Greg Wittine Eliminated Eagle Scout Age Limit for Disabled May 5, 1978

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Scout Gregory Wittine was severely disabled by cerebral palsy. "He could not walk or talk. In his wheelchair, he carried around a homemade keyboard on which he would point at individual letters and spell out words in order to communicate."

By 1977 and 22 years old of age, he had earned the 24 merit badges then required for Eagle. Despite being past the age limit, his  local Council awarded him Eagle Scout which National rescinded.

He launched himself on a campaign to change the rules. A reporter for The New York Times visited him and asked if he had a message for people whose disabilities thwarted their ambitions. He slowly moved his left ring finger over letters on his word board: “K-E-E-P T-R-Y-I-N-G.”

Mr. Wittine did exactly that. Ultimately, he made the Boy Scouts of America revise its policies toward disabled scouts. Ever since, thanks to his efforts, many thousands of them have found a sense of purpose that has shaped their lives.

After he became an Eagle Scout, The Associated Press asked him what had given him confidence that he could change the national organization’s policy. With Mr. Golden’s (his Scoutmaster) help, he answered:

“M-Y M-O-T-H” (“Mother,” Mr. Golden explained) “W-A-N” — (“wanted”) — “T-O S-E-E M-E B-E-C” — (“become”) — “A-N E-A-G-L-E.”

Mr. Wittine died on March 5 in Bayville, N.Y., at a nursing facility run by the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County. He was 67.

In observance of his wishes, Mr. Wittine was buried in a Boy Scout uniform with a sash bearing his merit badges. But he was not buried with his Eagle Scout medal, which he gave away to his nephew — following the example set by the former scouts who had sent Mr. Wittine their own medals one spring many decades ago.

Scout salute and farewell,

More details in Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/06/archives/eagle-scout-age-limit-eliminated-for-the-disabled-demonstrates.html

Highly recommend reading the following detailed obituary of Gregory Wittine written by Alex Traub of the New York Times::

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/us/greg-wittine-dead.html