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Lucas Wondra has achieved something only about 4 % of those who enter scouting achieve. He has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. His achievement is particularly significant because the 16-year-old Hutchinson (Kansas) High School student has the genetic disorder Down Syndrome. Lucas is one of many who are demonstrating that individuals with Down Syndrome can be productive members of society. Maybe they are not capable of performing brain surgery or becoming professional athletes, but then neither are the vast majority of the rest of us. Individuals with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 , a condition...

Lucas Wondra has Down syndrome and communicates with a few words, sign language and a PDA with a speaker and voice software. But when it comes to the Boy Scouts, he concedes no disability. On Monday, Lucas, a 16-year-old freshman at Hutchinson High, became an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America and the latest in a collage of medals and merit badges covering his uniform. Scout Master Bill Whitlow said Lucas is the first Scout with Down syndrome from Troop 301 to achieve his Eagle rank. "I feel like it's been a community effort," his...

CONCORD, N.H. —  A Massachusetts teenager who spent three nights alone on Mount Washington in April after he sprained an ankle and veered off marked trails has been fined more than $25,000 for the cost of his rescue.Scott Mason had been praised for utilizing his Eagle Scout skills — sleeping in the crevice of a boulder and jump-starting fires with hand sanitzer gel. But authorities say he wasn't prepared for the conditions he encountered and shouldn't have set out on such an ambitious hike."Yes, he'd been out there in July when you could step across the brooks. And people have been...

Ryan Brenner made a Labyrinth as part of his Eagle Scout project.

Beau Zabel, 23, came to Philadelphia from Minnesota six weeks ago, eager to experience urban East Coast living and to become a math teacher in the city school system. He found a place to live through roommates.com in South Philadelphia near the Italian Market, and took a temporary job at the Starbucks at Fourth and South Streets. He recently updated his page on MySpace.com, which proclaims his optimism: "Just waiting for life to begin." But his life ended about 1:30 a.m. yesterday, when police said Zabel was ambushed as he walked home from the midnight shift at the coffee shop....

You want to build anything in Silicon Valley - a company, a career, a reputation - it's all about networking. Eagle Scout project? Yep. Networking. You need your venture capitalist, your Fortune 1000 company founder and some good-hearted friends and neighbors. Ask Tad Malone, a Homestead High School junior, who took on a project that, looking back, seems slightly insane even to him. "Kids needed help," he says, "so I thought I'd help." Kids in Africa. Orphan kids that Tad met on a family trip in 2005 to a place called Children's Town in Zambia. The 300 children had people...

Q: Let’s talk about your new book, “On My Honor,” which draws on your experience as an Eagle Scout and champions the values of the Boy Scouts of America, to whom you are donating your royalties. A: Yes, to their legal-defense fund. Q: Which has been fighting the A.C.L.U., to keep gays out of the scouts. Why do you see that as a worthy cause? A: I am pretty clear about this one. Scouting ought to be about building character, not about sex. Period. Precious few parents enroll their boys in the Scouts to get a crash course in sexual...

Boy Scout Week Salute: Scouts teaches young people leadership and wisdom http://westlibertyindex.com/article.php?viewID=1396 by Tom Norris · February 06, 2008 With Boy Scout Week upon us, I thought I’d do away with the usual facts-n-figures and talk straight about the organization. Some will read this and think, “That’s nice, but who cares?” One youth club is as good as the next; it doesn’t really matter. But at what point do the things we do start to matter? I suspect this is determined by the degree to which it influences our life. After 14 years in the service, most of that as...

Eagle Scout ordered to take God out of park projectI can't post the article, but basically it mentions a Boy Scout's Eagle project for a public park that included a mention of God. After the inevitable complaint, the Parks Dept, which approved the original proposal with "God" included, asked the Scout to remove the offending marker.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2007 – A local Boy Scouts of America organization recognized Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his lifelong devotion to scouting during an award ceremony here yesterday. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanks members of the Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area Council after receiving the organization’s Citizen of the Year award at their annual dinner in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 2007. Photo by Cherie A. Thurlby  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Gates received the “Citizen of the Year” award, bestowed annually by the National Capital Area Council. Since 1968, the council has recognized...

Perry book to tout Scout values http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA103107.10B.PerryBook.31f57c2.html http://tinyurl.com/2a97dx 10/30/2007 10:11 PM CDT Peggy Fikac, Express-News AUSTIN — Add another title to Gov. Rick Perry's resume: author of a book defending Boy Scout values against "lawsuit-happy do-gooders." The GOP governor, who proudly wears his Eagle Scout pin on his lapel, has written — with some assistance — a book on scouting that paints the organization as a leading indicator in the battle between right and wrong. The book isn't due until February, but Perry described it in remarks Tuesday, referring to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a lawsuit brought by...

FOR FOUR YEARS the architect of the U.S. Capitol has censored letters from constituents by removing political and religious messages. That outrageous policy was halted by a 17-year-old Ohio Boy Scout originally from New Hampshire. Andrew Larochelle of Dayton, Ohio, whose grandfather Marcel is an Army veteran from Manchester, wanted to celebrate his attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout by giving his grandfather a flag that had been flown over the Capitol. He wrote this message to go on the certificate: "In honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, country, and family." Well,...

Michael Moore Espouses Jesus, Yet He Mocked the Crucifixion, Supports Pro-Choice, And ...Posted by Dave Pierre On Tuesday's episode (6/19/07) of The View, Michael Moore advocated socialized medicine by saying that "Jesus told us that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us." (Video at Hot Air.)  The problem? For one, starting many years ago, Michael Moore has displayed behavior that many followers of Jesus would find offensive. Moore also reportedly has a dubious history in dealing with "the least" around him in his own life.1. Back in high school, the rebellious Moore staged a play...

FORT MYERS, Fla.: Decades after he finished the requirements to earn the rank, an 88-year-old man was honored as an Eagle Scout on Saturday, making him possibly the oldest person to ever collect the honor. Walter Hart couldn't become an Eagle Scout at the time he earned the rank because his service in World War II got in the way. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time," said Hart, who lives in a retirement center in nearby Lehigh Acres. Scout officials say he may be the oldest person to earn the honor. Hart joined the Cub Scouts...

BLACKSBURG, Va. — The gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre was a sullen loner who alarmed professors and classmates with his twisted, blood-drenched creative writing and left a rambling note in his dorm room raging against women and rich kids.  A chilling picture emerged Tuesday of Cho Seung-Hui — a 23-year-old senior majoring in English — a day after the bloodbath that left 33 people dead, including Cho, who killed himself as police closed in. News reports said that he may have been taking medication for depression and that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic. Despite the many warning...

IN MEMORIAMGerald R. Ford38th President of the United StatesJuly 14, 1913 - December 26, 2006 The Boy Scouts of America joins the Ford family and our country in mourning the loss of President Gerald R. Ford. His presidential term coincided with a very difficult time in American history, but he served with grace and dignity. President Ford achieved Eagle Scout, Scouting's highest rank, which is accomplished by only about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts. By dedicating himself to serving the youth and families of his country throughout his life, he left each of us with a shining example...

To Boy Scout, building labyrinth is a journey itselfhttp://www.oregonlive.com/metrosouthwest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_southwest_news/1159667704221670.xml&coll=7 http://tinyurl.com/hxpba Service - West Linn Lutheran's new footpath reflects Kevin Lenihan's vision and perseverance Thursday, October 05, 2006 CORNELIA SEIGNEUR The Oregonian Kevin Lenihan first walked a labyrinth at age 14. "I just loved it," he said. "Just finding an inner peace. That is the whole purpose of the labyrinth, to walk silently, really just calming down." Now he's the designer of a new outdoor labyrinth at West Linn Lutheran Church that will be dedicated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday during regular church services. A reception will follow. Lenihan, 17, a West...

It was 1926. Queen Elizabeth II was born, the first liquid-fuel rocket was launched and a pair of men's pants cost less than $6. It also was the year Charles Soldi joined the Boy Scouts. Soldi, the middle of six kids living in Orange, was 12 when he was recruited by a neighbor. He quickly advanced in Scouting with the goal of making Eagle Scout, the organization's highest achievement. He earned 22 merit badges and in February 1932, at a court of honor, he was presented with his sterling silver Eagle Scout pin. Yesterday, Scouting officials from northern New Jersey...

Fitzpatrick steps in for Boy Scoutshttp://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-07312006-691181.html http://tinyurl.com/pvk5s By BRIAN SCHEID Bucks County Courier Times Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, R-8, wants the city of Philadelphia to end its dispute with the Boy Scouts of America. Fitzpatrick has sent a letter to Philadelphia Mayor John Street, blasting the city's pending decision to oust the Boy Scouts from their Philadelphia headquarters for refusing to change their policy prohibiting gay members. Fitzpatrick, an Eagle Scout and former president of the Bucks County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, also gave a brief speech on the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday in support...

Family welcomes 12th Eagle Scouthttp://www.tmnews.com/articles/2006/07/16/sections/news/news74.txt http://tinyurl.com/rwvkn Sunday, July 16, 2006 Last modified: Sunday, July 16, 2006 6:46 AM CDT By Jason Mullis, Hoosier Times BEDFORD - There are 12 virtues the American Boy Scouts espouse to the youth in their charge. Similarly, when Travis Scherschel earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout Saturday, he became the 12th Scherschel to do so. "Becoming an Eagle Scout is an outstanding achievement, which requires hard work and dedication," Mark Scherschel, Travis' father, read from a letter from President George W. Bush. "Your accomplishment serves as an example of excellence and a source of...

Scouts played large part in Fossum's lifehttp://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=14170&Section=Local http://tinyurl.com/ru9qt July 12, 2006 Marc B. Geller Monitor Staff Writer McALLEN — One of the biggest influences in Mike Fossum’s life growing up in the Rio Grande Valley was his experience in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Beverly Alleyn, who like Fossum’s mother is a nurse, was his Cub Scout pack leader. And her husband, Mickey, led the Webelos program that Mike needed to complete with other Cub Scouts to transition into Boy Scouts. The Alleyns’ son, Rob, now a McAllen physician, was one of Mike’s classmates and rose with Mike through the...

Boy Scouts Hoped Shuttle Discovery Would Have Launchedhttp://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=5105676 July 2, 2006, 05:49 PM Reported by Anabel Marquez McAllen Space shuttle Discovery is on the launch pad in Florida. But it isn't going anywhere. As people waited to see the discovery's lift-off Saturday, NASA officials called off the expedition due to bad weather. In the Valley, members of McAllen Boy Scout Troop 7 gathered at one of the boy scouts' houses to watch the launch. They were excited about Astronaut Michael Fossum, a former Eagle Scout from their troop - leap into space. "It's just such a small world that he...

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld received scouting's highest honor from the Boy Scouts of America here today. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld (right) receives the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America in Washington, May 26. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "I'm very honored to accept scouting's Silver Buffalo Award," Rumsfeld said during a breakfast sponsored by the National Eagle Scout Association. "Since its earliest days, the Boy Scouts have cultivated leadership and good citizenship, a service that has been...

After watching the deterioration of the dog park he frequently visits with his pet, an East Side boy decided he wanted to fix it up a little. Raymond Snyder, a 14-year-old who is committed to becoming an Eagle Scout, will begin work on the off-leash dog area at Palo Verde Park, 300 S. Mann Ave., today. He plans to complete the work on April 22. He chose to take on the task after noticing cracks in tables, water containers for dogs that created a muddy mess, and holes in the ground that left dogs with minor injuries. Even his own...

N.Y. teen performs Heimlich on nurse who gave him CPR years earlier Call it a simple twist of fate — times two: A teenager in western New York state has saved the life of the same woman who years ago saved his life.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- LGBT elected and appointed leaders from across the United States and around the world passed an historic resolution in Seattle this weekend at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference calling upon "all nations and governments to adopt a vocal, clear and consistent policy on international human rights abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people that includes a call on other countries to abolish sodomy laws." Attendees, some who traveled from as far away as Sri Lanka and Poland, vowed to continue to bring attention to the horrific record of some countries on this...

White Castle Patron Helps Catch Robbery Suspect Police Expect To Honor Man With AwardPOSTED: 8:52 am EST January 9, 2006 DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. -- A patron at a White Castle restaurant in Dearborn Heights is expected to be honored by police for his action during a robbery early Sunday morning. Police said a 16-year-old Garden City boy armed with a machete is accused of robbing a White Castle restaurant on Ford and Inkster roads at about 2:45 a.m. University of Michigan student Peter Kim and his girlfriend walked in on the robbery, and Kim sprang into action, Local 4 reported....

At this time last year, only one of the 11 members of Boy Scout Troop 90 in Sun Prairie, WI had attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Now, eight have earned the organization's highest honor- at a time when nationally, only about 4 percent of boys who join Boy Scouts make Eagle Scout. "I'm excited for their future - they're good leaders," said Art Blanchet, a troop adviser and father of two members who became Eagle Scouts. "It's an accomplishment that can't be taken away. It's something they probably won't appreciate until they get a little older."To become an Eagle...

FORT HUACHUCA — At 14, Daniel Rich is one part site supervisor and another part worker. The Buena High School ninth-grader needs to be both, as he leads and does labor that hopefully will earn him the rank of Eagle Scout, as a member of Boy Scout Troop 431. Sunday, Daniel had the support of others from his Fort Huachuca troop, a couple of scouts from Troop 444 in Sierra Vista, family members, friends and soldiers from Company B, 305th Military Intelligence Battalion and Headquarters Company of the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade in renovating trails on the post’s Heritage Park....

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (Nov. 25, 2005) -- From a young Eagle Scout to hardened Marine, he chose to take “the road less traveled” to become one of the “few and the proud.” “College wasn’t really an option for me, once I got out of high school,” said Josh S. Wartchow, squad leader, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. “I wanted to do something for my country that would make people proud. I also wanted to build upon the leadership skills that I learned when I was an Eagle Scout, so I knew the military was...

John G. Roberts pairs a youthful demeanor with a sharp, seasoned legal mind that has impressed Ivy League professors, government lawyers and U.S. presidents. Befitting his age of 50 and limited time on the appellate court, the book on his judicial decisions remains a work in progress. President Bush on Tuesday tapped Roberts to become the nation's 109th Supreme Court justice, introducing the Harvard honors graduate, former clerk to William Rehnquist and successful Washington attorney to the nation in prime time. "He has argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court and earned a reputation as one of the best legal...

AR RAMADI, Iraq (May 14, 2005) -- A 20-year-old Eagle Scout and Marine from Chicago ensures vehicles used by 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment stay fueled and in the ongoing fight on the urban battlefield here. Lance Cpl. Mathew D. Hawkins, a motor transportation operator with Truck Company, Headquarters Battalion, is responsible for keeping the infantry battalion’s two bases, Camps Snake Pit and Hurricane Point, supplied with fuel. Each morning and evening, the 2003 Crandon High School graduate fills his 7-ton tanker-truck with fuel from Camp Ramadi and takes his place in the re-supply convoy that visits the two camps....

Appeared in The Catholic Virginian February 4, 2002Frank ParaterMost people in our diocese never heard of Frank Parater. If you were around in the late Sixties, you might recall that the diocese sponsored a camp named for him in Caroline County called Camp Parater. On Oct. 25, 2001, I received a letter from Jose Cardinal Saraiva Martins, the Prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints authorizing me , with a “ nihil obstat” (“nothing stands in the way”) to initiate a process for the “Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God, Frank Parater, Seminarian.”...

Disability barely slowed Sam Roe's march to his dream EVERETT -- When asked which Scouting accomplishment he was most proud of -- rock climbing, swimming, 20-mile bike rides, lashing ropes -- Sam Roe's answer shot out of his mouth like a bullet. "Being here." "Here" was aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln yesterday, in a cavernous hangar of the aircraft carrier surrounded by friends, family, sailors and Gov. Gary Locke -- all of whom helped make his improbable dream of becoming an Eagle Scout come true. The 15-year-old, who suffered a stroke before birth and has cerebral palsy, completed all the...

EVERETT — If the Boy Scouts gave out merit badges for perseverance, Sam Roe would have one more for his collection. As it stands, the newly minted Eagle Scout has 31, more than enough to earn Scouting's highest honor. But the badge-covered sash the 15-year-old wore yesterday during his Eagle Scout ceremony aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln told only part of the story. A very small part. Under Boy Scout rules, Roe, who was born with cerebral palsy, could have had special accommodations made for his physical disabilities while he fulfilled the requirements for Eagle Scout. But Roe, who wears...

<p>Two years ago, Eagle Scout Samuel Nassie of Paradise spent most of Memorial Day alone in a cemetery raising flags on veterans' graves.</p> <p>Two other Scouts helped but said they had to leave early, Nassie recalled. He refused to leave the task unfinished. Sweat poured off his body as he wandered the grassy grounds to post the last of about 1,600 flags. He discovered that many graves at the Paradise Cemetery could not be identified using existing maps.</p>

BISBEE - There are many heroes who protect the people of the United States. In a Bisbee's Vista Park, there now is a monument to those men and women. The monument was Aaron Oertel's project. Oertel is an 18-year-old who, with the help of others, put up a special monument and landscaped an area in the park. It was his Eagle Scout project. Oertel wrote some special words on the plaque attached to the stone monument, saying it is for "all those who have, who are and who will serve in our armed forces, law enforcement, firefighters, medical professionals and...

BISBEE - Fourteen years after the last Bisbee area Boy Scout won the scout's highest honor, an Elfrida high school student is seeking to become the area's next Eagle Scout. Aaron Oertel, a scout for the last 11 years, said he has been working on the Eagle Scout project for the last six months. Oertel is not suppose to do the work. He is in charge of supervising the project, as well as being the primary organizer. The monument Oertel is working on will revolve around true heroes such as police officers, teachers, firefighters and people in the military. Kerry...

Lost Boy attains Eagle Scout rank HIGH POINT -- Kuanyin Abur once hiked hundreds of miles to escape persecution and death. Since arriving in America, hiking has earned the Sudanese native more than merit badges. Abur is one of the "Lost Boys," a group of 30,000 southern Sudanese boys orphaned by civil war. In 2000, the United States began to resettle nearly 4,000 Lost Boys in America. About 150 live in Guilford County. Abur became a Boy Scout -- with Emerywood Baptist Church's Troop 2 -- soon after his arrival. On Friday, he completed the steps to become an Eagle...

<p>He nearly hyperventilated before he thrust a microphone into Dick Clark's minivan, buzzed the gate outside Charlton Heston's Beverly Hills mansion and chased then General Motors chairman Roger Smith from yacht club to boardroom.</p> <p>Still, the filmmaker's and best-selling author's approach has made him a celebrity in his own right.</p>

WEYAUWEGA, Wis. -- Gary Hirte, a high school scholar, star athlete and Eagle Scout whose name seemed to be in the local paper all the time, is accused of committing murder--not for money or revenge, but just to see if he could get away with it. The Weyauwega-Fremont High senior's arrest last month was met with shock and disbelief in this town of 1,800, where Hirte has long been held in high esteem. The 18-year-old was accused of killing 37-year-old Glenn Kopitske. "He wanted to see if he could do this. It was like a challenge for him," sheriff's Capt....

Eagle Scout accused of murdering just to outsmart cops By The Associated Press (2/25/04 - WEYAUWEGA, WI) — Gary Hirte, a high school scholar, star athlete and Eagle Scout whose name seemed to be in the local paper all the time, is accused of committing murder _ not for money, or revenge, but simply to see if he could get away with it. The Weyauwega-Fremont High School senior was charged last month in an arrest that was met with shock and disbelief in this small town of 1,800, where Hirte has long been the golden boy. He was accused of...

THE CITY of San Diego recently announced a whopping gift of taxpayer dollars to the American Civil Liberties Union. With budgets tight up and down California, San Diego citizens might have been surprised to learn there was so much extra cash lying around city hall. The payoff is part of the city council’s shameful cave-in to the ACLU’s lawsuit that aims to kick the Boy Scouts off of public parkland in San Diego. As part of a nationwide anti-Boy Scout crusade by activists who can’t stomach Scouting’s traditional values, the ACLU filed suit in 2000 to end the Scouts’ $1...

Walter Wollmann is an 18 year old young man who earned his Eagle scout award in January of 2003. He is in the hospital and they have found cancer in multiple stomach organs. The cancer is such that they cannot opperate and the organs are starting to fail. Please add Walter and his family to any prayer groups you can think of. Please also offer any prayers you can. This is all very sudden. Walter has been very fit and active all of his life. He went to the hospital because of stomach upset a week and a half ago....

<p>CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Travelers at the world's busiest airport are waiting less at security checkpoints thanks to the tinkering of a 15-year-old Boy Scout.</p> <p>Josh Pfluger and his scouting pals went into his Rockford, Illinois, garage and hammered out a shoe-scanning device now in daily use at O'Hare International Airport. His goal at the time was simply to polish off his Eagle Scout requirements. Looks like the project passed muster.</p>

Details unfold in FBI mix-up Agents had photo of real suspect before shooting other man; Revealed in affidavit; They also knew air pistol apparently was used in robbery -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Gail Gibson Sun Staff Originally published March 13, 2002 FBI agents involved in the mistaken traffic stop and shooting of an unarmed Pasadena man March 1 had a photograph of the actual bank robbery suspect they sought [so why did they shoot Schultz?] and earlier that day had discovered that an air pistol, not a handgun, apparently was used in the holdup, court records show. Those details, contained in an...