5th grade had just started and I was in good spirits I got to Mr. Gattis's class for Science. In the fall of that year, my mother helped start a Cub Scout den at my elementary school with the help of areal-life Air Force officer named Robert. As the leaves began to turn there colors all around my hometown I was asked by Mr. Gattis: Did I want to be an Eagle Scout? An Eagle Scout? What was that, a Scout that flew like eagles high overhead? I decided that year to that one day I would be this Eagle Scout and it took me another eight years to reach this goal.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the first Eagle Scout Award given in the USA to a young man by the name of Arthur Eldred. 2,151,024 Scouts (and counting) have followed in his footsteps since it was first awarded in 1912. These young men have blossomed into the leaders of today and the future. These include Mike Rowe, star of "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel, Gerald Ford - U.S. President, and Steven Spielberg - movie director and producer, from Scottsdale, AZ, who made a movie of his troop while getting one of the first ever-awarded Photography Merit Badges. See a more detailed list here.
I am thankful to the Lord for the chance at being a Scout and for all those who poured into my life that made this happen. No Eagle flies solo; there are many others who provide the winds for this flight.
Congratulations to all Scouts--past, present, and future--who have reached the highest acheivement of Eagle, making them among the top 4% of Scouts everywhere. Please pray for these young men who are honing precious leadership skills (even if they don't actually attain Eagle), and for those who lead and guide them on their way.
And thank you, Mom, and Mr. Gattis, for putting me on a path that made me who I am today.
For more informatin about the Boy Scouts of America, click here.
Erin McGinnis is the Media Arts and Services Coordinator for LHF. He is married to a one-year Brownie (Girl Scouts), and together they have...a cheerleader.
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