for
more information.
Eagles Fly High—but Not Alone
While nobody keeps such records, it’s
safe to say Troop 457 in Pinecrest, Florida,
held one of the largest single-troop Eagle
courts of honor April 24, when 18 Scouts
were recognized.
That’s a far cry from 1987, when current
Scoutmaster Dave Ziska took over the troop.
Prior to that year, the troop had produced
two Eagle Scouts in nine years. Since then,
Ziska and his wife, Julie, have helped more
than 200 Scouts reach Eagle. Youth leaders
are truly in charge of the troop, planning
and running meetings and outings. That
approach is one reason Troop 457 is now
the largest troop in the South Florida
Council with more than 120 active Scouts.
Recognized at the April ceremony were
Eagle Scouts Alan Jay Adamson Jr.,
Christopher Lewis Burg, Joseph Simon
Chakko, Wyatt Chickillo, Jason Simon
Cooper, Edward De Aguiar Jr., Andrew
William Hays, Kyle Jensen, Anthony
Raymond Joffre, Christopher A. Lancaster,
Jarred R. Mayer, Jonathan Jorge Nunez,
Turner Hamilton Nunn, Paul Steven Poppe,
Alberto Felipe Salabarria, Mason Jared
Schwartz, Steven Smith Thompson, and
John Vilberg.