Re: New Eagle Scout
Don E. Robinson, M.D. (WA4YYM@AOL.COM)
Fri, 8 Mar 1996 17:57:24 -0500
In a message dated 96-03-08 03:56:40 EST, you write:
>My sincerest congratulations to your BUT . . .
>
>There is no way I can adequately state in an email message my vehement
>disapproval of "sharing Eagle courts of honor". It should be a
>completely individual thing.
>
>
Bob, in principle, I agree with you. It should be an honor that is for an
individual only. However, with 5 boys having 5 separate ceremonies around
the same time, it is too much to ask for a lot of the same people to
congregate that many times. We plan to have it just before a church service
one Sunday I think. There should be around 300+ people there to see some of
our finest young men from Troop 10 be awarded their Eagle rank. Some who are
there for church will never have seen or will ever see a ceremony like that.
Our church has sponsored this Troop for 72 years. I think it will be a
special occasion for our church as well as these boys and their families.
Let me also say that this is what the boys want, not just us. They
started together, and they want to end together.
When J.B., my older son got his Eagle in 1993, I , like you, felt that an
individual ceremony was best. I found out that by sharing this occasion with
another Scout that there were several advantages. Among them---a nice big
crowd and shared work and expenses for the reception that we always have
traditionally had afterwards when people come by to individually congratulate
the new Eagle. The Eagles also show off a display they have made of their
own Scouting memorabilia.
Again, I think this should be the individual Scout's decision, not a hard
fast rule by any means. Certainly it should not be construed to cheapen or
trivialize the honor of this high occasion. Receiving my medical degree with
others did nothing to detract from its personal significance to me or the
honor it bestowed. It is no different, in my opinion, for the Eagle rank,
one that I place right up there with my medical degree in importance in my
life.
Don E. Robinson, M.D.
Cleveland, TN
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Assistant Scoutmaster-Troop 10 (Sponsored by Broad St. United Methodist
Church since 1924)
Cherokee Area Council (TN-GA) "I used to be a Beaver..." SR-030
OA (Brotherhood) James West Fellow
National Scout Jamboree 1993 Staff, Assistant Physician Subcamp 17
Philmont Crew Advisor 1994, Trek 702I NESA-Life Member
Don E. Robinson, M.D. E-Mail WA4YYM@aol.com
1250 Summerfield Avenue or
Cleveland, TN 37311 docdon@chattanooga.net
Tel. (W) 423-476-7584
(H) 423-479-3058
(F) 423-479-3058
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