The list of Eagle Scouts who have risen to high places is a long one.
Included on that list are astronaut Neil Armstrong, investment bank billionaire and former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, famed Beat Generation poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, former president Gerald Ford, Academy Award-winning film director Steven Spielberg, Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt and the list goes on and on.
In St. Charles Parish the number of Eagle Scouts that have been produced is twice the national average. While nationwide only 2 percent of Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts, that number in St. Charles Parish is near 4 percent.
Yoni Sunshine, Pelican District Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, said St. Charles Parish has a history of producing highly qualified scouts.
“St. Charles Parish in particular has a great legacy of producing youth and adult leaders through the Scouting program, and many families in the parish have a multi-generational legacy of earning the Eagle rank,” he said.
In order to attain the Eagle Scout ranking, the highest possible Boy Scouts honor, scouts must earn 21 merit badges in all – that is 10 more than the next highest honor of Life Scout. In addition, Eagle Scouts must provide proof of citizenship at all levels of society, communication skills, cooking ability, personal fitness, emergency preparedness, environmental science, personal management, outdoor sporting ability, camping and success in their family life. Scouts must also fulfill all requirements before reaching the age of 18 in order to be honored as an Eagle Scout.
“Earning the Eagle rank is a testament to the quality and integrity of the boy and his family. It demonstrates a commitment to excellence based on acquiring, mastering and educating others in technical skills and leadership,” Sunshine said.
In St. Charles Parish, Scoutmaster Gary Dolese has seen his share of Eagle Scouts come out of his troop.
Dolese has been involved in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts for the past 30 years and is a recipient of the “Silver Beaver,” one of scouting’s highest awards. In 1987 he joined Boy Scout Troop 370 based out of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Luling. Since the troop was founded in 1978, they have had produced 47 Eagle Scouts.
Every time a new troop of kids comes up from Cub Scouts, Dolese gives them each a Eisenhower silver dollar with the Apollo 11 moon landing mission insignia on one side and they talk about Neil Armstrong and his accomplishments and how he started off where they were so many years before.
“They see the benefits of scouts and the benefits later down the road in their adult life,” he said.
Just last month two of Dolese’s scouts, Kaleb Champagne, of Luling, and Alexander Metcalf, of Des Allemands, were recognized by the St. Charles Parish Council for their achievement.
“Kaleb has two older brothers that were Eagle Scouts. His dad was an Eagle Scout and his grandfather was involved in scouting, so it is a condition in his family,” Dolese said. In contrast, Dolese said Metcalf, who is the oldest of six children and does not come from a scouting family, drove himself to complete the requirements.
“He put it to himself to get this done. Alex surprised me and he was pretty dedicated to it,” he said.
Dolese, who became Scoutmaster in 1995, said becoming an Eagle Scout is a long process that begins when kids make the switch from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts at age 11 and ends at age 18. In order to make it to Eagle Scout, scouts must first make their way through the ranks–Tenderfoot, Second Class Scout, First Class Scout, Star Scout and Life Scout. While the scouts get help climbing up the first two ranks Dolese said the program is self-directed in the later stages.
“At that point it is pretty much up to them,” he said. However, he said the road from 11 to 18 years old is a long one filled with other things to do besides scouting, which is why so few kids ever become Eagle Scouts.
“What happens is as they get older they get more distractions with high schools and girls. If you wait too long some of them didn’t finish,” Dolese said.
But for the few who do finish up, Dolese said the rewards are obvious and that there is a reason so many Eagle Scouts go on to have successful careers.
“It puts them on a good moral compass. It teaches them motivation that they have to go out and do things for themselves. They are seeing what it takes,” he said. “It really gives them a good foundation.”
If you are interested in joining or supporting the Boy Scouts of America, visit www.bsa-selacouncil.org or call (504) 889-0388.
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