Brag mode on: Thing One’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor
by HML
More photos in the Eagle Court of Honor album of the Gimlet Gallery. As we were too busy to take pictures, we appreciate Aunt H’s willingness to be our photographer, and a very special thanks again to Wally Kempe for all of the photos he took during the ceremony and the group pictures.
After all the merit badges, camping trips, Eagle project, and ceremony preparation, the big day finally arrived. We were so pleased (and a bit surprised, and very touched) to see our stake center’s large chapel filled nearly to capacity with family and friends who had come to celebrate Thing One’s achievement.
Before the troop awards, the Gimlet received his Woodbadge beads and neckerchief in recognition for completing his five ticket items. He chose to have Thing One help present the beads. The presentation included a brief history of Woodbadge in international Scouting and a description of the symbolism of the beads, neckerchief, and woggle.
After a rousing chorus of “The Song” (it needs no name; if you’re acquainted with Woodbadge you’re already humming it), it was time for Thing One’s slide show, a history of his Cub and Boy Scouting experience in just under five minutes. Sometimes it feels like he has grown up that quickly.
Click to view slide show from Thing One's Eagle Court of Honor (Quicktime, 29MB)
The opening sequence was shot on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry run when Thing One was about 18 months old. Most of the Cub Scout photos are from Pack 144′s annual kickoff campout at Blake Island State Park at the end of September. Other Cub Scout activities pictured are the annual trip to Millersylvania State Park, snow camp at the Snoqualmie Pass Mountaineers Lodge (which has since burned down), Camp Shelton at Deception Pass, and the Wallingford Kiddie Parade.
GimletBlog started up at about the same time as Thing One entered Boy Scouts, so most of those pictures have previously been shown on the blog. The Boy Scout pictures include Rachel Lake, Paradise at Mount Rainier, rafting the Wenatchee River, boating through Seattle’s waterways to Blake Island, WashJam and various summer camps (Fire Mountain, Sheppard, Pigott, and Parsons) Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, and Thing One’s Eagle Project on the Duwamish River.
After the slide show and awards for other members of the troop, the main Eagle Scout portion of the Court of Honor began. We discovered myriad options for organizing an Eagle Court of Honor, with more good ideas than anybody would have time to utilize, and we wanted to keep the ceremony at about one hour. We limited the program to two readings, then created a program booklet to include some of our other favorites without having to spend time during the ceremony covering them.
We wanted to involve as many members of Thing One’s troop as possible, so The Gimlet invited several scouts to represent and narrate the different ranks along the trail to Eagle.
The trail culminated with Thing One’s grandfathers: Bopa, who is a Life Scout, read the Life Scout passage before handing Thing One over to Grandpa Gimlet, an Eagle Scout, who administered the Eagle charge and oath to Thing One.
Then it was time for a great deal of bling to be exchanged: mom pinned the Eagle award on the Eagle Scout, Eagle Scout pinned the mother’s pin, father’s pin, and mentor’s pin on the appropriate recipients. Thing One chose to honor his assistant scoutmaster, who would be moving away at the end of the month.
After short remarks from Thing One and a Scoutmaster’s Minute from The Gimlet, it was time to sing Scout Vespers and close the ceremony. Cousin M, a nine year-old Bear Cub Scout, took his duties as caller for the color guard very seriously.
While the guests ate cake and other light refreshments, we took a picture of the three generations of Eagle Scouts. Congratulations and welcome to the Eagle’s Nest, Thing One!
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Tags: woodbadge
