Last Sunday was a great day. Our Boy Scout Unit inducted its second Eagle Scout in the last two years. Eagle is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America and it’s a lifetime honor that follows each of them all of their days in a number of practical ways. A piece read during the Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony called “One Hundred Scouts” epitomizes the true nature of this rank. I don’t who the author is but I’d like to share it with you today.

One Hundred Scouts

Of any one hundred boys who become Scouts, it must be confessed that thirty will drop out the first year. Perhaps this may be regarded as a failure, but later in life all will remember that they had been Scouts and will speak well of the program.

Of the one hundred Scouts, rarely will one appear before a juvenile court judge. Twelve of the one hundred will be from families that do no belong to a church. Through Scouting, these twelve and many of their families will be brought in contact with a church and will continue to be active all their lives. Six of the one hundred will become pastors.

Each of the one hundred will learn something significant from Scouting. Almost all will develop hobbies and will add other interests throughout their lives. Approximately one half will serve in the military and in varying degrees profit from their Scout training. At least one will use his Scouting skills to save another person’s life, and many will credit Scouting with saving their own life.

Two of the one hundred will reach the rank of Eagle, and at least one will later say that he values his Eagle badge above his college degree. Many will find their future vocation through merit badge work and Scouting contacts. Seventeen of the one hundred will later become Scout leaders and will give leadership to thousands of additional boys.

Only one in four boys in America will become Scouts, but it is interesting to note that of the leaders of our nation, in business, religion, and government, three out of four were Scouts.

This story has no end. Like the “Golden Pebble” of service dropped in the human sea, it will continue to radiate in ever widening circles, influencing others down through time to come.

On behalf of the leaders and Scouts of our troop I want to say that a ripple of service has begun to radiate and we extend deep appreciation to our Eagle Scout recipient for achieving the highest honor in Scouting, the Eagle Scout Award.