My Grandson, the Eagle Scout

A proverb says “Grandchildren restore our zest for life, and our faith in humanity”. Tonight, I’m speaking of my grandson who, last month, celebrated 1) his 15th birthday, and 2) achieved the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America, or BSA, headquartered in Irving, TX. His name is Raymond Warner, but he has the same name as his father, grandfather, and great grandfather, so we simply call him Ray 4. He proudly kept the Raymond family Eagle Scout tradition by becoming the third generation Raymond Warner to become an Eagle Scout. The first Raymond Warner was just a little too old when BSA was established in the United States in 1912.

I fondly remember Ray Jr., who passed away two years ago last May. He was a veteran B-25 navigator-bombardier during WW2, and with the GI bill, graduated from Carnegie Tech University in Pittsburgh. Since meeting him at my daughter’s wedding, we became good friends and his close kin, sharing our mutual grandchildren.

Ray 4 is over 6 feet tall, so he must be taller than any of us here in this room. I haven't seen him since he was in the 3rd grade, when he was 8 years old. I’m sure his voice has changed, I hope to hear his low and sonorous tone overlooking me when we meet next spring on his school excursion to Japan.

Ray joined the Cub Scouts when he was 7, then seamlessly joined the Boy Scouts, where he climbed up the ranks from Tenderfoot, Second and First Class, Star and Life, then finally completing Eagle before his 15th Birthday. This is quite an achievement, as only 4 % of boys ever finish Eagle Scout, and where he lives, boys typically finish just before their 18th birthday. Raymond had to complete 21 merit badges on such topics as citizenship, camping, first aid and cooking, as well as activities like rock climbing, metal work, and rifle shooting. He has actually completed 28 merit badges, which qualified him to earn a bronze palm that he can wear on his Eagle Medal. One of the major requirements to complete the rank of Eagle is to plan and lead a significant service project. Raymond’s project involved over 30 people working more than 200 labor hours to build two steep staircases in the side of a hill at a brand-new local community park called Sapwi. The park now has more than 5 miles of hiking trails used by Ray 4’s high school cross country team, a bike course, a tournament level disc golf course and playground. The park opened at the end of September.

Ray 4 had to show, in all assignments, initiative, discipline, leadership and communications ability from planning to execution. He really pushed hard on this project to make it happen. I feel that this system is similar to what we do at Toastmasters. For your information, the Scout Law reads A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. These are universal values and I’m all for them. Scouting can be found in over 100 countries, including Japan which had 100,000 members in 2017. USA BSA alone amass 6 million members. I’m proud to share with you my grandson’s Scouting achievements. I look forward to telling you more about him in the future.