The Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) celebrated Eagle Scouts with a reception held Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Bel Air, Maryland. Twenty people including local Eagle Scout alumni and BSA staff joined BSA National Eagle Scout Association National Director, Bill Steel, and Baltimore Area Council BSA Executive Board member Tom Owsley in recognizing the accomplishments of Alex Griffith. As the Scouting movement celebrates its 100th anniversary an emphasis is being placed to reconnect with Eagle Scout from all years. A recent poll by Harris Interactive showed that over 13,000 Eagle Scouts reside within the metropolitan Baltimore area. 

At the reception key note speaker, Mr. Steel announced that 16-year old Harford County Resident, Alex Griffith, has been awarded the National Eagle Service Project of the Year for his Eagle Scout Service project. Alex’s project was chosen from over 50,000 Eagle Scout Leadership Service Projects in 2009. This award will be presented at the National Council Annual meeting at the end of this month in Dallas, Texas. 

Alex attracted national media attention when he decided to raise funds and build a playground for the orphanage in Krasnoyarsk, Russia where he was adopted from at the age of 11 months for his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. Through this project and over more than two years, Alex, along with the assistance of his Boy Scout Troop (Troop 809) and other volunteers, dedicated countless hours to raising over $60,000 for the purchase of the elaborate playground. In April 2009, Alex and a crew of Boy Scouts and leaders travelled to Krasnoyarsk with the playground kit and spent two weeks assembling the playground. They worked alongside Russian youth, overcoming language and cultural difference. 

Alex has been recognized for his efforts as a 2009 CNN Hero of the Week, one of 28 Heroes selected from over 9000 nominations from 100 countries. Alex is here to tell us about his Scouting experience. 

The Eagle Scout award is the highest rank a boy can attain in the BSA. Only 4% of all registered Scouts earn this coveted mark of success. A Scout must complete 21 merit badges, serve in a leadership position successfully for six months in their Scouting group, show Scout Spirit, and complete the capstone Eagle service project.  Once the requirements are met the Scout takes part in a board of review with adults from his group and the larger Scouting community.  

The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project provides a Scout with the opportunity to demonstrate leadership of others in the completion of a significant project to benefit his school, church, or community.  Normally the service project involves over 100 hours of effort by the Scout and individuals who assist him. In 2009, total project hours of Eagle Scouts throughout the metro area was 87,972 hours. In Harford County 54 youth achieved the rank of Eagle. 

The Baltimore Area Council, BSA is initiating a number of opportunities for Eagle Scouts of all ages to renew their commitment to serve others. First among these is the “Eagle Reserve” an alumni and affiliation network of Eagle Scouts in the Baltimore area. Realizing that many Eagle Scouts are not in a place in their career or family life to be able to devote time as a unit volunteer the Eagle Reserve connects Eagle Scouts to the countless options to serve others, and perhaps help the next crop of Eagle Scouts.  All Eagles are encouraged to contact kmcclelland@baltimorebsa.org or 443-573-2540 for alumni information and updates.

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In the United States, firefighters are generally held in high regard, considered heroes and protectors. In Iraq, firefighters do not have the same image as their U.S. counterparts.

Someone had to do something.

Two Soldiers assigned to the 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Division – Center, Lt. Col. Gary Esson, the senior fire service advisor and a native of Joplin, Mo., and Spc. Michael Burris, a fire service advisor and Fayetteville, N.C., native, both with the Provincial Reconstruction Team – Baghdad, have spent nearly a year working to make life for Iraqi firefighters a little bit better.

The first step was to improve living standards inside Iraqi fire stations.

“If there was an [American Base] closing, we would contact them for any furniture that they would give up,” said Esson. “Items like desks, beds and chairs, your basic living items.”

The second step was to get the Iraqi firefighters proper recognition throughout the local community. According to Esson, Iraqi firefighters are not held in the same high regard as the police.

An opportunity for the second step came, May 2, in the form of a “Camping Day,” sponsored by the 72nd Joint Area Support Group. Visiting Iraqi Boy and Girl Scouts had the opportunity to participate in events that included fire safety.

“It gets kids excited seeing what emergency services are doing,” said Esson. “Iraqi kids are the future of the country, they are the next generation. They will grow to trust the fire department and hopefully put trust in other government services.”

The fire safety presentation was a joint effort between Soldiers assigned to the 414th CA Bn., firefighters with Kellogg, Brown and Root Inc. and Iraqi firefighters. They worked together to demonstrate various pieces of fire-fighting and safety equipment and also gave helpful tips on what to do in case of a fire.

“It is important that the public be aware of the fire department and look up to them,” said Burris. “This is the first time they took it upon themselves to show the public who they are.”

Burris has worked alongside the Iraqi firemen and said he enjoyed spending time with them and building bonds with his fellow firemen.

“They are firefighters, like the guys back home where I work. They are good people,” said Burris. “They put themselves in harms way every time they go out. If they are willing to get shot working for their people, I will do my best to get them the training and equipment they need.”

Burris and Iraqi firefighter Kareem Kasim showed a bit of teamwork while participating in a three-legged race. The pair came in first place against two other Iraqi firefighter teams. After he stopped laughing, Burris said that he’d had a funny thought.

“I was cracking up: What kind of war story is this? A three-legged race with a 50-year-old Iraqi man,” said the smiling Soldier.

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The Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America is celebrating 100 years of Scouting with the “Scouting for Change” coin drive.

The Scouting for Change service project was conceptualized by the Central Florida Council’s leadership as a way to join the national celebration of Scouting by raising funds to help build schools in Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi is widely considered the birthplace of Scouting, where founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell envisioned the ideas and fundamentals of the Scouting program and where he was later laid to rest.

The first phase of the service project, the coin drive collection, was completed on February 8th, BSA’s 100th birthday. Phase two, the virtual deposit program, ends May 19th, exactly 100 days later. The Council’s goal is to raise enough to make major construction improvements to two schools around Nairobi with organizational partners Church World Service, which will build a new school, and World Hope, which will build a ninth grade wing at its Hope Academy in Kenya.

“Our goal was to do something truly special to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Scouting program,” said Ron Oats, scout executive. “Our Council’s leadership took the original concept and created a campaign that has truly transformed the original idea into something so much greater. This project wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of our community partners.”

Under the direction and guidance of Technetium, the Central Florida Council implemented an integrated campaign to create awareness and motivate participation in the drive. The campaign concept incorporated local Scouts of all ages to create visual elements for the drive’s Web site – www.scoutingforchange.com – billboards, TV and radio public service announcements, as well as the school-shaped coin collection boxes that Scouts, their parents and volunteer leaders used for collecting the quarters.

“We couldn’t have accomplished this without Bright House Networks, Clear Channel Outdoor, Cox Radio, DeRoo Printing Services, Full Sail University, and Regions Bank and their contributions to this campaign. Together our team of community partners generated amazing materials and tremendous exposure for Scouting for Change,” said Joe Forget, president of Technetium and the Council’s VP of Marketing.

The Central Florida Council continues its 100th Anniversary celebration with the Central Florida Scout Show on May 1, 2010 at University of Central Florida’s Bright House Stadium.

About Technetium
Technetium  is an Orlando-based boutique advertising and Web design firm specializing in integrated marketing campaigns based upon its proprietary Four “A” Metrics: Awareness, Affinity, Action and Analytics. For more information on Technetium and its services, call 407.826.1990 or visit www.technetium.com.

Source: Press Release

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