2016 Summer Eagles' Call

NESA.org

™ THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR EAGLE SCOUTS SUMMER 2016

FLYING

HIGH Eagle Scout CEO Brad Tilden helps Alaska Airlines take off.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Nashville’s Next Big Thing Started in Scouting How to Connect With Other Eagles Online Meet YouTube Star (and Eagle) Dear Dave Eagle Project Refurbishes Church Kitchen

ECM_COVER_16SU.indd 1

5/25/16 10:51 AM

PA I D A D V E RT I S E M E N T

Congratulations

to the latest Eagle Scouts from the Tukabatchee Area Council in Montgomery, Alabama.

Mr. Samuel Adams, recipient of the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, honored and challenged these new Eagles with the following words:

“Please indulge me as I share with you my thoughts about these young Eagles being ‘Living Stones’…

Stones, in and of themselves, are rarely remarkable absent community. What do I mean by ‘community’?

Once joined with others they can form great walls, great bridges and great structures.…

Striving for these ideals and keeping the faith with them is what Scouting is all about.…

These words will course through your veins as sure as life itself.”

A compelling and inspirational story.

For the full text of Mr. Adams’ speech, go to nesa.org/livingstones

EagleAd_final_rev.indd 1

5/18/16 7:09 AM

Eagles’ Call

On the Cover

™

Distinguished Eagle Scout Brad Tilden shares how Scouting helps guide him as he leads one of the largest airlines in the world.

Read more about Tilden on page 10.

Cover photograph by W. Garth Dowling.

NATIONAL EAGLE SCOUT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Glenn A. Adams DIRECTOR Dustin Farris

NESA COMMITTEE Steve Bowen, Rick Bragga, Dr. David Briscoe, Howard Bulloch, Clark W. Fetridge, Hunter Jones, Dr. Ken King, Dr. Michael Manyak, Lou Paulson, Rich Pfaltzgraff, Todd R. Plotner, Congressman Pete Sessions, Frank Tsuru, Joe Weingarten

Contents

Regents consist of more than 600 life members of NESA who are recipients of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michael Goldman MANAGING EDITOR Paula Murphey SENIOR EDITOR Bryan Wendell SENIOR WRITER Aaron Derr ASSOCIATE EDITORS Gretchen Sparling Clay Swartz SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Bryan Wursten DIGITAL EDITOR Keith Faber EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Adryn Shackelford SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Lois Albertus, Johnny D. Boggs, Brittany Hale, Ryan Larson, Jeff Laughlin, Mark Ray

W. GARTH DOWLING (2); COURTESY OF LAURA COBB; COURTESY OF THE GROSS FAMILY

CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR John Stewart CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR Eric Moore SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGER Patricia Santangelo (Northeast Region) ADVERTISING MANAGERS Brian Cabanban (Central Region) Tanya Mitchell (Western Region) PRINT AD PRODUCTION MANAGERS Lisa Hott (Scouting and Eagles’ Call ) Leah Myers (Boys’ Life) DIGITAL AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Patrice Eulin MARKETING & RESEARCH Jillian Foley (Marketing Specialist) Jennifer Chan (Research Analyst) SALES & MARKETING ASSISTANTS Bianca Lentini (New York) Karie Sconyers (Irving) CIRCULATION MANAGER Judy Bramlett CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Judy Pritchard HONORARY PRESIDENT, BSA PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES Barack Obama PRESIDENT, BSA Randall L. Stephenson CHIEF SCOUT EXECUTIVE Michael Surbaugh

10

Miles Above By Bryan Wendell

14

Chasing That Neon Rainbow

With a friendly but fierce management style, Distinguished Eagle Scout CEO Brad Tilden helps Alaska Airlines take off.

By Mark Ray

Eagle Scout singer-songwriter Ben Gallaher shares how Scouting helps him make his mark in Nashville.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION: (212) 532-0985 ADVERTISING OFFICES: 1040 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, SUITE 16A, NEW YORK, NY 10018

scoutingworks@scouting.org

10 6

Departments 2 News From the Trailhead

16

3 Members 6 Community 8 Lifestyle 16 Achievements

MAGAZINES ADVISORY COMMITTEE David Talbot (Chairman) Ethan Draddy, James G. Elliott, Allen Pusey, Beth Reynolds, Paul Sammon, Jeff Stoffer, Alair Townsend FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE: (866) 584-6589

VOL. 42, NO. 2

Features

DESIGN DIRECTOR Eric Ottinger PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR W. Garth Dowling ART DIRECTORS Elizabeth Hardaway Morgan Kevin Hurley PHOTO EDITOR Edna J. Lemons PRODUCTION MANAGER Lenore Bonno IMAGING ARTIST Marcie Rodriguez

SUMMER 2016

Eagles’ Call magazine (ISSN 2373-7026) is published four times a year by the Boy Scouts of America, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. Issues are Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Copyright © 2016 by the Boy Scouts of America. All rights thereunder reserved; anything appearing in Eagles’ Call magazine may not be reprinted either wholly or in part without written permission. For submission guidelines, go to nesa.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to Eagles’ Call magazine, P.O. Box 152401, Irving, TX 75015-2401. Online address changes: nesa.org/eaglescall_subscriber.html. Send other correspondence to NESA, S322 Boy Scouts of America, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079 or eaglescoutmag@scouting.org.

Printed and bound by Quad/Graphics.

14

NESA.org Visit NESA online to submit your Eagle Scout projects, see more Eagle achievements, apply for scholarships and more.

SUMMER 2016

TOC_EA_16SU.indd 1

1

5/18/16 2:30 PM

News From the Trailhead

SUMMER 2016

Eagles’ Call

™

From the President

W. GARTH DOWLING; BACKGROUND BY DAN BRYANT

Since becoming president of NESA in 2008, I have signed my letter in each issue of Eagle’s Call with the words “From the Eagle Trail.” The reason for this is simple: It is reminiscent of the words we use at a court of honor of newly minted Eagle Scouts. They are told that earning the Eagle Scout rank is not a destination; it is a journey that continues for the remainder of your life.

At the BSA’s 2016 National Annual Meeting in late May, I stepped down as president of NESA. By the time this magazine reaches your home or office, my good friend and gifted Eagle Scout Frank Tsuru will be president of NESA. Frank has served on the national NESA committee and is vice president of scholarships for NESA. He has an extensive Scouting background in Houston, Texas, including serving as chairman of the board of Sam Houston Area Council. Frank led the NESA task force that restructured all of NESA’s scholarships to create more impact on the lives of recipients, with larger dollar amounts to offset the ever-increasing cost of a college education. I know you will welcome Frank as our new president.

I look forward to working with Frank as a NESA committee member focused on the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Service Project of the Year Award and the new Glenn and Melinda Adams Eagle Scout Service Project to World Scouting scholarship fund that will be launched in the near future. This is a unique scholarship fund that will bring Scouts from around the world to the Summit Bechtel Reserve to be mentored by a staff of Eagle Scouts on how to conduct game-changing service projects in their home countries. If you would like to hear more about this initiative, please contact me or the staff at NESA. We already have added several significant donors to this scholarship fund, including Jim and Linda Ryffel. Jim serves as chairman of the Philmont Scout Ranch Committee and on the National Executive Board of the BSA. He is a world-class Scouting volunteer with two Eagle Scout sons and two daughters who were required to complete a service project equivalent to an Eagle Scout service project prior to graduation from high school. What a great example of servant leadership!

In December 2016, I will become chairman of the BSA’s Florida Sea Base, one of four national high-adventure bases. I felt that the opportunity to make an impact on Sea Base was one that I could not pass up. Also, I am a firm believer that volunteer jobs in the BSA, whether they are at the troop, district, council or national level, should not become lifetime appointments. I find that a new set of eyes looking at even a well-run organization can provide long-term benefits. Recruiting and training a replacement and a willingness to embrace change are hallmarks of quality leadership.

We all should keep this in mind as we serve the youth of America through the BSA. I look forward to working with many of you as I continue my path on the Eagle Trail.

Glenn Adams

2

From the Director

“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.” This quote from Theodore Roosevelt is referenced often by Glenn Adams and seems to be the theme by which he lives his life. Occasionally, we are blessed to meet and work with a gifted person whose talent, drive and passion allow for transformative change in an organization. Glenn is such an individual.

As you’ve read in his letter, Glenn will continue to serve as a member of the NESA committee as he takes on a new role as chairman of the BSA’s Florida Sea Base.

Glenn serves as a trustee of the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation and is a former Scoutmaster and council president. He is a Distinguished Eagle Scout and recipient of Scouting’s National Alumnus of the Year Award. In 2015, he received the Silver Buffalo Award, the BSA’s highest award for volunteers.

Glenn, who became NESA president in 2008, is best known for the following game-changing initiatives that came to fruition during his time as NESA president: the NESA World Explorers program; the endowed Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award; the number of NESA council committees expanding from 70 to more than 200; and helping the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award take its place alongside the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award as one of the most prestigious recognitions awarded by the BSA. From our newly minted Eagle Scout to our most seasoned, all of us have been inspired by Glenn to focus on what unites us: our belief that the Boy Scouts of America is the finest youth-serving organization in the world for building character.

Please help me thank Glenn A. Adams for his service as president of the National Eagle Scout Association.

Once an Eagle, always an Eagle,

Dustin Farris

EAGLES’ CALL

PresidentDirectorLetter_16SU.indd 2

5/24/16 8:28 AM

Scouting Alumni Network // MEMBERS

Eagle Scouts Flock to New Online Home Reach old Scouting friends and make new ones using a new online networking tool.

I

f you became an Eagle Scout in the past decade or so, you probably know all your fellow troop members’ email addresses, cellphone numbers, Instagram usernames and Twitter handles. If you’re a little older, however, you might well have lost track of the Scouts you grew up with.

Finding old Scouting friends is easier than ever thanks to the new Scouting Alumni Network 1.0. The service, which went live this spring, replaces the online community NESA had used since 2008.

With a few clicks or taps, you can reconnect with members of your old troop or connect for the first time with Scouting alumni from your city, college or industry.

And it doesn’t matter if those people are Eagle Scouts. For the first time, NESA is joining forces with the Scouting Alumni Association, the Order of the Arrow and the alumni groups affiliated with the BSA’s four high-adventure bases to create a single online alumni community.

“Our goal is to make it easier for alumni to find each other and keep their records up to date,” says NESA Associate Director Ryan Larson, who led implementation of the new database. “We also want to improve local councils’ ability to engage with people who are committed to advancing the cause of Scouting.”

When you first log into the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0 — which you can do from nesa.org — you’ll find that basic information is already on the site, such as your NESA membership status and the troop and city where you became an Eagle Scout. You can supplement this information with a profile photo, career details, social networks and more. You can decide whether to make your record searchable and indicate whether you want to receive email or snail mail from the BSA. As you navigate the site, you might discover that some information is missing — and that you can’t add it yourself.

Larson is working with local councils to

improvement over the old online community, some features haven’t been carried over. Based on member feedback and usage rates, NESA has dropped less-used features like the discussion and job boards.

Also, custom nesa.org email addresses no longer will be supported. They might, however, return in version 2.0, along with ways to leverage existing social media outlets like Facebook and LinkedIn.

incorporate awards like the Silver Beaver, Sea Scout Quartermaster, etc., into the database as it continues to grow. In addition, the Scouting Alumni Association and NESA plan to work with other Scouting alumni groups and add their logos to their members’ profiles. The “1.0” in the name is a reminder that the database is a work in progress and not a finished product.

Although the new site is a significant

Members_ES_16SU.indd 3

SUMMER 2016

3

5/11/16 12:56 PM

MEMBERS // Tickle NTLC / Dolly Nabors

Get Schooled at SBR

Dolly Nabors

B

Office manager retires after processing thousands of Eagle applications.

At

H

As office manager for the Chickasaw Council in Memphis, Tenn., Dolly Nabors did it all.

She turned on the lights each morning and filled in for vacationing staff members. But her passion was helping young men reach the rank of Eagle Scout. She figures she processed between 5,600 and 6,000 Eagle applications between 1985 and her retirement this spring — a task that often meant deciphering bad handwriting and tracking down missing merit badges.

a bonus (and a nice one at that).

To accommodate attendees’ availability, conferences at the Tickle NTLC operate on three schedules: seven day (Sunday through Saturday), five day (Monday through Friday) and weekend (Friday through Sunday).

Because the site is within a day’s drive of nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population, these schedule options let Scouters maximize their use of vacation days.

Conference fees range from $175 to $530 per person.

Adding to the appeal, the Tickle NTLC is just a short hike from the Scott Summit Center. There, conference participants can enjoy zip lines, challenge courses, aquatic activities and other attractions each evening.

For more info about the Tickle NTLC, visit summitbsa.org/programs/training.

About John Tickle

An Eagle Scout gave his name and financial resources to the Tickle NTLC. John D. Tickle Sr. is chairman of the board for Bristol, Va.-based Strongwell Corp., the world’s leading producer of fiber-reinforced plastics. A past president and board member of the Sequoyah Council in Johnson City, Tenn., Tickle has supported a range of causes in the Appalachian region. The United Way, the National Society of Fundraising Executives and the American Composites Manufacturers Association have honored Tickle for his community and industry leadership. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, the Silver Buffalo and Silver Beaver awards and the Heroism Award, which he earned at age 69 for using CPR to save a heart-attack victim.

4

Dolly Nabors, Jeremy Palazolo

“It’s just unbelievable what these young men do,” she says. “I wanted to make it easy for them, not make it a hard process.”

Nabors’ Scouting career began in 1956 when she joined the Chickasaw Council as a temporary typist. It ended on March 31, 2016, the day she facilitated the council’s annual Eagle Scout banquet.

“She picked her retirement date around the Eagle banquet,” says Program Director Jeremy Palazolo, one of Nabors’ Eagle Scouts from 1992.

To honor her service, the council has created the Good Nabors Award, which will go to outstanding council employees.

“She’s the first recipient,” Palazolo says.

“That’s pretty big shoes to fill for whoever receives the next honor. I don’t know how you match 60 years of service.”

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: DIGSAU; COURTESY OF THE CHICKASAW COUNCIL; COURTESY OF THE TICKLE FAMILY. OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP: ROGER MORGAN/BSA FILE; ANDREW HENSLEY

S

ince it opened in 2013, the Summit Bechtel Reserve (SBR) in West Virginia has become a go-to destination for adrenaline-fueled Scouting adventures — as well as the permanent home of the National Scout Jamboree. But adventure and activity are just part of SBR’s mission.

This summer, the sprawling facility is expanding its reach with the launch of the John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center (NTLC), which is part of the Thomas S. Monson Leadership Excellence Complex.

Much like the Philmont Training Center in New Mexico, the Tickle NTLC offers a range of conferences for Scouts, adult volunteers and BSA professionals.

Some, like Mountain Biking Instructor School, take advantage of SBR’s unique facilities. In other cases, like Dynamic Cub Scout Programming, the location is simply

sur atte ove Eag no

EAGLES’ CALL

Members_ES_16SU.indd 4

5/11/16 12:57 PM

Ea fro del sta gro 201 wi

occ an sup No Ca kit an

N O

Ha Sco to yea N sen an

Citadel Eagle Scouts / NESA Scholarships / Glenn Adams // MEMBERS

Big Men on Campouts

ng

At the Citadel, Eagle Scouts join forces.

H

ncil . d

6 l h n-

nd le

es. ys. er ow

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: DIGSAU; COURTESY OF THE CHICKASAW COUNCIL; COURTESY OF THE TICKLE FAMILY. OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP: ROGER MORGAN/BSA FILE; ANDREW HENSLEY

t

d

A NESA Salute to Glenn A. Adams

onor, duty and respect — the core values of The Citadel — define Eagle Scouts as well. So it’s no surprise that countless Eagle Scouts have attended South Carolina’s military college over the decades. Until recently, however, Eagle Scouts on the Charleston campus had no formal way to connect with each other.

That changed in the fall of 2014, when Eagle Scout Andrew Hensley, a junior from Jedburg, S.C., founded The Citadel Eagle Scout Association. The group started with about 30 members and had grown to more than 100 by the spring 2016 semester — not bad for a college with just 2,300 undergrads.

The group holds regular meetings and occasionally volunteers with local packs and troops. But the cadets’ main focus is supporting Cub Scout events at Camp Ho Non Wah, the nearby camp of the Coastal Carolina Council. Members work in the kitchen, help support program activities and spend time with the campers.

“It usually goes very well,” Hensley says.

Glenn A. Adams stepped aside as NESA president in May, but his legacy will live on well into the tenure of his successor, Frank D. Tsuru of Houston.

NESA flourished during Adams’ eight years as president. Membership grew by 20 percent, and scholarships leapt from $150,000 awarded in 2007 to more than $650,000 awarded in 2015.

That includes the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award, which honors outstanding Eagle Scout projects.

In 2012, NESA celebrated the 100th anniversary of the awarding of the first Eagle Scout. Adams worked closely with BSA artist Joe Csatari to create an iconic painting commemorating the occasion.

After reading a book about Eagle Scout and Antarctic explorer Paul Siple, Adams had the idea for the NESA World Explorers Program, which sends Eagle Scouts to places like the Amazon, South Africa and the Galápagos for scientific research.

Adams created the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, which lets councils recognize stellar Eagle Scouts.

Bill Steele, who as NESA director from 2007 until 2014 was Adams’ professional counterpart, called Adams a visionary.

“Glenn Adams will be a tough act to follow as NESA president,” Steele says.

“He took NESA to new heights, where it is certain to remain.”

Dustin Farris, current NESA director, says, “Glenn has made invaluable contributions that, along with his entrepreneurial spirit, have helped transform this great association.”

What’s next for Adams? The Distinguished Eagle Scout, Silver Buffalo Award recipient and 2012 BSA Alumnus of the Year plans to remain active in NESA and will become the top volunteer at the Florida Sea Base — the place his father, William L. Adams, helped develop.

“All the parents are real happy to see Eagle Scouts giving back to the program.”

They aren’t the only ones.

“We are thrilled to have The Citadel Eagle Scouts assisting with our programs,” Scout Executive Legare Clement says. “The Citadel cadets are wonderful role models for the younger Scouts. Their interaction with the younger Scouts really exemplifies all the aspects of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Also, having them participate allows the parents who are volunteering to spend more time with their own sons during the activity.”

In most cases, the cadets get little more for their hard work than a word of thanks and a place to sleep at camp. However, Hensley acknowledges that they occasionally receive an extra benefit.

“Sometimes we get lucky and the Cub events are on inspection weekends, so we get out of some stuff,” he says.

For more information about The Citadel Eagle Scout Association, see facebook.com/TheCitadelEagleScoutAssn.

NESA Scholarship Window Opens Soon, Closes Oct. 31 Halloween represents an important deadline: the last day to apply for National Eagle Scout Association scholarships. The application window opens Aug. 1 and closes Oct. 31 to give NESA staff and volunteers plenty of time to review applications — some 5,000 per year — before winners are announced next summer.

NESA awards dozens of scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to graduating seniors and current post-secondary students, and awards can help defray costs at colleges and trade schools. For details and to apply, visit nesa.org.

Members_ES_16SU.indd 5

SUMMER 2016

5

5/11/16 12:58 PM

COMMUNITY // Eagle Scout Projects

Cooking Up a New Kitchen Meet 2015 Central Region Adams Award Winner Nick Gross.

M

Before

He

A

ha foc

wa

dri We ab 34 an 20 we

After

go ho ha ac in Ea

By refurbishing this kitchen, Illinois Eagle Scout Nick Gross will continue to give back to students attending his former preschool for years to come.

rep an

THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT: Nick removed old kitchen equipment and unused cabinets, refurbished the remaining cabinets (stripping them, painting them and adding backs to keep out mice), added a built-in window seat, painted the walls, installed a hot-water heater, 6

designed and installed window treatments, added new countertops and a new sink, opened up a doorway between the kitchen and the preschool room, and installed a television. “We just wanted to make it feel more inviting. That’s how I approached reorganizing it and remodeling it,” Nick says. “I wanted to make it feel like you were walking into your kitchen at home.”

BY THE NUMBERS: Over 67 days, Nick and his 15 volunteers spent a total of 786 hours on the project. Nick raised and spent $8,243.82.

RAISING MONEY: The Parent Teacher League provided $1,700 in seed money. More than 70 other donors gave amounts ranging from $5 to $1,000. Nick even sold recycled copper from the kitchen, netting $25.60.

TIME MANAGEMENT: Nick’s biggest challenge was managing his volunteers’ time. “Everyone’s busy with their actual jobs, and then I’m asking them to help me out,” he says.

SKILLED LABOR: Unlike many Eagle projects, this one required skills most Scout workers don’t have. “Through the church congregation, I found the people who had the skills and just told them what I needed done,” he says. “They were really great about it.”

THE SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE: Principal Brenda Owen says the room is getting more use than ever before, including by teachers and a quilting group. “What he did was nothing short of amazing,” Owen says. “This room is now a place where people want to congregate, where they want to be.”

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF THE GROSS FAMILY (5); COURTESY OF TROOP 337 (2)

B

efore Nick Gross came along, the snack room/preschool kitchen at St. John Lutheran School in Chester, Ill., had seen better days.

The walls were dingy. The cabinets were full of broken toys. Only one of the room’s three sinks worked.

For his Eagle project, Nick (an alumnus of the school) spent an entire summer refurbishing the kitchen. His project earned him the 2015 Adams Award for the Central Region.

ins the As

EAGLES’ CALL

Community_ES_16SU.indd 6

5/24/16 1:06 PM

ts, ers gals he

a

nd ng m re-

Music Man Hear that? That’s the sound of joy.

A

ustin Secor has seen 46 foster kids pass through his family’s Westminster, Colo., home, so he had no doubt what his Eagle project would focus on.

“I just wanted to help foster kids any way I could,” Austin says.

So he held a musical-instrument drive. He and his volunteers plastered Westminster and Broomfield with fliers about the project and ended up collecting 34 used instruments — guitars, trumpets and more — which far exceeded his goal of 20 instruments. All told, the instruments were valued at more than $8,000.

While some of the instruments were in good shape, others needed work. Austin hoped to find several music shops to handle the repairs, but he struck a chord with Music Go Round in Littleton, which is owned by Eagle Scout Scott Nason.

“He took care of all of the repairs and all of the cleaning kits and extra parts,” Austin says.

To identify recipients for his instruments, Austin worked with the Colorado State Foster Parent Association. Interested kids com-

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF THE GROSS FAMILY (5); COURTESY OF TROOP 337 (2)

d

Eagle Scout Projects // COMMUNITY OTHER NOTABLE EAGLE PROJECTS

pleted applications and specified their top three instrument choices.

In November, Austin hosted a party at Black Ice Martial Arts, where he takes karate. He handed out the instruments and matched each child with a volunteer teacher for a one-hour lesson that included an orientation and cleaning demonstration. “They basically taught them a little intro lesson: This is your instrument, this is how you put together and clean your instrument, here’s a first couple of notes or chords,” he says.

Someday soon, Austin himself might be signing up for lessons.

“I’ve wanted to play an instrument for quite a while,” he says. “I just haven’t had the time because I was busy with karate.

Now that I’m kind of slowing down with that, that’s definitely something I want to pick up.”

When he does, he’ll have plenty of friends to join him on jam sessions.

RYAN TRAYNOR, REDWOOD CITY, CALIF.

When Ryan Traynor started volunteering for the Redwood City Public Library’s Traveling Storytime program, he quickly discovered that volunteers like him were the only people reading to many children.

“The one book I gave them at the end of the year was the only book they owned in their home,” he says.

For his Eagle project, Ryan created a youth literacy council and ran a four-city book drive. He and his volunteers collected more than 30,000 books, which they distributed to families, schools, libraries, teachers and charities, including the Police Activities League and a local domestic violence shelter.

For tips on setting up your own book drive, visit Ryan’s website: bookdrivetoolkit. blogspot.com.

ALEXANDER LOLA, BROOKLYN, N.Y.

Named an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site in 2010, Brooklyn’s 1.8-mile Gowanus Canal dumps a toxic stew of industrial waste, polluted runoff and raw sewage into Upper New York Bay. The Gowanus Canal Conservancy is working to clean up the canal.

To support this effort, Eagle Scout candidate Alex Lola constructed a 12-by-12-foot moveable greenhouse, which the conservancy is using as a staging ground for native-plant propagation.

Alex says his biggest challenge was raising $2,000 for the project. But the end result was worth all the hard work. “I think it really showed how powerful and productive a community can be when it comes together with a common cause and drive, a drive to solve the environmental problems we face today,” he says.

Eagle Scout Austin Secor’s project provided musical instruments and basic lessons to children living in foster homes.

Community_ES_16SU.indd 7

SUMMER 2016

7

5/17/16 8:51 AM

LIFESTYLE // Dear Dave

Dear Dave, Eagle Scout

B

Press play on this uniform-wearing YouTube star.

An

8

“As much as I love this job, that will always be my best job,” he says. “I was living in the Keys and basically playing Survivor each week with a different crew from around the country.”

After internships at The Colbert Report and MTV2, Jorgenson joined the Independent Journal Review staff in 2014. The startup media company’s website attracts 35 million unique visitors each month.

As a staff contributor, Jorgenson initially wrote stories for the Independent Journal Review website. Once the video team got up and running, they began brainstorming.

The right approach became clear the day he wore his Scout uniform to work.

“People were surprised that it still fit,” he says. “They got a kick out of it.”

In the Dear Dave videos, Jorgenson tries to engage people in serious topics without being too serious himself.

“It’s not unlike the movie Elf, where you see this 6-foot-4 guy going around in a uniform,” he says. “We get people’s attention that way, and then by the end of the video, they’ve learned something and probably have a pretty positive feeling toward the Boy Scouts.”

The first two Dear Dave videos — on chivalry and adulthood — had clear Scouting connections, but Jorgenson sees ties to Scouting values in all of them. For example, a recent video on gun ownership is really an exploration of the delicate balance between a citizen’s rights and responsibilities. Like a good Scout leader, Jorgenson tries to get people to think, but he doesn’t tell them what to think. Among his favorite comments on the gun video: “Not too pro-gun, not too anti-gun. Right on.”

“Dave’s videos hit a sweet spot and accomplish two goals at the same time,” says Matt Manda, the company’s communications director and a fellow Eagle Scout. “They’re highly entertaining and feel-good videos that spread far and wide across social media. Also — perhaps more importantly — while fun and humorous, the videos focus on the values we all learned while in Scouting: citizenship, community involvement, courtesy, love of country.”

The Independent Journal Review seems to attract Eagle Scouts. Two other Eagle Scouts

It a Da to t end of j wh

pro cam sol selv app on Paw

con ph dig see EaglesCallN add set are on the company’s staff: Chief Revenue Officer Brandon Paine and National Political Reporter Hunter Schwarz.

Jorgenson’s videos have driven traffic to the website — their primary purpose — but they’re also raising Scouting’s profile with a generation more accustomed to getting their news through social media and late-night TV than traditional outlets. And Dear Dave’s power isn’t lost on the BSA. The videos have popped up on council Facebook pages across the country, the Scouting magazine blog has covered them and this May, Jorgenson emceed NESA’s annual Americanism Breakfast in San Diego.

At that event, he premiered his latest video, which asks Eagle Scouts what it means to be an American.

Jorgenson wore his old uniform to the breakfast, although he acknowledges that staying slim can be a challenge.

“The pressure to keep fitting into the uniform is something I never would have expected post high school,” he says. “I was pretty certain I would just do what my dad did and buy a new uniform in a few decades.”

Who knows? Maybe the next Dear Dave will include an exercise routine.

COURTESY OF DAVE JORGENSON (4); DAVE PAWLOWSKI

L

ast September, thousands of people discovered a different kind of video on their Facebook timelines and Twitter feeds.

Unlike the typical kitten antics, tear-jerking marriage proposals or celebrity scandals, this video featured a tall, bearded 20-something Eagle Scout named Dave asking people on the street whether chivalry was dead.

Dave’s video answered that question and prompted several more: Is Dave a real person? Is he really an Eagle Scout? Why is he wearing his Scout uniform in the video? And, perhaps most important, how does a 6-foot-4 Eagle Scout still fit into his old uniform?

To answer those and other questions, Eagles’ Call tracked down Dave — real name: Dave Jorgenson — at his job at the Independent Journal Review in Alexandria, Va. Here’s what we learned: Jorgenson is indeed an Eagle Scout. He earned Scouting’s highest rank in Troop 247 in Merriam, Kan., in 2007.

His favorite Scouting memories came a little later. He traveled to Florida Sea Base in 2009 as an 18-year-old assistant Scoutmaster, and he returned as a staff member during his first two summers at DePauw University.

EAGLES’ CALL

Lifestyle_ES_16SU.indd 8

5/24/16 8:32 AM

CamRanger // LIFESTYLE

Better Than a Selfie Stick An Eagle Scout’s high-tech photo gadget.

It all began with a bad selfie. When Eagle Scout Dave Pawlowski and his wife, Melissa, tried to take a selfie in their sea kayak in 2011, they ended up with a so-so photo — and a realization of just how hard it is to take a decent picture when you can’t see through the viewfinder.

Back home, they looked around for a product that would let them control their camera remotely. Finding a few half-baked solutions, they decided to build one themselves. Fortunately, they’re engineers with app-development experience, so it took them mode, white balance and exposure compensaonly “a year and a half of a lot of work,” Dave tion — all from a distance of up to 150 feet.

Pawlowski says. The result is CamRanger.

A wildlife photographer, for instance, could A wireless camera controller, CamRanger set up a camera near a feeding station and connects a Nikon or Canon camera to a smartoperate remotely without spooking the animals. phone, tablet, Mac or Windows PC. From the But a photographer can also keep his hands digital device, the photographer can remotely on the camera and let someone else — a client, see a live view of what the camera is seeing, in EaglesCallNavyArms_EaglesCall 4/12/2016 12:59 PM Page for1example — follow along on an iPad. addition to releasing the shutter or adjusting “They get to see the instant feedback settings like aperture, shutter speed, shooting

without having to wait for you to show it to them on the back of the camera,” says Walt Calahan, a professional photographer who has shot for Boys’ Life for a quarter-century.

CamRanger has become a full-time job for the Pawlowskis, who still manage to squeeze in occasional weekend trips to the mountains near their Wyoming home. When they do get away, however, you can be sure they come home with selfies they can be proud of.

Learn more at camranger.com.

NAVY ARMS

al

he y’re

THE FINEST 1873 RIFLE

n’t

y,

ual

Navy Arms 1873 Winchester™ Rifles - Achieving Excellence: Deluxe Grade 1 American walnut is sent to Winchester™ for installation on the

s.” e

COURTESY OF DAVE JORGENSON (4); DAVE PAWLOWSKI

ns

Navy Arms Winchester 1873, which features the original Winchester™ checkering pattern and the “Winchester Red” finish applied to the stocks. e rifle includes a Model 71 shotgun-style checkered steel buttplate for fast and sure mounting. e receiver and furniture are bone charcoal color casehardened. Each rifle is fitted with a full octagonal barrel with Marble Arms™ gold-bead front and semi-buckhorn rear sights. Finally, a Winchester™ short-stroke kit is installed to ensure smooth feeding and rapid reloading in competition. e result is a rifle that is unparalleled in quality, function, appearance and reliability. It is truly the last 1873 you will ever need to buy. Available in .357 Mag and .45 LC, 20” & 24” barrel lengths.

You’ve shot a long time, it’s time to reward yourself.

54 Dupont Road, Martinsburg, WV 25404

Lifestyle_ES_16SU.indd 9

ph - (304) 274-0004

info@navyarms.com

www.navyarms.com

5/17/16 8:58 AM

“I think a lot of the things we learned in Scouting, especially the love of the outdoors, you never lose that.”

bat tira

FROM LEFT: W. GARTH DOWLING; ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES (2)

Ala rea tha

10

EAGLES’ CALL

BradTilden.indd 10

5/4/16 10:16 AM

ind cus aw fac by Be Ou

na Yea fier son Yo

FROM LEFT: W. GARTH DOWLING; CHAD SLATTERY; ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES

With a friendly but fierce management style, Eagle Scout CEO Brad Tilden helps Alaska Airlines take off. By Bryan Wendell orget everything you think you know about CEOs. Forget the besuited boss barking orders behind a mahogany desk. Forget the T-shirt-wearing executive combatting critics with expletive-laden Twitter tirades.

Brad Tilden, president and CEO of Alaska Airlines, runs his company like a real Eagle Scout. He offers refreshing proof that nice guys can finish first.

In the viciously competitive airline industry, he leads a company that pleases customers, critics and employees. Alaska’s awards abound: highest in customer satisfaction by JD Power, most on-time flights

by FlightStats, in the top 100 of America’s Best Employers by Forbes, Best Airline by Outside magazine and more.

The Puget Sound Business Journal, in naming Tilden its 2015 Executive of the Year, characterized the Eagle Scout as a fierce competitor and a leader with a personal touch. Memo to all CEOs out there: You can be both.

A personal touch means treating 15,000

fact, he’s the one doing the pushing. Enter the fiercely competitive side.

“They know that you care about them, and they know that you care about their family,” he says. “And I think if they know that you have their interests at heart, they’ll give you a little bit more license to push them. And I’ll just say it: We do push around here quite a bit. I mean, this isn’t a club.”

Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines’ president and CEO since 2012, grew up near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and as a kid loved to watch the planes take off and land.

WELCOME ABOARD

Tilden met with Eagles’ Call at his office inside Alaska Airlines headquarters just south of Sea-Tac airport. The executive’s suite is large and welcoming — a space where natural light and Tilden’s personality shine through.

Wooden shelves packed with treasures show off his many interests — cycling, Seattle Seahawks football and airplanes.

Tilden’s Distinguished Eagle Scout plaque occupies a place of prominence, as does a Scout bugle recognizing his tenure as president of the BSA’s Chief Seattle Council.

Tilden’s schedule is packed, but you wouldn’t know it. It seems he has all the

employees in a way that makes them “feel like they work in an organization where they’re empowered and they’re supported,” Tilden says.

What does that look like? It’s Tilden walking through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to greet team members with smiles, hugs and high fives.

It’s remembering names — and often the names of children or spouses or pets. It’s trusting that each employee is coming to work to do his or her best.

But don’t think Tilden’s cheerfulness means he’s a pushover with employees. In

BradTilden.indd 11

SUMMER 2016

11

5/10/16 1:39 PM

time in the world to discuss Scouting with some fellow Eagle Scouts.

A BRIDGE INTO SCOUTING

Bradley Douglas Tilden grew up in Seattle as one of four boys — all Eagle Scouts. He remembers his two older brothers packing their trunks to go to Scout summer camp without him: “I just wanted to go be a part of it.”

When the moment came, Tilden jumped in. He earned the Eagle Scout award in 1976 in the Chief Seattle Council.

For his Eagle Scout service project, he built a 16-foot bridge at the Normandy Park Community Club, a nonprofit events center a couple of miles from the airport.

Tilden’s dad was a civil engineer at

Boeing, so perfection was the minimum requirement.

“Scouting had a certain set of requirements,” Tilden says, “and my dad had his own. And they were quite high.”

The bridge lasted around 25 years before being replaced, but Tilden hasn’t forgotten the project’s mental and physical toll. Still, Tilden says, today’s Scouts have an even tougher time earning Scouting’s highest honor than did young men in his era.

“There’s just a lot more competition for their time,” he says. “Kids have to grow up a lot quicker than they did when I was young.”

GET OUT THERE

The nature of Scouting hasn’t changed in 106 years, Tilden says, and it starts with

getting young people out into nature.

Tilden and his brothers got hooked on the outdoors while hiking, snowshoeing and cycling their way through the Pacific Northwest. When the brothers get together these days, they still head outside.

“We’ll go on hikes together, go ride bikes together, talk about the world, talk about what we could do to contribute,” he says. “So I think a lot of the things we learned in Scouting, especially the love of the outdoors, you never lose that.”

Tilden thinks the Boy Scouts of America could do a better job of playing to its strengths and promoting its outdoors programs. Part of that means marketing what’s already great about the BSA, so it’s fitting that Tilden recently took over as chairman of the BSA’s National Marketing Committee.

“I should probably be asking questions … rather than providing answers,” he says.

But “maybe we need to adjust the program a little bit more to our strengths, and I think the outdoors, in my mind, would certainly be [a strength].”

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING

In his Scouting and his professional roles, Tilden balances the 30,000-foot view and the 30-foot one. It’s what makes him an effective CEO. At the macro level, he’s always thinking about the economy, competitors, new aircraft, how to keep fares low, and what the company will look like in a year or two or 15.

At the micro level, he’s thinking about what happened at the airports today. He trusts that one customer’s seemingly isolated

COURTESY OF THE TILDEN FAMILY (2); CHAD SLATTERY ; © 2016 ALASKA AIRLINES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES

Tilden says Scouting means as much today as when he became an Eagle Scout in 1976. “The world needs more Boy Scouting,” he says.

ON THE WEB

WATCH an exclusive interview with Distinguished Eagle Scout Brad Tilden at nesa.org.

12

EAGLES’ CALL

BradTilden.indd 12

5/17/16 9:00 AM

In A Virg the

pro issu

spe he cu Le

Til inc

n

f

ca

’s

tee. s ys. m

cer-

,

he 15.

ted

COURTESY OF THE TILDEN FAMILY (2); CHAD SLATTERY ; © 2016 ALASKA AIRLINES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES

her

In April, Alaska Air Group announced plans to acquire Virgin America. “The goal is to be the premier airline on the West Coast,” Tilden told The New York Times.

problem might be representative of larger issues. But he didn’t always think that way.

“Earlier in my career, the 30-foot perspective I was a little more distrustful of,” he says. “If I heard one story from one customer, I’d say, ‘Well, that’s one instance.

Let’s see what the data says.’”

Now he’ll act right away — a mentality Tilden says is a team effort. That team has included many members in Tilden’s 25

years with Alaska Airlines. He has hired — and fired — his share of people. Along the way, trends emerged.

“One of the things that I started to recognize is that when we were hiring leaders, there was a certain thing in my mind that I was looking for as I hired somebody,” he says. Same thing when he fired someone.

Three years ago, those trends crystallized into a set of leadership principles he says Scouts will recognize. The words and phrases are different, but Tilden had created what were, in essence, the Scout Oath and Scout Law for his organization. The set of principles uses words and phrases like “optimism,” “humility” and “unwavering integrity” instead of “cheerful,” “courteous” and “trustworthy.”

These principles are considered whenever hiring someone or assessing an employee’s performance.

“We’re just trying to be clear with people,” he says. “To say, ‘This is actually the sort of leader that we’re looking for.’

In the airline business, people are really important, and if people are important, getting the best leaders here and then getting those leaders to be their best is really, really important.”

With Eagle Scout Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines has the right kind of person as CEO. Someone whose Scouting values still guide the way.

NOW ARRIVING: AVIATION MERIT BADGE A few years back, the Chief Seattle Council held a charity golf tournament to support local Scouting. Alaska Airlines was a big sponsor, but there was one problem.

“We don’t have any golfers,” says Eagle Scout CEO Brad Tilden.

Instead, he had a better idea — one that would both benefi t the council and play up Alaska Airlines’ strengths.

“We said, you know, we’re happy with the financial support. … But how about we bring some Scouts in to the hangar and expose them to a pilot career, mechanic career, dispatcher, ramp service agent, customer service agent, flight attendant and have them earn their Aviation merit badge along the way?”

The result — a collaborative effort envisioned by Tilden and several other Alaska employees who were also Scouts — was the coolest place in Seattle to earn the Aviation merit badge.

And perhaps a few of the participants were inspired to start a career in STEM, and that’s what gets Tilden really excited.

“All of these jobs available, not enough qualified people to fill the jobs,” he says. “So I think it’s important for companies like us to expose young people to these jobs.”

SUMMER 2016

BradTilden.indd 13

13

5/17/16 9:01 AM

Chasing That

inf At tut ver

live rec

Rainbow

On he tol all ant and

Eagle Scout singer-songwriter Ben Gallaher is making his mark in Nashville.

Fo lik Ca his in

By Mark Ray / Photograph by W. Garth Dowling

ON THE WEB

WATCH an exclusive performance and interview with Eagle Scout Ben Gallaher at nesa.org.

14

EAGLES’ CALL

BenGallaher.indd 14

5/4/16 11:42 AM

agle Scout Ben Gallaher was 19 when he first went to prison.

He wasn’t there to serve time.

He was there to share his rockinfused country music with the inmates.

At a Pennsylvania state correctional institution, Gallaher brought a little light to a very dark place.

Six years later, the Camp Hill, Pa., native lives in Nashville, Tenn., has a Sony Music recording contract, and performs as both a headliner and as an opening act for artists like Tyler Farr, Lee Brice, Big & Rich and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

But prison keeps calling his name.

Last year, the fifth installment of his Barbed Tour took him to nine prisons.

One inmate asked him to autograph a letter he was sending home to his kids. Another told him, “You just made my entire year.” And all of them sang along to two iconic prison anthems: Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

With his black T-shirt and battered Ford baseball cap, Gallaher might look like a spiritual descendent of Haggard and Cash, but he approaches his career — and his life — differently. He holds a degree in entertainment industry studies from Belmont University in Nashville. He has a writing deal with Universal Music Publishing. And, like many 20-somethings, he spends a lot of time on social media, where he has thousands of devoted followers. Unlike a lot of 20-somethings, the words “Eagle Scout” appear prominently in his biography.

Eagles’ Call asked Gallaher about his career and the sometimessurprising connections between singing and Scouting.

EAGLES’ CALL: When did you decide to be

E.C.: What’s your writing routine?

B.G.: Sometimes it’s with another person; sometimes it’s with two other people.

Usually it’s one song a day. In about four to five hours, we can knock a song out.

a singer?

BEN GALLAHER: I started playing guitar when

I was 6, and I always wanted to be a country music singer. I grew up on ’90s country.

E.C.: Is it a challenge to be an “authentic” country singer when you’re from Pennsylvania?

E.C.: Talk about life on the road.

B.G.: The moment the lights go on — that’s

an incredible feeling. But all of the getting there and the leaving there, there’s definitely a lot of stuff that someone may not think of.

B.G.: “Country must be countrywide.”

Brantley Gilbert said that in a song. It’s really true. Touring the U.S. for the last couple of years, I’ve really seen there’s a lot of country out there.

E.C.: Like what?

B.G.: We travel in a 15-passenger van, and

we’ve slept in the van many a time when there’s no hotel or we’re driving through the night to make the next gig if it’s too far.

Sometimes we load in, sound check, play the show, talk with fans, then load all of our gear out and drive right to the next one just in time for load in and sound check. You don’t get good food; you get terrible sleep.

It’s a rough lifestyle when you think about that kind of stuff.

E.C.: You were “discovered” at Belmont

University. How did that happen?

B.G.: In my last semester at Belmont, I had

a class called A&R Administration, and the professor worked at Sony. The first day of class, we did introductions, and I said I’m a country artist. Then on the day of the final she came up to me and said, “Hey, I remember you said that you were a country artist, but you never said anything else about it to me or anything. I would love to hear some of your stuff . ” So I sent her a music video, and Sony reached out to me.

E.C.: What lessons from Scouting help you in your career?

B.G.: Number one probably is leadership,

with leading my guys, my band. It’s very much like a patrol. If the leader goes down, then everyone’s going to follow suit.

E.C.: How do you balance the very different

worlds of performing and songwriting?

B.G.: I’m writing Monday through Thursday, and then we’re usually out on the road Friday through the weekend. The awesome thing with both worlds is I get a chance to try out these new songs that I’ve been writing live and see what’s working and what isn’t working. I’m on stage looking at the crowd and pretty much getting a feel for how they’re feeling the song. And if we lost them at this line in the second verse, then there’s a disconnect there, so it’s back to the drawing board. Or if it goes over really well, then you know something about that song is resonating with them.

E.C.: Anything else?

B.G.: Being prepared. We leave Nashville

with 2 ½ hours of extra time in case something happens. We travel with much more equipment than we need in case two guitars go out, three guitars go out, all the amps go out on stage. When you’re not expecting it to go bad, that’s when something happens.

E.C.: What kind of reaction have you gotten

from fans who learn you’re an Eagle Scout?

B.G.: I definitely have gotten tweets, mes-

sages and emails about that, so it’s so cool that, besides the music, that’s another aspect I get to connect with people on.

E.C.: So what’s the significance of the

Eagle Scout badge for you?

B.G.: Say, for instance, your high school

sports team won the state championship in football or any given sport. The next year, you’re no longer the champions. But once you’re an Eagle Scout, you are always an Eagle Scout. I think that’s pretty cool.

ONLINE, ON THE ROAD Find out when Ben Gallaher will perform near you.

Website: bengallahermusic.com Facebook: facebook.com/bengallahermusic Twitter: @Ben_Gallaher

BenGallaher.indd 15

SUMMER 2016

15

5/5/16 7:20 AM

ACHIEVEMENTS // Nicholas Cobb / Joseph Weishaar

Comfort and Joy

O

.. w E ea in d

He’s bringing warmth to the homeless.

One of Cobb’s initial donations was more than 100 coats to Allen Community Outreach in Allen, Texas.

a shelter for homeless children and teens.

Cobb’s passion for the less fortunate began when he was only 4 years old and saw homeless people living under a bridge.

“That just didn’t sit well with me, and I felt I had to do something after I saw that,” he says.

As a child, he helped out in small ways — collecting food and cleaning supplies for shelters, for example — but his involvement really took off when he began pursuing the Eagle Scout Award. For his Eagle project, he founded Comfort and Joy and led its first major project: raising $3,400 and donating 129 coats to the Samaritan Inn in McKinney, Texas.

Comfort and Joy is more than just a clothing program. In 2012, Cobb and his volunteers helped rehab the home of a veteran’s widow, and he has donated $11,000 to a gardening project at City House.

“They wanted me to help them fund a healthy eating garden that might help teach the children there some healthy eating skills and also provide some fresh produce,” he says.

Not surprisingly, many of Cobb’s fellow

The Forgotten Fallen An Eagle Scout aims to help us remember World War I. You might call him the next Maya Lin. Thirty-five years after Lin designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a Yale University undergraduate, Eagle Scout Joseph Weishaar has won an international competition to design the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. A project architect at Brininstool + Lynch in Chicago, Weishaar beat out 350 other designers in a two-stage competition This concept art depicts the memorial, which will total 116,516 cubic feet, representing the number of American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war.

16

that ended in January.

(He collaborated on the design with veteran sculptor Sabin Howard but otherwise worked solo, unlike many of the other entrants.)

Weishaar’s design, “The Weight of Sacrifice,” uses relief sculpture, a freestanding sculpture and quotations from soldiers to pay tribute to the 116,516 Americans who died in World War I (more than

D E E P

What started as his Eagle Scout project in Allen, Texas, has blossomed into a coat drive that is providing warmth to the homeless in cities across the U.S.

volunteers have been Scouts, including members of his own troop and members of the troop that meets at his church.

“Scouting has been very helpful with Comfort and Joy, especially in its early years,” he says. “I’m very grateful for that.”

Over the years, Cobb has received awards from Nickelodeon, the Make a Difference Day program, DoSomething.org and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2013, he met President Obama and several congressional leaders as part of the BSA’s Report to the Nation delegation.

But those honors are in the past.

Today, Cobb is focused on launching Comfort and Joy chapters in other cities around the country — and finishing his college degree.

For more information on Comfort and Joy, visit comfortandjoyusa.org.

those who died in Korea and Vietnam combined). But the memorial neither glorifies war nor dwells on death.

Weishaar reminds visitors of the freedoms they enjoy thanks to the sacrifice of service members.

“This was a horrible event in world history, but from it we can emerge stronger,” says Weishaar, who turned 26 in February.

“It’s not about the guns and the fighting but about these larger ideals for humanity.”

With the design competition complete, the World War I Centennial Commission is now working to get approval from the National Park Service and raise the $30 million to $40 million the memorial will cost. The goal is to complete construction

by Armistice Day 2018 — 100 years after the “war to end all wars” came to an end.

To follow progress on the memorial’s development, visit worldwar1centennial.org.

B B E P

C A E P

C A E P

C S E P

A W E P

D Fo E P

COURTESY OF JOSEPH WEISHAAR (2); COURTESY OF LAURA COBB (2)

M

ost futurists predict the future.

Eagle Scout Nicholas Cobb creates it.

Named one of 25 Young Futurists by the online news and culture website The Root last year, the Allen, Texas, teen runs a nonprofit called Comfort and Joy — when he’s not in class at the University of Texas at Austin. Since 2009, Cobb has donated more than 700 coats to homeless Texans and raised more than $45,000 to benefit charities like United Friends to Feed the Homeless and City House,

EAGLES’ CALL

Achievement_ES_16SU.indd 16

5/16/16 11:07 AM

E B E P

D H E P

R M E P

C R E P

Once an Eagle ... / Awards & Recognition // ACHIEVEMENTS

Once an Eagle ... ... Always an Eagle. NESA remembers Eagle Scouts who have passed. Recognize the life of another Eagle by completing the form found at nesa.org/ eaglegonehome. This link also provides more information on how to make a Living Memorial donation in the name of a deceased Eagle.

David E. Bassett, 52 Eagle River, Alaska Eagle: 1979 Passed: December 2015

s, mth

Bruce L. Birger, 60 Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Eagle: 1969 Passed: Jan. 14, 2015 Charles C. Harmany, 94 Allentown, Pa. Eagle: 1935 Passed: September 2012

” rds

n l

Corey Jason Lobdell, 18 Alton, N.H. Eagle: 2014 Passed: February 2015 Chad McCord, 18 St. Louis, Mo. Eagle: 2004 Passed: April 2004

nd

Arthur J. McHale III, 51 Waverly, Pa. Eagle: 1980 Passed: December 2014 David K. Ness, 73 Fort Myers, Fla. Eagle: 1959 Passed: March 2015

m r

er,” . ut

te, n e

ll on r d.

COURTESY OF JOSEPH WEISHAAR (2); COURTESY OF LAURA COBB (2)

e

Eddie P. Ort, 82 Birmingham, Ala. Eagle: 1946 Passed: July 2014 Donald Robertson, 64 Hawthorne, Calif., and Dayton, Nev. Eagle: 1965 Passed: Feb. 26, 2015 Richard Grant Shiflet Jr., 56 Middle River, Md. Eagle: 1973 Passed: November 2012 Christopher Sillence, 39 Rio Rancho, N.M. Eagle: 1992 Passed: January 2015

Awards & Recognition Eagle Scouts shine, even after reaching the top honor in Scouting. NESA celebrates the achievements of the Eagle Scouts shown below. Recognize the success of another Eagle by completing the form found at nesa.org/eaglemagawards.

Andrew Daryoush Alikhani Kensington, Md. Graduated in May 2015 from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. He works as a financial analyst at Campbell’s in Camden, N.J.

Jared Bilodeau Nashua, N.H. Graduated from Bentley University with a Master of Science in financial planning.

Accepted a position as an associate wealth advisor at Twelve Points Wealth Management in Concord, Mass.

Michael A. Blumhoefer Prior Lake, Minn.

Graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in marketing from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. He was a St. Cloud State University Ambassador and in the honors program. He works for Scheels Corp.

Justin Borns Springfield, Ore. Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a minor in actuarial science from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore.

Terrance and Morris Brown Hardin, Mont.

Identical twins Terrance and Morris Brown, both Eagle Scouts, each received a doctorate of commissioner science from the Boy Scouts of America. Each also received the BSA’s Silver Beaver award for distinguished service to youth. The twins are distinguished alumni of the Texas Tech College of Architecture and are fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Terry owns an architecture firm in Corrales, N.M., and Morris is a professor of architecture at Texas Tech University in El Paso.

Steven L. Chait Verona, N.J. Received the Northern New Jersey Council’s 2015 Distinguished Healthcare Service award.

Tim Dobday Medway, Mass.

Graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I. He is employed at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, LLP, in New York City.

Daniel L. Furse Lilburn, Ga. Earned a doctorate of philosophy in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.

Paul Hughes Madison, Wis. Earned his bachelor’s in integrative leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Completed his studies with a certificate in emergency management.

Miguel A. Hummel New York, N.Y. Graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s in computer science. He is an all-American diver.

Derek Johnson Coppell, Texas Graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Texas A&M University.

Maxwell Arthur Moore Portola Valley, Calif.

Graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and a minor in forestry and geographic information systems.

Mikael Powell Pawtucket, R.I. Graduated with a doctorate in educational studies from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass.

Previously received a Master of Design Studies with distinction from Harvard University in 2006. His baccalaureate degrees are in interior architecture and psychology from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., in 1980. Employed as an architect.

Martin F. Smith Jr. McLean, Va. Received his master’s degree in science and thesis award from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. Lives in Manhattan.

Thomas Alexander Smith Charleston, Ill. Graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in health administration. He will pursue his master’s in epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

SUMMER 2016

Achievement_ES_16SU.indd 17

17

5/24/16 8:36 AM

ACHIEVEMENTS // For God and Country

E

For God and Country

Sco Rec

Many young men exchange their Scout uniforms for fatigues, dress blues or battle dress uniforms. NESA salutes the Eagle Scouts shown below who are serving our nation in all branches of the armed forces. Recognize another Eagle by completing the form found at nesa.org/eaglegodandcountry.

Ad

Pfc. Kieren Burns U.S. Army

Master Sgt. William N. Isele U.S. Marine Corps

Capt. Nicholas A. Prieto U.S. Army

Graduated from home-school in 2011. Studied at St. Johns River State College for two years before joining the Army.

Completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. Stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. Received the Army Achievement Medal.

Awarded Bronze Star with V device for actions in Afghanistan in 2011. Member of the 8th Marine ESB, Company 1st Sergeant, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

2nd Lt. Wesley Franklin Cooner U.S. Air Force

Sgt. 1st Class Scott Kyle U.S. Army

Graduated with a Master of Science in criminal justice with a concentration in law enforcement and crime prevention from the University of Cincinnati.

He serves as an infantry officer and jumpmaster in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. Recently returned from his second combat deployment to eastern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

An Eagle Scout with Troop 8, Montgomery, Ala., Cooner attended the University of Alabama as a recipient of a U.S. Air Force scholarship.

He was commissioned and graduated with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering in May 2014. He is based at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Wash.

Awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal for his actions in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pfc. Eric G. Dowd U.S. Army Completed basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and Advanced Individual Training for Avionics, Electrical and Armament Systems Repairer on the Apache helicopter at Fort Eustis, Va. Serving in Korea.

Senior Airman James A. Foley U.S. Air Force Foley is serving in Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Maj. Brent H. McClellan U.S. Marine Corps Graduated from Texas A&M University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in wildlife and fisheries science.

Commissioned in 1998.

Deployed to Iraq in 2007 and 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Promoted to staff sergeant and given the responsibility of dedicated crew chief serving on a B-1 Lancer bomber.

18

EAGLES’ CALL

Achievement_ES_16SU.indd 18

Aye

Capt. Aaron M. Rigg U.S. Air Force Promoted to the rank of captain. Assigned to the 1st Special Operation Command, 1st Special Operations Group, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., as a combat systems officer aboard an AC-130U gunship.

Mic

Ba

Master Chief Petty Officer Robert Stewart U.S. Navy Promoted to master chief petty officer cryptologic technician with 21 years of U.S. Naval service.

Bar and

Ba Staff Sgt. Matthew C. McClellan Texas Air National Guard Graduated from Texas State Technical College in 1997 as a certified diesel mechanic.

Enlisted in 2000. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Capt. Patrick L. McClellan U.S. Army Reserves Staff Sgt. Robert Jay Gallagher U.S. Air Force

Con

Graduated from Tarleton State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in general agriculture, and in 2009 earned his Master of Science in agriculture/entomology.

Commissioned in 2010.

Deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Capt. David L. Teska U.S. Coast Guard Reserve After more than 31 years in the Army Reserve, National Guard and Coast Guard, Teska retired on June 30, 2015, from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve at a ceremony conducted at the Pentagon in front of family, friends and colleagues. His last assignment was as Coast Guard liaison officer to the Joint Staff/Logistics Directorate (J4) in the Pentagon.

Max Bal

Bo

Ensign Travis Walker U.S. Navy Walker is a 2013 graduate of the University of Colorado. He went on to graduate from Officer Candidate School at Naval Station Newport, R.I. Reporting to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., to begin Aviation PreFlight Indoc training as a student naval aviator.

Bria

5/16/16 11:11 AM

of

Family Affair // ACHIEVEMENTS

Eagle Scouting Is a Family Affair

Scouting’s highest honor is best shared with other generations of family members. Join NESA in celebrating the families of Eagle Scouts shown below.

Recognize the Eagles in your own family by completing the form found at nesa.org/eaglefamilyaffair.

Adams Family Jacksonville, Fla.

Carver Family Montgomery, Ala.

Connor Adams (2015) and Steve Adams (1977)

Christopher J.E. Carver (1994), George O. Carver (Cub Scout), Michael J. Carver (1991), Frederick W. Carver (2014), Charles F. Carver III (1956; Distinguished Eagle Scout) and Charles F. Carver (1985; NESA Regent for Life)

Ayers Family Lima, Ohio

Farbacher Family Gibsonia, Pa.

Jeffrey L. Farbacher (1975) and Ryan A. Farbacher (2014)

Franczyk Family Glenview, Ill.

Cook-Perkins Family Jensen Beach, Fla.

Michael Ayers (1983) and Matthew Ayers (2014)

Xavier Franczyk (2014) and Christian Franczyk (2012)

Bailey Family Superior, Wis.

Griffin Family Bellingham, Wash.

Bill Perkins (1968) and Donovan Cook (2015)

Devenport Family Cedar Park, Texas

rt

as cs

Bart Nelson Bailey (2005), Brett Michael Bailey (2002) and Brooke Violet Bailey (Girl Scout Gold Award, 2005)

Balent Family Charlotte, N.C.

Mark Griffin (1973), Robert Griffin (2003), Richard Griffin (2004), Brian Griffin (2004), Rose Griffin, Bill Griffin (1951), Henry Raskob (2011) and Will Raskob (2007)

John Devenport Jr. (1977) and J.T. Devenport III (2014)

Holmes Family Scottsdale, Ariz.

Dietrich Family Edgewater, Fla.

Max Bruch (2010), Andrew Balent (1949), Matthew Balent (1975) and Corvus Balent (Wolf Scout)

Richard Dietrich (2015) and Jacob Dietrich (2013)

Boucher Family Salem, Mass.

Edwards Family Glen Haven, Colo.

Brian Boucher (2000) and Alex Boucher (2007)

Nicholas Edwards (2010), Eric Edwards (2015) and Chad Edwards (2003)

Nathan Holmes (2013), JD Holmes (2014) and Scott Holmes (1985)

Hurst Family Aurora, Ill.

Alex Hurst (2012), Ed Hurst (1976) and Max Hurst (2014)

Achievement_ES_16SU.indd 19

SUMMER 2016

19

5/16/16 11:12 AM

ACHIEVEMENTS // Family Affair

Eagle Scouting Is a Family Affair

Scouting’s highest honor is best shared with other generations of family members. Join NESA in celebrating the families of Eagle Scouts shown below.

Recognize the Eagles in your own family by completing the form found at nesa.org/eaglefamilyaffair.

Jones Family Flanders, N.J.

Melliand Family Clarks Summit, Pa.

Perera Family Miami, Fla.

Sim

Archer J. Jones (1988) and Shane J. Jones (2014)

Bryan F. Melliand (2014) and Frank A. Melliand (1980)

Diane Perera, Alex Perera (2015) and George Perera (1978)

Gen

Jones-Van Kuyk Family New York/Florida

Midyette Family Homewood, Ala.

Popp-Swensen Family Liverpool, N.Y.

Sm

Matthew Jones (2015) and William Van Kuyk (1992)

Mark Midyette (1969) and Matthew Midyette (2013)

Richard Swensen (1943) and Tyler Popp (2013)

Mic Smi

Lovell Family Dallas, Texas

Mosteller Family Mount Dora, Fla.

John Lovell (2011), James Lovell (2015), Will Lovell (2010) and Bill Lovell

Clyde Mosteller (1948), Jackson Mosteller (2015) and Ernie Mosteller (1974)

Marchand-Spence Family Apex, N.C.

Newberry Family Las Vegas, Nev.

Rowley Family Lewisberry, Pa.

Sm

Ben

Sn Andrew Parker Rowley (2012), Robert Doyle Rowley (1975) and Doyle Rowley Jr. (1942)

Sanders Family Yorktown, Va.

Kyle Marchand (2014) and Bill Spence (1956)

Martin Family Prairie Village, Kan.

Rob and

Ben Newberry (1986), Dennis Newberry (1961), Tom Schaus (1964), Jonathan Schaus (1991), Robert J. Newberry (1983), Cody James Newberry (2014), Daniel Newberry (1988) and H. Allen Newberry (1963)

Oh Family Palo Alto, Calif.

Su Christopher Sanders (2014), Wayne Wheatley (1954) and Tyler Sanders (2011)

Schiff Family Elmhurst, Ill.

Jacob Martin (2015) and Todd Martin (1982)

Clo Sum Aar McC

Edwin Oh (1977) and Alex Oh (2014)

20

EAGLES’ CALL

Achievement_ES_16SU.indd 20

Brian Schiff (2015) and Kevin Schiff (2013)

5/16/16 11:14 AM

78)

Family Affair // ACHIEVEMENTS

Simpson Family Algonquin, Ill.

Trautz Family Annandale, Va.

Wasson Family Chickasha, Okla.

Gene Simpson (1983) and Brett Simpson (2014)

Reid Trautz (1973), Kendall Trautz (2014) and Camden Trautz (2012)

Larry Wasson, Logan Wasson (2014) and James Wasson (1952)

Trecha Family Fenton, Mich.

Wilk Family Niskayuna, N.Y.

Alex Trecha (2010), Jeff Trecha (1976), Randal Trecha (1971), Parker Trecha (2014), John Trecha (2012), Greg Trecha (1976), Victor Trecha (1974) and Steven Trecha (1973, not shown)

Gregory Wilk (2009), Christopher Wilk (2014) and Jeffrey Wilk (2011)

Smilie Family Woodworth, La.

Michael Smilie (2014), Jim Smilie (1977) and Dal Smilie (1963)

Smith Family Strongstown, Pa.

Wisner Family Bellefontaine, Ohio

Tuggle Family Atlanta, Ga.

Benjamin R. Smith (2015) and Ryan E. Smith (2010)

David Wisner (2001), Edwin A. Wisner (1954), Brett Wisner (2010), Aaron Wisner (2014), Edwin G. Wisner (1985) and Mike Wisner (1986)

Sniegowski Family Old Forge, Pa. Bernie Tuggle (1969), Clyde Tuggle (1976), James Paden Tuggle (2013) and Coleman Tuggle (1967)

Wood Family Easley, S.C.

Turley Family Glendale, Ariz.

Robert J. Sniegowski Jr. (1981), Jason R. Sniegowski (2009) and Diane Sniegowski

Summers Family Kenner, La.

Josiah Wood (2012), Jeremiah Wood (2014) and John Wood (2010)

Robert S. Turley (1946), Robert H. Turley (1965), Ted Turley (1989) and Michael Turley (2014)

Zach Family East Brunswick, N.J.

Van Valen Family Bergenfield, N.J.

Clockwise from top left: West Summers IV (2011), Robert Summers (2012), Elizabeth Edgerton, Robert Edgerton, Aaron Smith, West Summers III, Holly McCollum, Evan McCollum (2013), Craig McCollum and Liz Summers Kenneth J. Van Valen (1990), Kenneth D. Van Valen (1964), Daniel Slossar (1999) and Daniel Ofshinsky (1999)

Achievement_ES_16SU.indd 21

Robert A. Zach (1988), Robert A. Zach Jr. (2012), Cameron L. Zach (2014), Zach T. Spendley (2015) and Alvin L. Zach Jr. (Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope)

SUMMER 2016

21

5/16/16 11:15 AM

Trustworthy Loyal

NESASTORE.ORG IS… Helpful Get sweatshirts and jackets for your mom, dad and grandparents.

Visit nesastore.org for details.

This mid-weight fleece jacket can be worn throughout the year.

Show your Eagle Scout pride with this statement jacket.

The store has a variety of sweatshirts — from crew to full-zipper hoodies. They are embroidered and have room for your name and more. What a great item to wear or to give to your mom, dad or grandparents.

The NESA men’s soft-shell jacket is a comfortable fit for many activities.

This messenger briefcase is perfect for a laptop and more.

It is embroidered with the NESA logo.

Friendly Courteous Kind Obedient Cheerful Thrifty Brave Clean Reverent

Go to nesastore.org for more great gift ideas!

ECSU16_C4.indd 4

5/17/16 12:56 PM